WINE > Bannockburn Pinot Noir, 2024 (18/20)

There are a few wines that are always in my wine cellar and regular and reliable choices when out for dinner with friends and it is found on the wine list. The Bannockburn Pinot Noir is a crowd pleaser, delightfully pretty but retaining enough structure and elegance to appeal to the wine snob and the regular punter.

APPEARANCE >

Bannockburn’s 2024 Pinot Noir is a quietly confident benchmark for Moorabool Valley Pinot: savoury, site-driven and already compelling, but with the structure to unfurl beautifully over the better part of a decade.

APPEARANCE >

In the glass, the 2024 Bannockburn Pinot Noir sits a shade deeper than many coastal Pinots: a light to medium cherry-red core with black-tinged edges and a translucent rim. There is a gentle garnet halo and fine, slow-moving legs, suggesting both concentration and a measured 13.5% of alcohol rather than excess.

NOSE >

The nose is immediately expressive yet composed: dark cherry, wild strawberry and raspberry coulis wrapped around dried rose petal and a flutter of redcurrant. Underneath, the Bannockburn signatures emerge—dried clove, forest floor, smoked meat, bramble and subtle whole-bunch spice, with hints of chicory, black tea and nut shell lending a savoury, almost ferrous complexity.

PALATE >

On the palate, this is medium bodied and textural rather than showy, layering pure red fruits over a framework of fine, sinewy tannin and brisk, cool-climate acidity. Dark cherry and strawberry glide through the mid-palate, meeting notes of rhubarb, woodsmoke, amaro herbs and a flicker of ironstone that speaks clearly of volcanic loam, dark clay and limestone beneath the vines. Oak is present but discreet—French hogsheads and puncheons, around a quarter new—adding gentle woodspice and cedar more than overt toast.

LENGTH >

The finish is long, savoury and quietly insistent, carrying dried clove, smoked meat, chicory and forest-floor notes well after the last sip. There is no rush here: tannins are polished but persistent, and the line of acidity suggests a drinking window that begins now with a decant and extends comfortably 6–10 years for those willing to let the wine resolve further in bottle.

PAIRING >

This is a food-first Pinot that shines with dishes echoing its earthy, savoury register. Think roast duck with five-spice and plum, rabbit or mushroom ragù over pappardelle, charcoal-roasted beetroot with black garlic, or simply a roast chicken with pan juices and thyme where the wine’s umami and spice can quietly take centre stage.

VINTAGE >

The 2024 release draws on Bannockburn’s full suite of estate vineyards, including historic blocks such as Olive Tree Hill (planted 1976), 10 Rows (1991), Stuart Block (1997), Ann’s Block (2004) and the close-planted De La Terre (2007). Across these sites—volcanic loam and dark clay over limestone—organically farmed, low-yielding vines (with a core of MV6 and Dijon clones) gave fruit of notable purity and definition. In the cellar, parcels were vinified separately with around 20% whole bunches and a touch of carbonic maceration before 10 months in French oak, yielding a wine that feels more about vineyard expression than winery adornment.

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