2025 Bannockburn 1314 Chardonnay

The 1314 range is essentially a "hack" for drinking Bannockburn on a budget. While it is designed for earlier drinking than the flagship estate Chardonnay, the pedigree here is undeniable.

The fruit comes from a spread of vines ranging from fresh 2016 plantings right back to the original 1976 blocks. It gets the full treatment too: wild fermentation in French oak hogsheads (10% new), followed by 85% malolactic fermentation and seven months resting on lees without stirring.

The result is fleshy, soft and immediately welcoming. You get a nose full of custard pie, fresh lemon and ripe stone fruits, shifting into exotic notes of mango and pineapple. There is a lovely touch of almond nougat in there, but it is kept in check by that signature Bannockburn salinity and vibrant acidity. It is rich, textured and ridiculously good value.

93 points
"It’s a wine of excellent fruit intensity and also of out-and-out succulence. Yes please. Love this."
- Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)