Print this Wine         1996 Bannockburn Chardonnay   GEELONG                 January Release   Chardonnay       Gary Farr has held a lofty reputation as one of Australia’s finest winemakers for a considerable length of time. He deserves the accolades because he has never rested on his laurels, never felt that he has ever achieved his goals. The result is that his wine gets better and better. What we all thought was amazing in his mid 80s vintages is regularly surpassed by his current wines and this great Chardonnay is certainly no exception. The color is rich golden yellow, showing the benefit of oak maturation. The nose also shows oak but it is merely a component, not a feature player. There is butterscotch, and butter, but again they do not dominate. In addition there is ample fruit, crossing a spectrum of flavors, from grapefruit through to melon and figs. Definitely cool climate in origin but very ripe, indicating extremely low yields. None of the flavors dominates another, and none are out of place. The complexity hinted at on the bouquet is confirmed on the palate. Here the flavors combine together seemlessly, which is quite remarkable given the youth of the wine. Again there is no dominating factor, just a host of different nuances showing up as the wine is swirled around the glass and again in the mouth. Whilst there is the tell-tale sign of malo-lactic fermentation with the butterscotch character, there is no lack of acidity at the back of the palate, promising an extended life span in the bottle. The wine will continue to develop for at least another 6-8 years and this sort of longevity is most unusual for Australian Chardonnay. Drink the wine now with roast chicken served with a mushroom sauce. The complex array of flavors in the wine will match well against such a dish and the earthy nature of the sauce will soak up the acid at the back of the palate.

Varietal All Varietals Bordeaux Blends Cabernet Sauvignon Chardonnay Colombard Dessert Wine Grenache Grenache Mourvedre Shiraz Grenache Rose Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre Italian Varietals Marsanne Viognier Merlot Mourvedre Mourvedre Mourvedre Shiraz Grenache Muscadelle Muscat Other Pinot Grigio Pinot Gris Pinot Noir Port Riesling Rose Saignee Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Shiraz Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre Shiraz Mourvedre Grenache Shiraz Petit Sirah Shiraz Viognier Syrah Viognier Estate All Estates Aramis Vineyards Blackbilly Bowen Estate Clonakilla Coates Craiglee Elderton Fireblock Flinders Bay Frankland Estate Grosset Wines Heathcote II Hill of Content Mount Horrocks Primo Estate / Joseph Rocky Gully Rutherglen Estates Sir Paz Estate The Catcher Wines The Jumping Grape Wines The Old Faithful The Wishing Tree Tir na N'og Region All Regions Adelaide Hills Adelaide Plains Auburn Australian Capital Territory Barossa Ranges Barossa Valley Blewitt Springs Bowen Estate Canberra District Cardinia Hills Cardinia Ranges Central Victoria Clare Valley Clarendon Coonawarra Cowra Eden Valley Fleurieu Frankland Geelong Great Western Griffith Heathcote Hilltops Region Hunter Valley Kangarilla King Valley Langhorne Creek Lenswood Lower Hunter Valley Macedon Ranges Margaret River McLaren Vale Mornington Peninsula Mount Carmel Murrenbateman New South Wales Norton Summit Nuriootpa Old Garden Vineyard Padthaway Piccadilly Polish Hill River Riverina Rutherglen Sevenhills South Australia Sunbury Tanunda Upper Beaconsfield Victoria Watervale West Australia Western Australia Woodside Yarra Valley Keyword Include Museum Notes? Yes   No Show me more wines: of this vintage of this varietal by this estate from this region