Print this Wine         1998 Bannockburn Chardonnay   GEELONG                 January Release   Chardonnay       First of all this is a very rare and very special wine. There will never be another one like it so purely from this perspective it is a guaranteed collectors item. The vineyards at Bannockburn were almost totally decimated by a freak hail storm a few months prior to the expected harvest date. Crop levels were down to around 10 per cent of the average crop, and let me assure you these vineyards are low cropping every year. Winemaker Gary Farr was in a state of shock until a plan was devised to purchase small lots of a few tonnes each from a variety of grape growers across the multiplicity of growing regions in South –East Australia. In the end the so called "bush telegraph" was in full flight and Gary had to turn down some offers of fruit, as he wanted to ensure that the three wines he made (there is a Pinot Noir and a Shiraz as well) were the equal to his usual lofty standard. The wine is a rich pale gold in color. There is the slightest greenish rim still indicating its youth. On the bouquet look for the trademark Bannockburn characters of wholemeal biscuits, butterscotch combined with the fruit flavors. Typically these fruit flavors would be some grapefruit intermingling with peach and pears, but with this wine the fruit is from a few warmer climates and it tends to be in the melon and fig range. Either way they are very attractive and this wine certainly has great charm. The palate is rich and full bodied. There is good weight and texture across the middle of the palate and the fruit weight is sufficient to match the creamy, butter like feel and the soft lingering finish. The wine represents an ideal each way drinking proposition. This means it is great for the present but also will reward the patient who cellar it. I see no reason why the wine cannot continue to develop over 6 to 8 years. My personal preference is to drink plenty of it now as there is great balance between the fruit and the winemaking techniques that a master like Gary Farr has used in producing this wine. Drink the wine alongside fish with firm white flesh that has a slight sweetness. Make sure the dressing or sauce uses citrus juice to add extra zing and this will work in well with the acid structure of the wine.

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