Bannockburn Geelong Pinot Noir 2024 Review: An Unconventional Pinot
Bannockburn’s 2024 Geelong Pinot Noir draws from five estate vineyards, spanning vines planted from 1976 through to 2007. The winemaking is equally involved, with approximately 20% whole bunches, a small carbonic maceration component and maturation in hogsheads and puncheons, 25% of them new. Released as part of Bannockburn’s 50th anniversary vintage, it brings together vineyards spanning several decades and a winemaking approach that suggests a more serious, deliberately structured expression of Pinot Noir. The question going in was whether that complexity would translate into a more compelling experience, or simply a less conventional one.
|
Vintage: |
2024 |
|
Region: |
Geelong, Victoria |
|
Varietal: |
Pinot Noir |
|
ABV: |
13.5% |
|
RRP: |
~$75 AUD |
|
Format: |
750mL |
Appearance
The wine is a little darker than many Pinot Noirs, moving towards a vibrant red as the light catches it. It remains clear and relatively transparent rather than dense or opaque, with the colour becoming increasingly translucent towards the rim.
There was no visible sediment. Legs formed readily after swirling and fell slowly down the glass.
Aroma / Nose
Straight from the bottle, the nose was immediately unusual. Instead of the lighter red berry aromas we commonly associate with Pinot Noir, it presented much darker and more herbaceous, with a savoury quality that was initially difficult to place.
Air did little to fundamentally change the profile. The savoury, herbal character remained prominent without opening into more obvious berry aromas, leaving it distinctly outside our usual expectations of the variety.
Palate / Taste
The palate initially seemed almost contradictory to the nose. Fruit arrived immediately, led by plum and darker fruit rather than the brighter berries we had expected.
From there, the structure took over. Acidity and bitterness were clearly noticeable around the swallow without becoming aggressive or unbalanced, creating an almost effervescent sensation towards the front of the tongue.
The tannins provided a different kind of structure. Rather than feeling coarse or heavily drying, they were silky, settling gently across the cheeks and gums.
The wine remained remarkably consistent throughout the session. We poured it through a VinoAir aerator and continued following it as it sat in the glass, but there was no major shift in its fruit, herbaceous character or overall structure.
Finish
The darker fruit receded as the wine moved into its finish, leaving acidity, bitterness and tannin to carry much of the final impression.
The tannins continued to grip the cheeks gently, while a noticeable green, herbaceous character lingered after swallowing. This brought the wine back towards the character first encountered on the nose and became one of its more persistent features.
Food Pairing
Food shifted individual elements of the wine, although none of the pairings fundamentally changed its underlying character.
Pan-fried duck breast: Dark fruit remained prominent upfront, while acidity and bitterness became slightly more noticeable through the swallow. Neither the wine nor the duck overwhelmed the other, making this the most naturally balanced pairing of the meal, even if it didn’t dramatically transform the wine.
Potato gratin: Shifted attention away from the fruit and towards the wine’s savoury side. Warmth also became more noticeable across the tongue and into the back of the throat.
Coleslaw: The least successful combination. It exaggerated the herbaceous and bitter characteristics, making the wine feel considerably more jarring.
A simpler green vegetable or rocket-based side dressed with oil may have been more sympathetic to the wine’s savoury and herbaceous character, although we didn’t test this directly.
ATC Verdict: Is It Worth the Splurge?
Not quite at its full premium positioning, although there is plenty here to make the wine interesting.
This isn’t a Pinot Noir we would choose for easy red fruit or immediate familiarity. Darker fruit, pronounced herbaceousness, bitterness, acidity and silky tannins give it an identity that sits well outside our usual expectations of the variety. There is genuine complexity here, and both of us found ourselves interested in those differences rather than dismissing them as flaws.
That distinctiveness may also narrow its appeal. The duck found the best balance, but neither food nor additional time softened the traits that defined the wine from the outset. We respected what Bannockburn was doing, but the experience didn’t quite convince us at the level the wine is positioned.
Complex enough to intrigue, unconventional enough to divide.
Editor’s Note
Bannockburn recommends decanting the 2024 Pinot Noir when drinking it young. For this tasting, the wine was poured through a VinoAir aerator and followed throughout the session. Its character remained notably consistent, with no major change as the wine spent additional time in the glass.
Adrian, Editor at All That Is Cool
Please drink responsibly.
All alcohol reviews on All That Is Cool are intended for audiences aged 18+. We support mindful, moderate consumption and only feature bottles we’ve personally tasted and evaluated.
