2023 Bannockburn S.R.H. Chardonnay. Geelong, VIC. 750ml.
The S.R.H needs little introduction. It is, without doubt, one of the finest single-site Chardonnays grown in Australia. The source of the S.R.H. is 12 rows of Bannockburn’s oldest Chardonnay vines (P58) in the Olive Tree Hill vineyard. The root systems for these well-established, low-yielding vines are firmly entrenched in the ancient marine sediments that form the bedrock in this area. They seem to suck the minerality out of their subsoil and deliver a spine-tingling wash of salinity to support the intense flavour and texture for which this benchmark Chardonnay is known.
96 points. The 2023 SRH Chardonnay is textural and taut; it is bound in phenolics at this point, but clearly superb. The length of flavor shows this. The complexity shows this. It's a hugely impressive wine that speaks of white peach, green apples, green olive brine, white strawberries and white pepper. It's salty and a little chewy. This will be a seriously great wine—give it time. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Erin Larkin, robertparker.com.
