2020 Valli Bannockburn Vineyard Pinot Noir

This elegant, structured Pinot Noir was fermented with 22% whole bunch fruit and matured in French oak (29% new) for a period of 11 months. Deep dark red black shaded colour with a dark red hue. Perfumed violet like top notes are intermeshed with aromas of red to dark cherries, anise and strawberries infused with spicy dried herbs, forest floor and dusty cedar. Light to medium weight and spicy the palate is generously fruited with dark cherries and strawberries which are framed by slightly dryish, rigid tannins and vibrant acidity. Anise, dried herb and forest floor elements are also evident. Taut, focused feel concluding with an energetic elegance. Trophy for best in show at Decanter World Wine Awards 2022.
Cellar 6-8 years.
Alc. 14%

Other Reviews….
Bannockburn sits at the heart of one of the wine world's most promising Pinot locations outside Burgundy, and this dark, fragrant yet intensely fruited wine drew our judges' attention not just for the panache of its fruit but also for its intensity, drive, structure and resonance. The blackberry and plum fruits you can find on the nose are almost brooding, and a far cry from the sometimes simple appeal of the region's pioneer Pinots. On the palate it is mouth-filling and deep with high-resolution focus; the acidity is neither trivial nor shrill; the tannins are soft, but carry a useful flavour print. It's after you swallow, though, that you come to appreciate its sinew and ligament, its inner seriousness and its sheer completeness. Very fine Pinot by any measure.
97 points
Decanter World Wine Awards 2022