"S.R.H is one of the finest single-site Chardonnays grown in Australia. Just 12 rows of P58 vines in the Olive Tree Hill vineyard go into S.R.H. Planted in 1976 by founder Stuart Reginald Hooper, these are the oldest Chardonnay vines at Bannockburn and are firmly entrenched in the ancient marine sediments that form the bedrock in this area. Own-rooted and well-established in the centre of the plot, the vines face north with an east-west orientation.
With each passing year, these old vines seem to suck even more minerality from the earth, delivering a spine-tingling wash of salinity to support the intense flavour and texture for which this benchmark Chardonnay is known. This year, the S.R.H was fermented in French hogsheads (40% new), and remained on lees for 10 months with no stirring and full malo.
This is another crackerjack year for Bannockburn’s emblematic Chardonnay. Teeming with pent-up energy, it is a tightly-coiled and powerful wine, driven by a core of concentrated citrus and stone fruit woven with the site’s hallmark saline mineral edge. You can tell the ’24 is built for the long haul, but it is already showing its pedigree. S.R.H. represents Australian Chardonnay at its most unrepentant: a pure, taut, linear and a masterful expression of deep-rooted power and measured refinement. That is precisely what you can expect from the 2024."
Distributor Notes