Planted by Lucas Grigsby and Michael Glover in 2007, Bannockburn’s high-density De La Roche vineyard lies on higher ground above the De La Terre Pinot block: a westerly extension of Serré. The vines (in 2012 at least) came from Shiraz cuttings taken from Best’s and Tahbilk and were planted on a mix of rootstock and own roots. The original plot covered just 0.8 hectares and the name alludes to the plethora of volcanic rocks that litter the soil of this parcel.
Long live Bannockburn’s Museum Release program! Initially released in late 2014, this wine was just the second iteration from this site and was entirely well-received. A 96 from Halliday followed, at a time when such high nineties scores made headlines; “Kaleidoscopic”, said Campbell Mattinson. Inspired by his prior vintage in Burgundy at Chateau de la Tour, Glover picked riper and pressed earlier in his search to bring a bit more generosity, flesh and accessibility to his 100% whole bunch style. It worked.