This seems to have backed off on both the funk and the alcohol warmth that I normally see in Gary Farr’s chardonnays. It’s all the better for it. You’d almost call this subtle. Almost. It’s a silken white wine with nectarine, smoke, yeast and brine-like notes. It’s both classy and seductive. And its persistence is excellent. I like the way it lilts through you mouth, but bites on the finish. And I especially like how ‘complete’ it tastes. Super chardie. Rated : 94 Points; Alcohol : 13% Price : $58 Closure : Cork Drink : 2010 - 2014 Campbell Mattinson; The Wine Front

The By Farr vineyards have plantings of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Viognier (all varieties are a mixture of clones and rootstocks). The aspect of the vineyard is north/northeast and undulating. The soil is volcanic loam over limestone and in some sites the limestone dominates the loam. They are well drained and of low fertility. They compare well with the best sites for pinot noir and chardonnay anywhere in the world. The winery was purpose built, maintaining the temperature of 16°C all year.

In 1994 Gary Farr and family planted 12 ha of clonally selected viognier, chardonnay, pinot noir and shiraz at a density of 7000 per ha on a north-facing hill directly opposite the Bannockburn Winery. The quality of the wines is exemplary, their character subtly different from those of Bannockburn itself due, in Farr's view, to the interaction of the terroir of the hill and the clonal selection.