Winemaker David Bicknell got rave reviews for his Oakridge chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir from the Yarra Valley.
But he hasn’t bothered to read them yet.
Several of his wines scored 98 and 97 points in the latest Australian wine rankings published in the Halliday Wine Companion (Hardie Grant).
“I have not read it. I haven’t even tried to find a copy of it to tell you the truth,” said Mr Bicknell, an elder statesman of the Australian wine world.
“It’s nice winning awards but it is not what we live for.’’
Mr Bicknell emerged the giant killer in the chardonnay class.
His Oakridge 2023 864 Funder & Diamond Drive Block Chardonnay, ($100) and his Oakridge 2023 864 Henk Aqueduct Block Chardonnay ($100) each got 98 points and outscored national chardonnay treasures such as Penfolds Yattarna 2022 ($220) Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2022 ($159), Coldstream Hills Reserve Chardonnay 2023 ($70) and Shaw + Smith Lenswood Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 ($99).
The tributes leave him unfazed.
“It’s nice when people recognise us – and me – and say nice things, but it is not the raison d’être of what we do. It’s not what we are here for,” he said.
(The Funder & Diamond name refers to Professor John Funder, an endocrinologist, and his wife Valerie Damond who own the vineyard where the grapes are sourced. The couple live not far away at Wandin East in the Yarra Valley.)
Two other Oakridge chardonnays were each awarded 97 points.
They were Oakridge The Apex Twin Chardonnay ($300) the firm’s icon wine, and Oakridge Vineyard Series Henk Chardonnay 2023 ($48), a more affordable option.
Mr Bicknell’s Funder & Diamond also cleaned up at the Yarra Valley wine show last week with his chardonnay named “best wine in show”.
Again Mr Bicknell dodged the limelight.
He sent others to accept the trophy.
“My team was at the dinner and had a great time,” he said.
“They took all the accolades. I am at the state of my career where it’s much more important for them to get the recognition than me.”
He had a good excuse not to attend.
He was showing his wines at a special dinner at the newish TarraWarra Museum of Art in Healesville. (Opens Tuesday to Sunday from 11am at 313 Healesville-Yarra Glen Rd.)
Mr Bicknell and his team make eight different versions of chardonnay.
Why so many?
“Why not?” he said.
“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. It is all about experiments and pushing the viticultural and winemaking boundaries. It is all about trying to find where we can source the best grapes to make the best wine.
“Not all vineyards are created equal. We see that time and time again.’’
The 864 collection represents the pinnacle of Oakridge’s portfolio, which showcases hand-picked micro-selections from Oakridge’s premium Yarra Valley sites, and included a pinot noir with “an extraordinarily scented bouquet of red and blue fruits and crushed rose petals”, a “beautifully perfumed and complex” cabernet sauvignon, and a “gorgeous” syrah.
The critics’ notes “are just opinions” Mr Bickness says almost dismissively.
He intended “no disrespect”.
Despite his deep plunge into chardonnay, Mr Bicknell believed the Yarra Valley is poised to make cabernets that will rock the world.
His Oakridge 864 Winery Block Cabernet Sauvignon may be leading the charge.
It is balanced and complete.
There is a lovely tension between acidity and tannins and there is a gentle rush of cassis, blackcurrant, cedar and “forest floor” notes.
Mr Bicknell said the five years he had as a nurse before pursuing a winemaking career “changed everything”.
“(Nursing) is about being a human being, about humanity, learning about people and understanding people,” he said.
Not surprisingly, he has a philosophical approach to the wine game.
“We are just crafts people trying to make the best product with the medium we work with,” he said.
“Wine is lubricant for protein. Wine is an ornament on a table. People are number one, everyone eats. When you get a group of people and you get a nice plate of food, life is pretty good.
“When you add a nice glass of wine, life is even better.
“We (winemakers) and just one part of that trinity at the table.
“We know our place. We are part of the theatre of living.”
Dining and Cooking