Four Bimbadgen Wines Score 96 Points in Halliday
Four wines. One vintage. Two Hunter Valley vineyards. Two varieties. Four 96-point scores.
Bimbadgen wines score 96 points across four 2024 Single Vineyard white wines from the Hunter Valley, with each also awarded Gold in the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion
The outstanding result spans Semillon and Chardonnay from both our Palmers Lane and McDonalds Road vineyards in Pokolbin, showcasing four expressions of two of the Hunter Valley’s defining white varieties.
The four wines recognised are:
2024 Single Vineyard Palmers Lane Semillon – 96 points
2024 Single Vineyard Palmers Lane Chardonnay – 96 points
2024 Single Vineyard McDonalds Road Semillon – 96 points
2024 Single Vineyard McDonalds Road Chardonnay – 96 points
To celebrate this outstanding result, all four 96-point wines are now available through an exclusive pre-release for a limited time.
For Bimbadgen, the result puts both the quality of the 2024 Hunter Valley vintage and the individuality of our two vineyard sites firmly in the spotlight.
Four Golds in the Halliday Wine Companion
The Halliday Wine Companion remains one of Australia’s most recognised and respected guides to Australian wine. Under its 100-point rating system, wines scoring 95–96 points are classified as outstanding wines of Gold Medal standard.
“Having all four of our 2024 Single Vineyard white wines receive 96 points is incredibly rewarding for the winemaking team. What makes it particularly significant is that the recognition extends across two varieties and two distinct vineyard sites,” says Michael Hatcher, Chief Winemaker at Bimbadgen.
“As winemakers, our objective is to preserve the individual character of these vineyards rather than impose a house style, so to see all four wines recognised at this level gives us great confidence in that approach.”
These four Golds were part of a broader result for Bimbadgen, with several other wines recognised in the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion:
2022 Signature Shiraz – 95 points
2023 Single Vineyard Palmers Lane Chardonnay – 95 points
2023 Single Vineyard McDonalds Road Chardonnay – 95 points
2023 Single Vineyard McDonalds Road Shiraz – 94 points
2023 Single Vineyard Palmers Lane Shiraz – 93 points
2022 Single Vineyard McDonalds Road Shiraz – 93 points
2022 Single Vineyard Palmers Lane Shiraz – 91 points
Two Vineyards, One Exceptional Vintage
Less than five kilometres separate Palmers Lane and McDonalds Road, yet each vineyard brings its own character to the wines.
Palmers Lane was first planted in 1968 and faces west towards the Brokenback Range. Its sandy alluvial soils and areas of heavier loam help produce wines with precision, freshness and varietal purity.
Nearby, McDonalds Road was planted in 1970 and follows the contours of the Bimbadgen hillside. Its easterly aspect and varied soils offer another expression of Hunter Valley Semillon and Chardonnay, typically showing greater generosity, texture and persistence.
Then came the 2024 Hunter Valley vintage.
Warm, dry conditions, reduced rainfall and low disease pressure resulted in smaller crops with concentrated flavour and excellent fruit health. Harvest arrived unusually early, while the fruit retained the acidity and varietal definition so important to both Semillon and Chardonnay.
Together, an outstanding vintage and two distinctive vineyard sites created the conditions for four individual wines to reach the same 96-point result.
“For us, the 2024 wines are defined by purity, balance and a very clear expression of site,” says Michael.
“The Semillons have the freshness, precision and structure we look for in young Hunter Valley Semillon, while the Chardonnays combine flavour and texture with restraint and natural freshness.”
“Importantly, there is also a genuine distinction between Palmers Lane and McDonalds Road. That individuality is central to the Single Vineyard range. We want people to be able to taste not only the variety and the vintage, but also something particular about where each wine was grown.”
The Wines in the Glass
The 2024 Single Vineyard Palmers Lane Semillon is bright and vibrant, with lemon and lime zest, kaffir lime and a subtle hint of beeswax. Fresh acidity and a supple texture carry through a precise, citrus-driven palate.
The 2024 Single Vineyard Palmers Lane Chardonnay shows white peach, citrus blossom and flint, followed by concentrated stone fruit, saline acidity and a long, refined finish. Subtle French oak provides structure while allowing the fruit to remain at the forefront.
That character contrasts with the broader expression typically seen from McDonalds Road. Its Semillon tends towards generous citrus character, texture and persistence, while Chardonnay from the site shows greater stone fruit weight, depth and structure.
Together, the wines demonstrate how two nearby Hunter Valley vineyards can shape the same varieties in distinctly different ways.
Discover the 96-Point Wines
Four wines from one vintage. Two Hunter Valley vineyards. Four 96-point Halliday scores.
For Bimbadgen, the result celebrates an outstanding 2024 vintage while highlighting what sits at the heart of our Single Vineyard range: wines shaped by variety, vintage and where they were grown.