Latest reviews

Mount Barker

Chardonnay

Chardonnays from this hot season have emerged quite strong, and this is another fine example. From the Mount Barker region, it underwent some natural ferment before being matured for an extended period in older French oak to deliberately downplay overt oak influence. The result is a wine of brightness and elegance, with fine, pure minerality and light citrusy melon notes,...

Western Australia

Rose

This is consistently one of my favourite West Australian rosés. The first thing you notice is the brilliant pink colour — pale, yet with a luminous quality. It’s a combination of shiraz, pinot, and grenache from around the state, naturally fermented in older oak barriques. On the nose, there are all the strawberry and raspberry nuances, while on the light-bodied...

Western Australia

Sparkling

A blend of pinot and chardonnay from the southwest of the state. After fermenting in older French oak and some stainless steel, the wine is blended before release after spending at least 24 months on lees. That’s an important part of the process, as it introduces palate texture. Plenty of nice red fruits, a little brioche, subtle yeasty notes, and...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

I don’t think I’ve seen a better Leston cabernet over the years, and that’s not surprising given the maturity of the vineyards now and the excellence of the vintage. It’s been crafted to produce a wine that is both elegant and poised, with concentrated deep fruit characters presented with control and focus. Aromas of intense blackcurrant and plum, with slightly...

Mount Barker

Riesling

One of the great joys in wine is drinking mature rieslings, and this one is excellent, really only just beginning its journey. It still has some primary fruit, but it’s starting to develop those slightly toasty lime characters that become so appealing with mature rieslings. It retains good primary fruit characters on the palate, and the fine, persistent acidity will...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

These chardonnays are moving into a more elegant and refined expression of this variety and region. It was barrel fermented with wild yeast, creating a wine of minerally complexity. On the nose, there’s the fairly typical combination of lemon, light-cut lime, and citrus, with a muted backdrop of lemon curd and cashew. The palate is almost delicate, yet it releases...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A picture-perfect vintage has produced one of the best cabernets under this label yet. Bold statement of blackcurrant and lifted blackberry on the nose with a trace of bay leaf and dried herb character. Beautifully seductive and smoothly textured palate with the structure and definition that is cabernet, giving it purpose. A wine like this selling for just $30 is...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Right off the bat that this is the finest Abercrombie cabernet yet released. A few things have contributed to it. The great vintage for a start, the maturing vines on the Leston property at Margaret River, the continued refinement with oak use, including reduction in new oak and a real focus on achieving structure through the fermentation. It is a...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This is a lo-fi expression of Pemberton chardonnay, which gives quite a different dimension to this variety. It was whole bunch pressed and wild fermented in 500-litre French puncheons and ceramic eggs, with full solids used to add both texture and complexity. Has an intensity on the palate with fine, minerally fruit and slight and subtle nectarine characters. I like...

Western Australia

Rose

The colour is pale pink and light copper. This is a naturally fermented, minimal-intervention rosé, which is a combination of grenache, pinot noir, and a little pinot gris that just brings a slight textural feel to the palate. It was whole bunch pressed and then had extended lees contact with wild fermentation. So, this is a rosé that, in addition...

Margaret River

Chenin Blanc

There are so many really interesting chenin blancs being produced in Western Australia these days. This one’s from Margaret River and it’s made with natural fermentation and minimal intervention, with low sulphur and no filtration. There’s some skin contact after the wild fermentation, and it gets some maturation after the fermentation in older French oak and even some ceramic eggs....

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This is yet another release that shows the continual transformation of Leeuwin cabernets into now some of the very best in the region. It was a terrific year for producing fruit of exceptional varietal expression and intensity, and real balance. This is largely cabernet but again, a tiny percentage of malbec plays an important role. It's had about 50% new...

Margaret River

Shiraz

A few years ago, Leeuwin made the decision to bounce back with shiraz after it had been missing from the portfolio for many years. I, for one, am glad they did, and this is yet another example of how far they've come with developing this variety. It's a combination of a lot of hard work and an uncompromising focus on...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A wine that shows the continuing evolution of Margaret River cabernets, and this one, which is sort of the entry-level for Leeuwin as far as cabernet goes, is a cracking good example of the variety and how far it's come in recent years. It was a good season and it's captured here. It's largely cabernet, but a small percentage of...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

When arguments rage, you can guarantee when the subject is Australia's greatest chardonnays that this wine will always be in the mix. It's another exceptional wine from a vintage that really worked well. As always, 100% of the juice was barrel fermented in new French barriques, with regular stirring to introduce complexity and texture. It's a powerful statement of chardonnay...

Margaret River

Riesling

Leeuwin Estate has stuck with its riesling over the years, and it's a good thing too. In the best years, it really does come up trumps and this one stacks up with any previous releases. It's one of the finest and most delicately presented rieslings I can recall from Leeuwin, with a sort of talcy, bath salts character, albeit somewhat...

Margaret River

Sparkling

This is a blend of 58% chardonnay and 42% pinot noir, so it's a classic combination, and obviously in this season, accessed some very good fruit. This is a fine and quite delicate expression of this wine, which over the years seems to have become more refined and more elegant. It has a steely thread of minerality, but some nice...

Margaret River

White Blend

This is a blend of malbec, grenache, mourvèdre, petit verdot and merlot. The ferment took place naturally with no additions before 8 months in older oak. So the oak influence is minimal, but it still plays a role in developing the textural feel and concentration of the palate. The colour and the fruit are quite brilliant, with a palate showing...

Margaret River

White Blend

This is named in honour of Kevin Cullen’s mother. It’s a blend of 58% sauvignon blanc, 35% semillon and 7% verdelho. This is all about the vineyard and fruit expression. It was naturally fermented with no acid addition – and that’s quite an achievement in such a warm year. Yet the wine has texture and energy with a bright, persistent...

Margaret River

White Blend

Named in honour of Diana Madeline’s mother. This is about 85% sauvignon blanc and 15% semillon. About 63% of the savvy is matured in new French oak for 8 months. A very hot year, but the fruit has been handled well. It has good lively concentration with a tight rein on the palate from the oak and acid. Has a...

Margaret River

Cabernet Blend

Two varieties certainly benefited from the warm season – expressive, vibrant, bright fruit concentration and life. Aromatic notes of perfume, violet, blackcurrant and a little leaf. The palate has a firm core, but it's delightfully supple and fruity while retaining the poise you expect with this combination. Only 20% new oak was used, but the wine stands tall and in...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

It was a hot, dry and early vintage. The earliest on record. But the impact on the wine is immediate and profound. A wine of tremendous power and concentration is evident from the initial engagement on the nose through to a deep and almost endless palate, as it drives forward with tremendous urgency. Notes of brioche and grain-like cereal with...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Okay. I’ve tasted every one of the Diana Madeline vintages, and I can say absolutely that I have never had a better one than this. Opens with a highly scented perfume that lifts exotically from the glass. Then notes of bay leaf and black olive fill out a little before more ethereal notes of violet and glazed cherry emerge. The...

Margaret River

Red Blend

This is a Bordeaux-type blend that is largely cabernet with smaller percentages of merlot and cab franc. It was a good season in Margaret River, and this has flowed through into this medium-bodied and highly flavoursome, beautifully poised cabernet blend. Highly aromatic with floral violet notes and red berry, and just a trace of blackberry and plum on the palate....

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This is a classy chardonnay that, in many ways, illustrates how Woody Nook has flown under the radar for many years and yet consistently produces outstanding wines like this one. The interesting thing is it was barrel fermented, but in a high percentage, in this case, 80% new French oak puncheons, for about eight months with regular lees stirring. On...

Margaret River

Sauvignon Blanc

Woody Nook has been championing this style of barrel fermented sauvignon blanc for some years. And yet again, it's achieved something special that shows that the humble savvy does have a place if you're prepared to work on it. It was wild yeast fermented and then went into second-use French oak puncheons with regular lees stirring over about eight months....

Margaret River

Chenin Blanc

Here's an outstanding wine that shows the resilience of this wonderful white variety even in warm years. This one is a cracker from Margaret River. Has all that you want from the fresh, vibrant melony pear-like characters on the nose through to the deeper melon and lemon zest nuances that pick up the palate. It's vibrant, fresh, with a juicy,...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Consistently one of the best cabernets released in Margaret River, and this one from the great '23 vintage is certainly one of the best I have seen. The smooth, seamless balanced integration does feature so prominently. Aromas of blackcurrant, slight bay leaf, and a little chocolatey black olive. And then a palate that picks up all the dark fruits but...

Margaret River

Shiraz

Captures all that is good in this wonderful vintage in Margaret River. It's predominantly sourced from the old dry-grown, low-yielding vines on the Gallagher vineyard, and it was treated carefully. After handpicking, it got 18 months in a mix of American and French oak with about 20% of that new. I think the American oak vanillin complexity has added quite...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This is such an exceptional wine, but then I suspected it was going to be. Here is elegance and style, with a touch of panache that provides an exemplary example of this vineyard, this region, and this vintage. Aromas of blackcurrant, leafy cedar, oyster shell, and subtle bay leaf nuances. The palate hauls it all in tight and close, and...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a most stylish and refined expression of Margaret River cabernet. It has the intensity and concentrated power, yet what it's done has been delivered with such elegance and precision that it captures much of what this cooler, outstanding season delivered in the region. Red fruits with a leafy, black currant, and bay leaf character, and just that trace...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This is the pinnacle of chardonnay produced at Thompson Estate, and this is certainly one of the finest they have produced. Strikes immediately on the nose with a complex maze of cashew, butterscotch, and slightly savoury notes, providing an engaging opening. The palate, though, is where this wine comes alive. There's a deep intensity here with concentrated fruit. It's delivered...

Great Southern

Red Varietal

This is a variety that is just starting to make its presence felt in certain areas of Australia. And in Frankland, it's certainly found a home. It's one of the small batches that Singlefile does from time to time. This is a beautifully fragrant, exotic, medium-bodied red with a variety that hails from Spain. Shows some delightful spicy lifted red...

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This is the pinnacle of Singlefile's red wine portfolio, and it comes from the famous Riversdale Vineyard in Frankland River. Okay, this was a cooler year, and yet the vineyard has certainly pumped out some classy fruit that has been captured in this quite tightly refined expression of cabernet. First things first—give it a decent splash and decant to open...

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This is another of the wines Singlefile sources from Frankland, and this one speaks so much of region and variety—and, for that matter, vintage. It's medium- to full-bodied, but it has a subtlety and an understatement. Blackcurrant, dark plum, and slightly minerally ironstone nuances provide an engaging opening on the nose. The palate is smoothly integrated and presents with a...

Great Southern

Cabernet Blend

You can't possibly go past this one for a value-for-money cabernet blend in a great year. Comes from the Great Southern... and it is all that you want in this combination. Dark ripe red fruits, blackcurrant, a little plum, blackberry, and a lift of red fruits to add some vibrancy. The palate is generous, chocolatey, with red fruit and some...

Great Southern

Pinot Noir

Okay, we've got something here. This comes off the family vineyard in Denmark. These vines are now pretty mature and pumping out some classy fruit. The aroma delivers so much of the truffly, slightly funky earthy notes that you get in pinot. It's engaging from the outset, and then into the palate, which is medium-weight but so complex and loaded...

Frankland River

Grenache

Grenache. Frankland River. It just makes so much sense. And here is another example of how this variety is thriving in the southern region. This is in the medium-bodied zone and is simply bursting with bright red floral fruits—initially on the nose and then into that medium-bodied, refined, silky-smooth palate that captures this variety and this region so perfectly. Really...

Frankland River

Red Blend

This is a juicy and delicious blend of mataro, grenache, and shiraz. So, it's your classic GSM blend, and it comes from Frankland River. Medium-bodied and loaded with bright red fruits, showing a mix of redcurrant, mulberry, a little cranberry, and some nice spices and dried herbs. The palate is just so appealing, with its vibrant, high-energy red fruits bursting...

Frankland River

Shiraz

This was sourced from a vineyard in Frankland River and shows what a well-managed vineyard in a warm year can do. It also shows how good shiraz can be in Frankland. This one has a spicy, faintly peppery, plummy note with touches of blackberry. The palate is supple, but there is a chalkiness about it, contributing to a slightly gravelly...