Latest reviews

Margaret River

Pinot Noir

Pinot in Margaret River remains an enigma. Yet when you get good years it works well. The generosity of the ’22 vintage is captured in this pretty and powerful pinot. Wild raspberry and cherry notes with a subtle spice. The palate is deeply intense but delivers a light effortless touch. A firm core of fine acid and tannin treads deep...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

One of the best chardies yet from Moss Wood, and that’s saying something with the quality of wines over the years. The nose is an immediately captivating combo of lemon curd, quince and cashew with just a subtle lift of zest. The palate has a sprightly energy with a crisp chalky acidity sustaining and focussing through to a very long...

Margaret River

Semillon

This is a slightly fuller style than previously. Perhaps a product of the warmer vintage or maybe an indication of a somewhat new direction for the variety. Regardless, it retains the essential linear mouthfeel and intensity of lemon zest and citrus. A crisp zingy acid sustains the long finish. An immediately appealing wine still with cellaring potential.

Margaret River

Cabernet Blend

Oh yeah. I expected this to be good and it has delivered. I see the power and concertation of 2018 and the elegance of 2019 with the restraint of 2017. Beautiful, perfumed fruit with tremendous intensity. The palate is seamless with a velvety feel to it. So vibrant with an energy and drive that takes it effortlessly to a very...

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

Domaine Naturaliste Le Naturaliste Cabernet Franc 2021 ($92) Dukes introduced this substantial statement of Cabernet Franc a few years ago. This is a Cab Franc with power and concentrated intensity. It starts with an aromatic combination of red fruits and liqueur chocolate and cherry. The palate is firmly structured with firm tannins and a liberal amount of oak supporting an...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A wine that twists and turns with new nuances and riches at every turn, before it comes together and straightens to its long finish. This is the pure essence of Margaret River Cabernet with loads of dense concentrated black fruits coated with subtle blue fruit fragrances. The palate reveals layers of chocolate and blackcurrant with nuanced black olive and graphite...

Margaret River

Syrah

Here is the partner to the Rebus Cabernet Sauvignon. Vibrant fruit on the nose sprinkled with spices and carrying a lovely savoury element. The medium-bodied palate has plenty with its supple structure and fine oak and tannin combination supporting a healthy layer of generous fruit. Elegant and stylish.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

So you want to know how good 2023 was for red wines in Margaret River? Well, check this thoroughly engaging pure vibrant fruit-dominant Cabernet. Bursting with punchy red fruits with overtones of violet and cherry. The palate is medium-bodied with a seamless oak and fruit integration. Just a beautiful wine for drinking in the short term.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Quite a different take on the Artus is this more classically defined modern expression of the variety. There is a pristine purity evident immediately with a floral cut lime and pear lift on the nose. Then the palate coils and tightens as it extends through to a very long finish. An elegant wine with a purity and finesse that is...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Plenty happening in this funky and wild expression of Chardonnay. On the nose, an intense combination of butterscotch, roasted cashew, and lemon curd with a vanilla bean lift reveal. The palate is layered with a complex maze and intricate weave of flavours reflecting the initial aromas. And then a minerally finish completes a very good wine.

Margaret River

Sauvignon Blanc

Dukes puts his winemaking stamp on this baby with the use of oak to complement the Sauvignon Blanc. It was such a beautiful vintage and the fruit so perfectly presented that the oak sits harmoniously in support. Has a lemon zest and slightly nutty character with other spices and citrus characters emerging. I like the slightly steely flinty minerality on...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This is a Chardonnay that relies more on the natural pristine vibrancy of the fruit rather than any noticeable winemaking contribution. The minerally and slightly saline characters of the fruit work neatly with other characters of typical grapefruit and lime. Has a slightly chalky acidity with the muted oak just enough to play a part.

Mount Barker

Cabernet Sauvignon

What a sensational wine. Perfumed and powerful with tremendous concentration and power. Used some concrete fermentation and stainless steel. Has beautiful elegance and weight through the palate with fine chalky tannins and fine-grained oak influence. Has such an ethereal aroma of violet and red berry. Tremendous power here yet it’s elegant and pretty. This is 100% cabernet.

Mount Barker

Cabernet Sauvignon

Highly fragrant and perfumed, Coes from Blocks 5, 6 and 7 and has a little bit of malbec. There’s a mix of old vine cabernet. The long season was perfect for cabernet contributing to a long hang time on the vine. It’s got structure and poise with firm chalk tannin and a very long palate profile. Has a lot of...

Mount Barker

Shiraz

This is a single site grown in 1985. It is a difficult site to pick. This is a powerful wine but retains its vibrant medium body. It’s about 10% while bunch and wild fermented, which has contributed to a more complex palate. Matured in 600l demi muid barrel with no new oak. Such a beautiful texture and fruit flavour, with...

Mount Barker

Shiraz

Bright and brilliant. It reflects the new style of less oak and using about 80% in big foudres and the balance in 500 and 600-litre barrels. It was a very late season and sat on the vine for ages, It has a beautiful cherry and plummy perfume with such energy and vibrancy. The palate is medium-bodied but there is plenty...

Great Southern

Pinot Noir

This a small vineyard planted in Kalgan River on very narrow rows. Handpicked, whole bunch and it has a real pinot character which the guys saw on the vineyard. Has a bright raspberry aroma and a brilliant bright crimson colour. The palate is light-bodied yet it has structure and poise as it heads down a path to a long finish....

Frankland River

Rose

The fruit for this rose comes from Frankland River and gets the full winemaking. Handpicked and crushed to press and then pressed after a short time and then fermented in ceramic egg to ferment to dryness and bottle. It’s bone dry yet it has a textured palate. Very pale colour. Has a dry savoury lightly red fruit finish. This is...

Mount Barker

Chardonnay

This is a powerful statement of chardonnay. It’s all Gingin clone and about 25% new oak. There is a mealy character here with a nutty roasted cashew. Handpicked and wild fermented and the best barrels go into a blend. There is an intensity here with stone fruit and white floral notes. A most attractive wine with savoury characters carrying the...

Mount Barker

Chardonnay

This is a blend of Block 8 and about 30% Burgundian clones then the rest is Block 9 with some younger vine Gingin clones. All wild fermented in Burgundian oak in largely 500l with about 20% new oak. Has a nice balance of citrus and nectarine with a slight sea spray character. The citrus lift on the finish is very...

Mount Barker

Riesling

This was picked a month earlier than 2023 and comes from the younger vines and includes some of the Geisenheim clones. Has a distinctive beeswax aroma with plenty of bright talcy bath salts character. Has good depth and long flavours with a fine acidity sustaining the finish. Has a lovely bright fruit character to it.

Mount Barker

Riesling

A more fragrant and lively wine that was planted in 1975. First made in 2018 as a result of pushing riesling further with more texture based on the Germanic style. Has a nice line and minerality. It gets about 15 to 20% fermentation in an oak foudre. The aim is to get a little productive funk into it. Very attractive...

Mount Barker

Riesling

Lightly perfumed and delightful aromas of lime and light talc. It was a very good year, and it was a late season allowing the fruit to build up easily. It’s stainless steel fermented but has an extended time on lees. The palate is the key. It’s powerful with texture and talcy threads with liberal spices. It has a slightly limey...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet is the grape of choice for this outstanding vintage fortified. The colour is deep but with bright crimson hues. It’s medium-bodied and elegantly structured with aromas of cherry and mulberry supplemented with dark chocolate. The palate is so seamless and elegant with a lovely lifted spirit. It’s a thoroughly engaging example of this style with plenty of time to...

Swan Valley

Muscat

From one of the great names in Australian fortified wines. The base wine for this great liqueur muscat was picked in 1983 after which the best vintages were chosen to be regularly blended. It is a smooth and mellow wine with all the complex and intrigue of caramel, honey and chocolate swirling through the aromas and then into a multi-layered...

Swan Valley

Shiraz

The blend for this remarkable liqueur shiraz began in 1981 and now includes 15 different vintages. The wines are blended in old brandy casks and now reveal aromas of concentrated dark chocolate, coffee, caramel and raisiny toffee. It’s dense and multi-layered with richness and complexity that builds relentlessly to a very long finish.

Swan Valley

Muscat

This luscious, fabulous muscat from the Swan Valley remains a work in progress, in that when the vintage is right it is blended back into the older wine that dates back over many years. This is as good a blend as I have tasted. Raisiny, caramel, dark toffee, spice and dark chocolate. The colour is even starting to develop a...

Swan Valley

Muscat

Rich and unctuous wine made from Swan Valley muscadelle. Aromas of toffee and caramel with a high spirity tone adding lift. The palate is rich with a typical muscat texture. Good palate length from a mid palate of complexity

Swan Valley

Shiraz

The fruit for this exceptional Swan Valley shiraz comes from Griffiths’ Faber vineyard. Seriously dark, almost opaque colour of deep red and black. Aromas of spices, dark chocolate and rich ripe plum burst open on the nose. Then the inky palate releases a mass of rich black fruit flavours of great power but with an effortless almost elegant presentation. It’s...

Swan Valley

Petit Verdot

Griffiths has managed to coax and control the absolute best features from this variety. It can get away from you with, but everything has been expertly harnessed. Intense black fruits, with dark chocolate and a lift of cherry and violet. The mid-palate softness is a feature. A thoroughly engaging wine for current drinking while those jubey red fruits are so...

Swan Valley

Shiraz

A really bright and concentrated vibrant red wine from the Swan Valley. The colour radiates bright red and crimson hues. The nose has an intense combo of red fruit with raspberry and plummy notes. The palate is vibrant medium bodied with a jubey delicious red fruit flavour augmented with some nice oak treatment. What a brilliant wine for the medium...

Swan Valley

Verdelho

Wow. A seven-year-old verdelho from this slightly cooler but initially wet year, that in the end suited verdelho perfectly. It’s remarkably only just started to show a little toasty development, but it still has the vibrant tropical primary fruit characters. Griffiths aged this in a mix of American and French, which has brought that extra textural and flavour dimension into...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

It’s hard to imagine a more classically defined cabernet than this outstanding medium bodied elegant wine. Aromas of blackcurrant infiltrated by bright red raspberry and cherry with an exotic African violet lift. Add a little graphite and bay leaf with a trace of black olive, and you have classic cabernet. Totally seamless palate structure with fine tannins and oak influence...

Margaret River

Syrah

Clever name. It’s a syrah based blend that fits well within the syrah style. I like everything about it. The aromas show a lift of white pepper and spice with a slightly exotic gingery stone fruit. The medium bodied palate is simply exquisite with fine chalky tannins understated oak, a result of the older oak use, and a fine defining...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

In many ways a style that bridges the older style with the modern linear restrained styles. I like it. Let’s get that on the record. Whole bunch pressed and fermented in a mix of 30% new and older oak where it did its thing for nine months. Aromas of lemon zest and butterscotch with a creamy tart character. On the...

Margaret River

Sangiovese

Despite the very hot vintage, rose was a style that emerged relatively unscathed. This sangiovese based rose from the northern end of Margaret River is the perfect example. Captures the bright strawberry and crunchy cranberry watermelon aromas of this variety. The palate is bright and light bodied but with a nice texture that is balanced and flavoursome.

Margaret River

Semillon

A bright and light semillon bursting with zingy lively fruit characters. On the nose there is a typical varietal lemon zip with a wet pebbly influence. The palate is fine and linear but with good varietal definition. The lingering acidity adds the final flourish.

Margaret River

Sauvignon Blanc

A crisp and punchy sauvignon blanc that has just a small amount of semillon in there. Lemony notes with traces of guava provide an attractive opening aroma. The palate is keen and crisp with a fine acidity adding precision. Subtle understated dried herbs and light gooseberry nuances complete things.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

One of the most refined and stylish cabernets yet from Credaro. Yes, the vintage suited these reds, but it’s been well managed to gently coax the best from it. Bright red and blue fruits on the nose with a slightly bay leaf and sea shell minerality. The palate is more medium bodied with fine chalky tannins and fine-grained oak building...

Margaret River

Shiraz

Here is a wine that completely debunks those who claim Margaret River can’t make classy shiraz. This is an outstanding example that combines the rich opulence of the variety with finesse and suppleness that is the hallmark of the very best for this variety. Vibrant and highly energised aromas of spicy plum and floral dark chocolate, complemented by a dry...