Latest reviews

Margaret River

Shiraz

A stylish expression of the cooler vintage in Margaret River. A smooth and velvety shiraz with lots of of savoury dark plum and blueberry aromas mingling on the nose. The palate is medium weight with well-integrated vanillin oak and fine tannins supporting through to the finish. A faint hint of licorice lifts.

Western Australia

Rose

An appealing rose from shiraz and grenache, with fruit from Frankland River supplementing the Margaret River component. It’s light with a burst of red berry, strawberry and cranberry characters. The palate has plenty to like about it with the slightly savoury finish to the delicious fruit adding a nice lift.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

A light bodied but nicely structured and presented chardonnay. The aromas are a neat mix of lemon and butterscotch with a grapefruit, pear and light cereal touch. The palate is rich with layered flavours building towards a lingering finish. Well handled light touch of oak completes the picture.

Margaret River

White Blend

The classic Margaret River blend, with that subtle combination of light tropical fruits and a dusting of fresh cut grass. The fruit is restrained in line with this vintage, but it presents with a refreshing purity sustained by a zingy acidity. Light bodied and ready to drink now.

Margaret River

Malbec

Unlike the Songbird malbec, this one gets oak treatment with an approach that gives this fleshy variety more structure and poise. This is an excellent example of a wine that has presence and definition with the bright red fruits augmented with subtle graphite and light cedary characters. Love the way the sinewy tannins work into the palate in support of...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Fair amount of hands-on winemaking here with handpicking, hand plunging and extended skin contact before basket pressing to oak of which 35% was new. The 18 months in oak has contributed to a structure that will suit cellaring. Has a distinct graphite character on the nose with a dried herb and blackcurrant combination. The palate is still tightly held but...

This cracking and thoroughly delicious malbec is all about fruit. Pure joyous bright red fruit. It shows the profound influence of using a concrete egg, in which it was fermented and aged for 10 months. It allows for minimal intervention with the no fining or filtering approach in line with capturing the bright red fruit in its purest form. You’ll...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

A marvellous chardonnay that does justice to the great ‘23 vintage and then some. The nose opens with a subtle struck match influence to the lemon curd and crème brulee contributions with a savoury quince character. The palate has a level of sophistication and almost Burgundy-like character with its dry chalky and slightly savoury finish. Most impressive. It’s super intense...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This is a beautifully crafted chardonnay made using whole bunch pressing to a combination of new French oak and concrete eggs. It was all wild fermented with some wild ferment in the malolactic component. It's created a fine linear expression with a flinty minerally thread taking the palate to a long finish. Nougat, popcorn and lemon curd with a slice...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

The first encounter on the nose suggested this might be special. Further investigation revealed it is. Cracking vintage produced intense and vibrant fruit to underpin a wine that has been expertly handled to capture all that was good in this vintage. It’s got power, yet delivers with medium body. Blackcurrant, dried herbs and bay leaf aromas with a trace of...

Margaret River

Shiraz

A very pretty expression of this variety from Margaret River. The nose speaks volumes for this variety in this vintage. Bright plummy notes with a mix of spices and dried herbs with a trace of sage. Soft and supple with a plush texture, supported by fine chalky tannins and a fine-grained subtle oak influence. Really attractive wine.

Margaret River

Cabernet Blend

Highly perfumed aromas of plum and blackcurrant highlight the contributions of these excellent bedfellows. The palate is soft and supple, with generous opulent fruit characters emerging. It’s medium bodied but loaded with all manner of juicy plump fruit, making it such an enjoyable medium-term wine. The slightly chalky tannin influence completes the picture.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

A chardonnay of poise and control that opens with aromas of lightly roasted cashew, lemon curd and nougat with a savoury influence adding complexity. The oak and fruit balance is excellent with a lovely textural feel to the deep and intense palate. Extended finish. Score: 93/100 Cellar: 7 years

Margaret River

White Blend

Excellent example of the season as it is moving easily into its ideal drinking zone. It’s in the restrained style of the vineyard with a nice mix of light minerally citrus characters working neatly with the lightly tropical fruits. Nice for the next year or so.

Margaret River

White Blend

This blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc has come up well from this very hot vintage, displaying bright lively fruit aromas and flavours. Aromas of dried herbs and light tropical notes to open. Then a pure and slightly crystalline palate takes you through to a long finish. A wine for immediate drinking.

Margaret River

Sauvignon Blanc

A finer lightly weighted savvy displaying a distinctly linear palate profile. Opens with citrus and minerally influenced lightly tropical fruit aromas. Then the palate brings in a more lemon talcy characters to extend the finish. Best in the short term.

Margaret River

White Blend

A blend of sauvignon blanc, semillon, and chenin blanc with a small amount of shiraz adding the colour. As the name suggests it’s all naturally done with hand picking of organically grown fruit, wild yeasts, no preservatives or additions and then bottle before the initial fermentation finishes. It creates a lively slightly fizzy deliciously flavoured current drinking wine. Don’t worry...

Margaret River

Chenin Blanc

One of the best of these sparkling chenins yet from Stormflower. There is a delicacy here, but the fruit has intensity and length. Light creamy tropical fruits with a citrussy edge on the nose. The palate is light and finely balanced with a persistence through to a long finish. Don’t serve it too cold.

Geographe

Cabernet Blend

This was such a good year that even wines in the budget zone offer so much enjoyment. This one ticks all the drinkability boxes and then a few more. Bright vibrant red fruits delivered with a medium body. Plummy blackcurrant with a mix of minerals and dried herbs supported by a thread of chalky tannin. Rather scrumptious.

Geographe

White Blend

A light bodied but flavoursome and finely balanced blended white from the Geographe region. Aromas of passionfruit and tropical fruits with a splash of citrus. The palate is fine with a nice lift through to a clean pure finish. Sustained by a fine acidity. Good drinking in the next couple of years.

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

The generosity of this vintage seems to have been well suited to cabernet franc. This is a wine with texture and palate richness delivered with finesse. Varietal perfumes open with red and blackcurrant characters merging with a subtle oyster shell minerality. Smooth and vibrant juicy palate is supported by powdery tannins. There is great energy here. A terrific wine.

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

I’ll bet winemaker Larry Cherubino loved getting his hands on chenin blanc from this year in the Swan Valley. Most described it as the greatest year ever for this famous variety of the valley. This packs a deep stone fruit intensity into the frame with citrus and light mango influences adding complexity. Has a rich intensity balanced by a fine...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a vintage that I have increasingly come to appreciate even more than. And this stylish medium bodied cabernet is a perfect reason why. It’s an effortless wine the delivers with such poise. The nose has a slightly meaty blackcurrant character with traces of oyster shell minerality and black olive. The palate is seamlessly integrated with a deft touch...

Great Southern

Cabernet Sauvignon

A mighty impressive example of why the 2018 vintage in WA has been so revered. One take of the aromas and you are immediately engaged with the dried herbs, cedar and bright blue and red fruits. Then the palate captures those characters and more with faint hints of graphite and light bay leaf. Will cellar for many years.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A vintage that produced red wines of excellent intensity and fruit definition. A delightfully fragrant and pretty wine displaying strong scents of violets and black fruits. The palate is seamlessly woven with fine powdery tannins linking with a light touch of oak to harness and complement the fruit perfectly. Medium bodied and keenly balanced.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This cooler vintage turned out to be an outstanding one for chardonnays, producing wines of great finesse and refinement. This one is right on the money. Aromas are immediately intense with a nougat and roasted cashew influence to the mealy grapefruit base. The palate has a light savoury character that weaves in and out of the complex maze of flavours....

Margaret River

Chardonnay

A fine and beautifully balanced chardonnay from selected southern Margaret River vineyards. Captures the delicacy and restraint of that part of the region. The aromas are a mix of roasted cashew and light meal with a little popcorn character. The palate is so fine and precise but with deep textural characters that carry through to a long finish.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

A pure and quite pretty chardonnay displaying a remarkable depth of fruit intensity and palate complexity for this price. Dominant white peach and subtle lemon with a light coating of roasted cashew. The palate is medium weight but with good intensity and persistence. Balance oak has been handled well.

Margaret River

White Blend

A crunchy and vibrant blended white from Margaret River capturing the vibrancy and energy of the vintage with punchy bright fruit intensity at the core of a terrific current drinking wine. The edgy citrus tang adds further lift to a zippy palate.

Margaret River

Sauvignon Blanc

A pure and almost pristine savvy from this excellent season in Margaret River. Lift of varietal passionfruit with a lime and cut grass addition. Strikes precisely through the palate with a fine lingering acidity. A zest appealing wine for the short term.

Great Southern

Riesling

This is a most impressive riesling that captures the spicy intensity and subtle lemon scents of the Great Southern. The nose is engaging with the powdery lemon zest characters. The palate reveals a subtle textural feel with a fine acidity sustaining the finish.

Margaret River

Cabernet Blend

A wine that always stacks up really well using this established Australian combination. Plenty of punchy red fruits with some darker plummy notes. It’s medium bodied with a smooth and soft palate supported with gentle tannins and understated oak. A wine for short term drinking.

Margaret River

Shiraz

A lighter and most elegant shiraz from a vintage that was conducive to this style of shiraz. The usual hands-on approach was used to gently handle the fruit before maturation in a mix of barriques and puncheons to keep the oak influence to a minimum. Aromas of dark plummy fruits, with a liberal sprinkle of spices and little black pepper....

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

Always one of my favourites from Cape Grace. This slightly cooler vintage has suited this highly perfumed variety, highlighting the delightful scents of red fruits and violets. A hands-on approach coaxes the best from the fruit. Open fermentation, hand plunging and basket pressing gently tease the succulent red fruits into a seamless and velvety smooth palate. Has potential to cellar...

Margaret River

Syrah

Perfumed, light to medium bodied bottle of pure joy. The use of the carbonic maceration technique has produced an elevated fruit profile with scented red notes and a little spice. The palate is supple and flavoursome bursting with vibrant red fruit character. A wine to drink in its early years

Margaret River

Chardonnay

A slightly finer and more delicate chardonnay than previously, benefiting from this super vintage. But there is certainly no shortage of power driving through a long palate. Aromas of marzipan and roasted almond with a cereal, grapefruit and light white peach character. The palate is exquisitely crafted and shaped to a very long finish. Excellent.

Margaret River

Chenin Blanc

Cape Grace has been a champion of this variety for some time. This gets about 30% wild fermentation in oak, which certainly brings added complexity and interest. Has a crunchy apple and fresh pastry character on the nose with a palate that has depth and layered complexity finished with a fine lingering acidity. Great food wine, this.

Swan Valley

Shiraz

A vintage which started out very hot but then settled into a normal pattern, finishing up producing some high-class red wines. This, from old Swan Valley vines, is an example. Handpicked and then fermented in open fermenters before pressing to French oak. The softness and elegance of the Valley is on full view here. Brilliant and vibrant colours and a...

Swan Valley

Grenache

You gotta love Swan Valley grenache. This comes from old dry grown and very low yielding bush vines that are handpicked and made following a traditional hands-on approach. Medium bodied fruit sees only older oak to let the natural exotic lifted red fruits of the variety to emerge. Rose petal and a touch of lavender with vibrant red berry nuances....

Margaret River

Chardonnay

The cooler climate of the Mandoon’s Karridale vineyard has built in the fine elegance and refinement of this excellent chardonnay. The fruit comes from 10 rows on the vineyard and is then whole punch pressed followed by a natural ferment in oak. Aromas of light lemon curd, quince and a mix of spices engages immediately. The palate has a rich...