Latest reviews

Shiraz

The source for the vines in the Napa was cuttings from Kalimna in the Barossa Valley. Perfumed notes with slightly fresh bready characters on the nose are quite distinctive, The palate is powerfully structured with the cabernet being the dominant variety. Traces of pepper and savoury dark chocolate on the nose with slightly wet cement characters. Fight tight powdery tannins...

Cabernet Blend

This is a 78% cabernet dominant wine from a single vineyard in the Napa Valley. The colour is incredibly deep with an almost black opaqueness. The aromas show lifted black fruits with a lifted perfumed aromatics. This gets 100% new French oak, and yet the palate has taken it up easily. It’s an effortlessly long and defined wine. Minerally notes...

Cabernet Sauvignon

Okay, now we know what Penfolds were doing in China. This is a cabernet sauvignon and marselan combination from Shangri-la and Ningxia. Marselan is widely grown in China and is a combination of cabernet and grenache. In this year, the percentage of marselan increased and the amount of new oak decreased. It’s a medium weight and neatly balanced wine. The...

Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a French and Australian combination with fruit from Bordeaux and Coonawarra. The French component gets 12 months in oak and the Australian 18 months. The total new oak contribution is 84%. Aromas of leaf and blackcurrant with traces of minerals and ironstone. A little graphite edges in, balancing the primary bright red fruits of raspberry. Palate has a...

Cabernet Blend

This is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and merlot from vineyards in Bordeaux. FWT stands for French Winemaking Trial. The colour is deep purple and crimson with a brilliant ruby red. The nose opens with an engaging mix of berries, dried herbs and slightly brioche-like characters. The palate is neatly tied together revealing a slightly gravelly stony character...

New South Wales

Chardonnay

This is a combination of Tumbarumba, Tasmania Adeliade Hills fruit. The Tumbarumba input of 61% results from this region having one of its greatest ever vintages. It’s quite a departure from previous vintages which have been predominantly Tasmanian fruit. There are aromas of cut hay and lemon curd with dried herbs and savoury water cracker character. The palate is deeply...

South Australia

Chardonnay

Continues the great tradition this 100% Adelaide Hills chardonnay. This turned out to be a small vintage but there is obvious power inherent in the fruit. Aromas of spice and lemon curd with a faint hint of struck match character. The palate is super intense and layered with powerful fruit combinations. Degree of bees wax and lemon curd with a...

South Australia

Chardonnay

This is a chardonnay sourced from various vineyards in South Eastern Australia. The colour is typically pale straw and light yellow. The nose displays a powdery character with traces of lemon and creme brulee deeper within. Quite spice with traces of cashew richness. The palate is powerful and structured with a lemon zest and nutty creamy character. Finishes with a...

South Australia

Riesling

Consistently one of Australia’s finest rieslings. This has a beautifully fresh and vibrant aroma greeting from the start. There are notes of perfumed lemon zest and lime jumping from the glass. The palate is fine and precise with a nice acidity driving through the middle. Sure, it’s light bodied but there is power here that extends through the palate which...

Margaret River

Cabernet Blend

This was a very hot vintage early on, but then things became a little milder, which suited these late ripening varieties such as cabernet. Bright and alive with blackcurrant, chocolate and deep plum characters. A trace of oyster shell minerality and a little black olive edge make important complementing contributions. Strikes a great oak and tannin balance for what is...

Margaret River

Zinfandel

A generous fully ripe zinfandel capturing all those typical characters that make it popular wine with its legion of fanatics. The initial fermentation is in stainless steel before maturation in older oak. The aim is to preserve those primary jubey characters of raspberry confection, dark cherry and liqueur chocolate. Zin can be an altogether too much variety, but this one...

Frankland River

Syrah

This is an excellent syrah sourced from Frankland River in a mighty good year. It’s soft and supple, exhibiting some of the regionality, including the spicy softness of a mix of blue and red fruits with a trace of that ironstone character. The palate is soft and generous with fine chalky tannins and a well-managed hit of oak supporting. A...

Margaret River

Rose

The brilliant pink luminosity is an immediate feature of this easy drinking rose. Loaded with light raspberry and cherry characters with a little spice. It’s dry and crisp with a long linear finish. A wine for drinking in the next year or so.

Margaret River

Sangiovese

Oh yes, we have something here if you are looking for a modern style of Aussie rose. It makes sense that this Tuscan variety is use with its spicy savoury elements idea for rose. No oak has been used, so it’s pure and pristine with a brightness and life. The rose petal and cherry notes are brilliantly appealing with the...

Margaret River

White Varietal

I have always thought there should be more of this Rhone variety planted in WA. A wine like this supports my argument. Captures the typical lemon characters of the variety. The fermentation has been in stainless steel but the time on lees brings that palate richness into play. Has developed a nice stone fruit richness with a typical lemon zest...

Margaret River

Chenin Blanc

Wow, this is a mighty good shot at this increasingly popular variety. In this case, it’s been fermented in a mix of French oak and stainless steel, but the time on lees is the key to bringing texture and richness to the palate, while the fine natural acidity keeps it true and linear. Spicy citrus and cinnamon character with a...

Margaret River

White Varietal

A quite rare variety in Australia, but a few interesting examples are being produced. This is certainly one of the more intense examples and a very good wine. Spicy apply citrus and light pastry characters emerge initially on the nose and then into the fine and tightly controlled palate. Has a refreshing crunchy finishing acidity. Ideal aperitif wine.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A wine that brings the biodynamic vineyard and winemaking commitment at Cullen into a remarkable expression of pure Margaret River cabernet sauvignon. These vines are now more than 50 years old and are contributing to wines that are bright and high fidelity. After fermentation in 300l terracotta amphorae the wine gets a further 7 months new oak maturation. Bright aromas...

Mount Barker

Riesling

An intense and lively riesling sourced from old vines on the Langton vineyard just on the edge of Mount Barker. Spicy aromas over a mix of lemon pith and green apple characters immediately engage. The palate is pure and lively with plenty of racy flavours building to a long finish. It was a hot season, but the cooler southern vineyards...

Margaret River

Cabernet Blend

A most stylish blend of 87% cabernet with 11% merlot and a smidgeon of perfumed cabernet franc. It’s a delightfully fragrant and pure medium-bodied blend with the compelling characters of blackcurrant and cedary plum on the nose cascading into a smooth and seamlessly structured palate. The firm chalky tannins and nice touch of oak harness the intense fruit. Like all...

Margaret River

Red Blend

The deepest, darkest colour you could ever imagine sits in the glass of this 70/30 blend of malbec and petit verdot from Cullen’s Mangan vineyard. It’s named after Kevin Cullen’s grandfather Ephraim, who like Cullen was a wine pioneer, albeit in the previous century. All naturally fermented and basket pressed before maturation in oak of which 35% was new for...

Margaret River

White Blend

As I suspected, a great vintage has contributed to the best example of this wine yet. It is marvellous. It’s a blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon with the sauvignon blanc matured in 85% new French oak. So, here’s the thing. That’s a lot of new French oak, and yet the power and intensity of the fruit has taken it...

Margaret River

Red Blend

Without fail, this delightful rose is always right on the money. It’s a blend of all red varieties grown at Cullen and is made using the saignee method of bleeding off a portion of the wine during fermentation. The colour is a pale copper with a little amber. The aromas lift with notes of strawberry and fresh cream. The palate...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Provides a striking difference from the Barrels of Metricup, as a result of the more typical gravelly loam soils of the vineyard. After handpicking it was fermented in 50% amphorae and the rest in barriques of which 30% was new. Only partial malolactic fermentation with regular lees stirring providing the textural input. A bracing and linear thread runs deep through...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

The sandy loam soils of this mature vineyard play out a significant point of difference from other chardonnays in the region. It was all naturally fermented in barriques of which 20% was new and then went through with regular lees stirring and 10 months in oak. It’s alive with energy from the first burst on the nose. Layered with flavours...

Margaret River

Chenin Blanc

The approach Peterkin takes lifts this chenin blanc into another zone of complexity and interest. Some of the fruit was handpicked and de-stemmed as part of wild fermentation in older French barriques and small amount in amphorae. The texture comes from the regular lees stirring. A heady floral minerally mix on the nose and a palate that displays muted fruit...

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

It was a cooler vintage, but some areas fared very well such as in Frankland River. This is a really stylish and elegantly presented cabernet that brings together the minerally ironstone regionality with the varietal blackcurrant sprinkled with a little spice to lift. The tannin and oak combination is working well, as it controls the palate through to the long...

Porongurup

Chardonnay

Diletti has built quite a bit if winemaking into this very good chardonnay from what was a cooler season. After barrel fermentation, extended lees contact with solids has built a rich textural element into the palate. Aromas of grapefruit and mealy cashew characters on the nose. The palate is rich, but the tight linear savoury element defines the focus and...

Porongurup

Riesling

Okay, Diletti flexes his considerable winemaking skills with this Porongurup riesling. It was barrel fermented and then received extended lees contact, all designed to build texture into a naturally fine and linear variety. You can only do this if you have the fruit and that was certainly the case in 2023. The spicy characters of the region have given way...

Porongurup

Riesling

Consistently one of the best WA rieslings over many years, and even in a hideously hot season like 2024 the cooler climes of the Porongurup work their magic to produce a quality wine. More in the spicy minerally zone than pure citrus, as evident on the nose and the precise palate. Retains a fresh vibrancy with a lingering pleasing finish.

Margaret River

Cabernet Blend

Sittella reaches into its Buckshot Ridge vineyard in Margaret River for this excellent blend that works so well. It’s a generous medium bodied wine that is seamlessly laced together with fine tannins and well managed oak. Blackcurrant and dark chocolate characters with light tobacco leaf characters adding a nice touch. Classy little wine.

Swan Valley

Grenache

Oh, I do love this wine, which provides such compelling evidence of why Swan Valley grenache should rank with anything being produced in Australia with this popular variety. It’s picked by hand off selected bunches from selected dry-grown old bush vines before gravity bottled unfined and unfiltered. So, it’s as pure as you get. Wonderful bright raspberry and rose petal...

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

A chenin blanc that captures much of the Swan Valley and why this region is so good for this variety. It’s a slightly more restrained version than previously showing less obvious fruit though the lemon rind and lightly tropical notes on the nose are immediately appealing. The palate is more flinty and fine with a pure persistence. Has such a...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

Here is a wine that can proudly take WA sparkling wine to the world. It’s a pinot noir dominant blend with chardonnay that is aged for a minimum of five years before release. The fruit comes from vineyards in Pemberton, a region that is so well suited to sparkling wine. The aromas have a light flinty stone fruit and cereal...

Margaret River

Shiraz

This was a warm vintage, and certainly early one, but the southern parts of the region handled it pretty well. This is a terrific example of shiraz from south of Margaret River town. Soft and generous spicy dark plum aromas with hints of dark chocolate. The medium bodied palate is generous and supple with a tight core of fine tannin...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

A lighter bodied delicate chardonnay from this southern part of Margaret River. Yet the intensity and lingering fruit qualities are clearly evident. Bright citrus and nashi pear on the nose with just a hint of lightly roasted cashew. The palate comes to life with a minerally sea shell acidity. Neat little wine for the shorter term.

Margaret River

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

Hamelin Bay semillon sauvignon blanc 2024 ($26) This is a combination that is so well suited to this southern part of Margaret River. It’s a single vineyard that has been pumping out brilliant fruit for years. In this case in a very warm year it’s managed to produce an excellent wine displaying light gooseberry and grassy melon characters with a...

Frankland River

Shiraz

A super concentrated and intensely presented shiraz from Frankland River. It’s a great example of the generous style that can be delivered with such refinement from this great shiraz region. Dark plum and licorice with a hint of ferrous ironstone characters on the nose. The palate is seamlessly integrated with grainy minerally tannins and liberal use of oak combining perfectly...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

A fine and quite delicate chardonnay capturing all the qualities of this excellent vintage. Floral notes sync with light cashew and citrus melon notes. The palate is finely cut with a neat balance of integrated oak and fruit. Dry savoury notes to finish. An excellent example of a lighter style Margaret River chardonnay, combining power and delicacy.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

An excellent cabernet which comes from the oldest vines on the property. This is a firm and still tightly framed cabernet, but the warmth and depth of fruit is excellent, revealing great power and poise. Bay leaf and subtle black olive merge with intense blackcurrant and a slight oyster shell minerality. Structured and firm through the palate but the tannins...