Latest reviews

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

Gosh, there were some terrific chenins from the Swan valley in ’23 and this is yet another. Everything just fits together so well. Loads of citrus character and light tropical fruit on the nose. Exquisite weight and flavour intensity on the palate with its zingy lime and lightly appley characters. What a joy to drink.

Margaret River

Sauvignon Blanc

This is a light bodied savvy, but one with plenty of fruit intensity delivered with precision and focus. Lift of passionfruit with a light herbaceous character engages on the nose. On the palate the minerally acidity lifts the fruit, presenting a thoroughly beautiful example of the fresh vibrant fruit driven style.

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

A vibrant expression of Pemberton pinot noir displaying loads of bright red fruits. Cherry and strawberry notes dominate on the nose, providing an immediately appealing opening. The palate delivers with poise and power with the support of excellent fruit intensity and fine firmish tannins. Has an earthy mushroom complexity adding to the primary fruit flavours.

Pemberton

Chardonnay

One of the best chardonnays from Smithbrook in recent years. Really nails it in every way. Immediately opens with a mix of stone fruit and cutting lemon tang merging with a roasted almond character. The palate is intense and penetrating, with the support of a fine persistent acidity. Has a savoury minerally finish to complete a very tidy wine. Starting...

Pemberton

Sauvignon Blanc

Fresh, crisp and alive with all manner of tropical fruit dusted with a light herbaceousness. Typical notes of gooseberry and passionfruit on the nose, while the palate delivers with a crunchy zing from the bright refreshing acidity. Terrific summer quaffing.

Mount Barker

Cabernet Sauvignon

Deep dark secrets are lurking in this polished and impressive cabernet. It was a vintage of challenges after a good start. Some late rain came via the end of a cyclone but those with courage to hold on were rewarded as the warm weather returned. Dark chocolate blackcurrant and black olive all find their way into a complex aromatic mix....

Mount Barker

Pinot Noir

This is a mighty impressive young pinot from this super pinot season. Really captures the subtlety of the variety but there is structure and driving intensity here delivered on a light to medium body. High energy red berry aromas with a little limestone and damp earthy complexity. Has a fine defining acidity which carries through to the long finish. Will...

Great Southern

Cabernet Sauvignon

The cabernet from this very early vintage had plenty of punch and it’s been captured beautifully in this generous medium weight wine from the Great Southern. Ripe blackcurrant and tobacco leaf aromas with lifted bright cherry and red currant notes. Neatly integrated palate with supple tannins and fine-grained oak. Traces of coffee grinds and dark chocolate with even a hint...

Great Southern

Shiraz

A beautifully presented shiraz from this cooler vintage. Bright red fruits with an underlay of plush plum greets the nose with a liberal sprinkle of spices and black pepper. The palate is smoothly integrated with gentle tannins and deliberately underplayed oak. Soft and smooth and ready to drink.

Mount Barker

Chardonnay

A wine brimming with ripe and intense stone fruit characters from the white peach and edgy nectarine notes on the nose through to the deeply intense palate. There’s a nice cashew and creamy peach thing happening on the palate with a fine acid adding precision and focus through to the finish. Really well managed wine.

Mount Barker

Riesling

Beautiful riesling from the famous Wyjup Vineyard in Mount Barker. Opens with a healthy aroma of lime dominant citrus against muted floral scents. Such a good season delivers fruit that intense yet precise and controlled with a fine natural acidity. The palate has a degree of tension creating a fine minerally thread through to the sustained finish.

Great Southern

Red Blend

A smooth and easy drinking medium bodied blend from the Great Southern. Lots of ripe red fruits on the nose with a lift of lightly cedary oak. There’s a subtle lift of leaf on the nose with a trace of milk chocolate. The palate has a dry savoury thread through the sweet red fruits. Balances nicely.

Great Southern

Tempranillo

A wine that screams ‘drink me’. It captures the variety rather well. Dried herbs float across the nuances of raspberry and cherry with subtle savoury influences. The palate is medium weight with a mix of sweet ripe fruit and dry savoury characters. It is aimed squarely at current drinking with Mediterranean dishes.

Great Southern

Shiraz

It was a tough vintage with Covid rearing its ugly head but the wines turned out mighty fine. This is all plump, plush and plummy fruit aromas and flavours A little Great Southern blueberry characters emerge with a decent hit of spices and black pepper. Ideal early drinking style.

Great Southern

Sauvignon Blanc

Almost in a tropical fruit overload. Huge hit of passionfruit, melon and ripe gooseberry on the nose. Into the palate it comes alive with punchy vibrant fruit delivered pure and clean. Right on the money.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Beautifully seductive and perfumed wine. This is pretty much all cabernet with a smidgeon of petit verdot. Aromas are perfumed with lifted violet and red fruit characters. There’s a slightly cracked seas shell character in here with a that touch of iodine which all contributes to its complexity and layering. It’s a bold statement with admirable control and restraint. Lots...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A firm yet poised and elegantly structured cabernet from this very early vintage. There’s plenty of lively fruit in there with slightly leafy black fruits dominant. It opens up as it breathes. There is slightly more tannin and a little bit of grip in there. Chalky with a brick dust character complementing a nice perfume and lightness on the nose....

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

The colour is quite brilliant; almost luminous and so bright. It’s a firmish medium bodied cabernet displaying plenty of leafy blackcurrant fruit characters on the nose. It comes from the younger blocks on the site, and gets a fair whack of merlot. Has a chalky tannin mouthfeel with a nice bright red fruit mix. The oak is slightly more assertive...

Margaret River

Syrah

This is quite beautiful. It’s from the Cape Mentelle syrah plantings and used quite a bit of whole bunch. About 40% bunches in the press and then reassembled and destemmed. It started being picked a little early and this has clearly contributed to its brilliance and radiance. Fermented quite warm and worked pretty hard before pressing to puncheons with just...

Margaret River

Shiraz

This is a very smart wine from a vintage which evolved into something pretty good. Bright red fruits on the nose with traces of dried herbs complementing the perfume. The colour is quite brilliant with red and crimson hues. The palate is more about savoury dried herbs. Has plenty of oak and powerful fruit. This still used Barossa clones in...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This is the first time it was straight Gingin clone and was made before Tim Shand arrive as senior winemaker. Has a fine crystalline minerality that shines through on the nose and then into the palate. Fine savoury notes with a little white nectarine supported with neatly woven oak. Lightly flinty edges on the palate. There is restraint and reserve...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This is an immediately different expression of chardonnay with its distinctive clonal influences. There is a mealy savoury character with an interesting water cracker wet pebble character in here. There is a subtle fragility about this one with a nice savoury character on the finish with its lip-smacking acidity. This is all clone 95 which contributes to the delicate style...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This is quite a delicate and finessed chardonnay from this marvellous vintage. Has a lifted floral component on the nose with traces of nectarine and light lemon citrus. This is 60% Gingin and the remainder other clones. Starting to use more puncheons and less new oak with less malolactic fermentation, contributing to a fine acid and delicacy. But there is...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Comes from a mix of newer vines and some older vines. Only gets about 10% new oak and that’s it without additional oak influences. Fermented in special wedge-shaped concrete fermenters with the irregular internal surfaces making a contribution to the wine, especially with how the lees influence the wine. It’s delicate and beautifully textured with pristine and pure fruit expression.

Margaret River

Chenin Blanc

This is the first completely dry chenin blanc, the result of a program to move it in that direction. This has excellent white nectarine and peach flavours with muted tropical notes. Gets about 20% older oak which is evident on the palate. A small time on lees adds a textural dimension. It’s a little more serious with a slight unctuousness...

Margaret River

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

This is pretty much a field blend, so it is what it is. It’s about a 60% sauvignon blanc dominant blend in this year. All the semillon into older oak and it has a nice textural feel with a mealy fruit character with a sprightly lift of sauvignon blanc. A nice easy drinking style that is flavoursome and neatly crafted...

Margaret River

Chenin Blanc

A slight departure from previous vintages. This has a small amount of new oak to augment the older oak traditionally used. It’s the best yet, with lovely white nectarine and other subtle stone fruits. It has a beautiful palate with a fine natural acidity. This has a small amount of ’22 vintage which was the start of the solera system...

Margaret River

Red Blend

This is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, malbec, merlot and petit verdot. Opens with beautifully scented, aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry with a slightly cedary influence. The palate is perfectly weighted and crafted. Deeply concentrated fruit surges forward, supported by quite firm tannins and plenty of oak. Has a slightly chalky character with traces of bay leaf and seashell minerality....

Margaret River

Red Blend

Opens with a brilliant high-definition colour. Then the aromas of blackcurrant, spicy plum and juby red fruits engage. The energy evident on the nose strikes through into the palate with its concentrated red fruit delivered with poise. Has a slightly chewy mouth feel but the bright red flavours really emerge as it moves effortlessly to a long finish. Will support...

Margaret River

Red Blend

Bright red fruits lift from the glass revealing elevated strawberry and plum with a light rustic dried herb character The palate is medium weight but crammed with powerfully presented fruit. The tannins are firm, showing a slightly chewy feel, contributing to the grainy palate texture. It’s as bright as a button with tremendous energy driving through to the finish.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Like the other two in this marvellous triumvirate, it shows the distinctive character of the vineyard. This has less volume and obvious weight compared to previous vintages, yet the vineyard character is still evident. More stone fruit and cashew with the lemon scented lift on the nose. The palate is richer and denser with great concentration held precisely by the...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

The vineyard stamps its character on this from the get-go. Notes of lemon scents with lightly roasted cashew and faint struck match. The palate is intense and with a fine acidity and minerally character defining it through its linear range. Beautifully integrated and tightly coiled before releasing through to a sustained finish. A wine that will really show its true...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Traditionally the more delicate of the three top-tier chardonnays. This is a wonderful example of the vineyard and style. Fragrant and intense on the nose with floral grapefruit, cashew and light lemon curd influences. There’s a little of that limestone character as well adding to its crystalline feel. The palate is tightly wound and deeply powerful with a tight inner...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

A beautifully weighted and intensely flavoured chardonnay from this excellent vintage. On the nose there’s a suggestion if quartz and limestone across light lemon scents. The palate reveals some subtle lees character with a faint flinty backdrop. It is remarkably powerful through the palate which extends purposefully to a very long finish. One of the best of these yet.

Margaret River

Shiraz

This comes from Margaret River in what was a very short sharp vintage that produce fruit of great intensity. Aromas of dark plum and blackberry with a lift of red cherry and strawberry strike a complex maze. There’s a light lift of cola helping to bring further life. The palate is still quite tight with the savoury tannins and dried...

Great Southern

Shiraz

A vibrant high energy shiraz from the Great Southern. Highly perfumed aromas of stewy plum and blackberry with traces of dried herbs with a sage-like character. It's soft and supple with grainy tannins threading deep and a light touch of oak to bring it to life. There is a beautiful clarity and pristine purity here. Dry savoury finish completes.

Mount Barker

White Blend

A thoroughly beautiful sparkling blend of Mount Barker chardonnay and pinot noir. Greets with aromas of citrus and white peach with deeper meaty notes and a little oyster shell minerality. The palate is quite delicately poised yet with a deep and complete flavour profile. Palate has the citrussy and green apple characters with a traces of pie crust finishing. A...

Mount Barker

Pinot Noir

Sourced from early picked pinot noir off the Mount Barker vineyard. The aromas display a mix of strawberry and cranberry with light citrus notes merge with orange zest. Textured palate based on malolactic fermentation and a minimum of 33 months on lees. It’s a drier style with a lingering persistent finish offering a raspberry coulis and dried biscuity character.

Western Australia

White Blend

A sparkling wine showing the continuing refinement of this style at Howard Park. It's a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. The nose immediately displays citrus and floral characters with a slightly meaty character adding complexity. The palate is pleasantly textured as a result of some French oak use and at least 30 months on lees. Long finish.

Western Australia

Chardonnay

A delightful sparkling wine from chardonnay. It’s delicate but at the same time there is excellent flavour intensity through a complete and integrated middle palate. Lifted citrus and lemony characters with a distinctive biscuit edge on the finish. Clean crisp finish.