Latest reviews

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

A very pretty and delicious young pinot that offers immediate drinking appeal but has the structure and core to support further bottle development. Combination of chalky raspberry and slightly savoury mushroomy characters on the nose. The palate has a nice warm fleshy character, but then the taught core of fine tannins and well managed oak, of which 30% is new,...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

A chardonnay with power and delicate elegance. Engaging aromas of scented lemon and lightly roasted cashew with a little quince edginess. The palate is beautifully textured, as a result of the fine months of regular lees stirring. Has a fine steely minerality on the palate with a subtle chalky edge that focuses through to an extended finish.

Mount Barker

Riesling

Beautifully pristine riesling with a delightful fresh purity. It’s all free run juice which shows on the palate with its bright fresh fruit characters of spice and lemon with a squeeze of finishing lime. Shows excellent texture but retains that linear mouth feel through to a very long finish.

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This is a classy chardonnay sourced from Mount Barker. The striking feature is its steely minerality that threads through an intense and crunchy palate. Very good vintage of course and the use of barrel fermentation with about 12% wild yeast and subsequent lees stirring over four months has built in structure and complexity. Crunchy quince paste and lemon curd on...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Remarkably complex aromas of dominant stone fruit like nectarine with less of the pear and cut lime character you expect. An intense and powerful wine with a distinctive chalky limestone influence on the palate. Lacks the super intensity of the 2020 yet it has great length and focus. Continues the subtle move to Burgundian styles. This is one of the...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Just the second release of this wine which is sourced from a tiny single plot in the Wallcliffe subregion. Has highly floral scents merging with a subtle chalk dustiness. The palate is distinctive and individual. The slightly saline oyster-shell character cuts a taut line through the palate extending through to a very long finish. There fine acidity is a feature...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Shines as brightly as any of the stars in Margaret River’s galaxy of great chardonnay. A supremely balanced and precise chardonnay with a succulent natural acidity despite having been through 100% malo. It’s one of the most sophisticated and complex of any Heytesbury to date. Deep mix of cashew and mealy grapefruit with a slightly savoury finish competing the palate....

Margaret River

Chardonnay

A wine that captures the juicy acidity and power of the ’22 vintage. This has developed into the Vasse Felix House style which now has a small addition of Bernard clone adding softness to the middle palate. All barrel fermented with wild yeasts and most of it naturally proceeding through malolactic fermentation. Aromas of light butterscotch and mealy roasted cashew....

Karridale

Shiraz

Shows the versatility of the variety and the region from north to south which allows for a divergence of styles. So, it’s from the cooler part of the region yet there is richness and deeply intense fruit here floating effortlessly across the palate. Floral spicy notes with dark chocolate and plum on the nose. Rich chewy palate with a smooth...

Karridale

Malbec

In recent years malbec has started to reveal what it can do on its own as more winemakers present it as a single varietal wine. This one comes from down at Karridale, a cooler part of the great Margaret River region, which seems to suit it very well. Opulent juicy red fruits with a mass of raspberry and rhubarb-like plummy...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A delightfully elegant cabernet that captures much of the gracefulness of this vintage. Plummy blackcurrant and cedar on the nose with a faint lift of bay leaf. It is elegant and poised with its medium-bodied palate extending effortlessly to a long finish. Tight core of chalky tannin and oak harness it through to the extended finish. Nice wine.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A pleasing medium-bodied cabernet from this small vintage which stretched resources at the beginning of Covid. Has more red fruit than normal with a lift of cedary oak. The tannins are fine and chalky while the oak has been astutely delivered. Balanced and poised. A wine that would seem to suit short-term cellaring.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Comes off the back of the powerful and opulent 2018 vintage and shows the influence of this cooler season. Has more of that bay leaf and black olive mix cutting through the varietal blackcurrant flavours. It is a controlled and focused wine that will continue to evolve.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This was such a good vintage throughout WA and this outstanding cabernet illustrates this perfectly. Captivating aromas of black currant, dark liqueur cherry and light cedar with a trace of bay leaf. The palate has a firm tight core of minerally oyster shell tannins and well weighted oak. This is a classy wine that is just starting to move into...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A slightly lighter bodied wine reflecting this vintage. Captures a mix of red fruits with typical black currant. The tight core of oak and fine chalky tannins holds things to a very long finish. Just starting to develop a leathery secondary character.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A thoroughly beautiful medium bodied cabernet starting to move into its best drinking zone. The extra time in bottle has allowed those subtle leathery, library book characters to merge with the primary red and black fruit characters. It is still firm as you would expect from this vintage, but the flesh and richness of the fruit balances it perfectly. Dark...

Margaret River

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

The ageing potential for this blend can often be underestimated. This is a case in point. At nearly 8 years old when tasted it was still holding brilliantly. The primary fruit characters have given way to more complex toasty lemon buttery development. But it retains a fresh vibrancy with lovely fruit characters augmented with a little barrel fermentation, still dominant....

Margaret River

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

This is starting to show those nicely toasted secondary characters. Yet, the purity of the fruit has not been compromised. You sort of expect that from a good vintage. Plenty of flavour intensity with a splash of barrel fermented oak the final touch to a very nice wine. Rich and crunchy juicy palate is thoroughly delicious.

Margaret River

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

This has a slightly smoky herbaceousness providing a nice balance with the creamy stone fruit characters. Those primary characters of freshly mown grass are still evident with some richer peachy stone fruit filling out the palate. Light touch of oak, and there you have it.

Margaret River

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

This combination has just a few years of age and so the primary fruit characters are still evident. It is drinking wonderfully well. The upfront fruit characters have been transformed into less overt aromas and flavours, yet the intensity of the palate is excellent. More stone fruit emerging with that faint hint of oak from a little barrel fermentation, completes...

Frankland River

Syrah

I think this has claims to be the finest Farvie Syrah yet in its relatively short history. The colour is just brilliant and bright with a glowing purely crimson hue. Power, intensity and concentration delivered with such poise. Bright red fruits with floral dark cherry and a little black olive adds to its nuanced capture on the nose. The palate...

Frankland River

Mourvèdre

This is the second vintage of the Farvie Mourvedre and takes the excellent ’21 up a notch. It has a dry, savoury and slightly ferruginous rusty nail character offsetting the sweet floral notes on the nose. The palate is a superb interpretation of the variety in these Frankland soils. There is a slightly greater volume of fruit than ’21, bit...

Frankland River

Grenache

Nice to have this wine back in town after an absence in 2021. The power and concentration of the vineyard and the style is immediately evident. The intensity strikes immediately on the nose, while once the wine starts to roll across your palate you know you in a head zone of great power. It was a warm and concentrated vintage....

Margaret River

Red Varietal

Okay, so you have your usual vermentino which is crisp, fine and racy with a faint textural feel. Then you get this, which is distinctly more textural. Some time on skins initially and then natural yeasts leading to time on lees to infuse more texture. Has an appealing spicy floral and lemon zest character on the nose. The palate is...

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

You hear, and rightfully so, about the shiraz from Frankland, but the region does some outstanding cabernets as well. This one shows a strong varietal blackcurrant and slightly graphite cracked seashell character on the nose that takes you into the structure and controlled palate. It’s more medium to full bodied but the fruit intensity is excellent.

Frankland River

Shiraz

The fruit for this excellent shiraz has been sourced from Frankland River. It’s a beautiful wine that reflects this super region for shiraz. Lifted floral bouquet with a glazed cherry and dark plum combo. The palate is supple bright and vibrant with fine chalky tannins and a faint hint of ironstone lurking within. So beautifully balanced.

Great Southern

Riesling

This is a first-rate example of the off-dry style. Yes, it has sweetness, but the fine minerally acidity has ensured it retains its lively non-cloying mouth feel. A lemon and orange peel aroma sets you off into the palate which has excellent depth of flavour with a lift of lemon zest and crisp acid on the finish., Serve it nice...

Great Southern

Chardonnay

This is a first-rate chardonnay showing the benefits of this excellent season. There is power and concentrated intensity here, yet it presents with restraint and precision. The result is a palate of great poise and length. Stone fruit with a nutty citrus and slightly savoury finish. Some time in barrel has worked well. So well balanced. An excellent wine.

Great Southern

Chardonnay

A slightly more restrained chardonnay compared with the 2021. It’s tighter with a taut and slightly tense middle palate. But the oak and fruit balance works really well with the savoury stone fruit and citrus characters working with the slightly cashew-like influences.

Great Southern

Chardonnay

This wine is just starting to show the faintest hint of secondary characters, although it still has a long way to go. Ripe stone fruit with a nectarine peachy combination at play. Some barrel fermentation influence has contributed to its slightly creamy rich and already complex palate. Finishes with a subtle savoriness.

Great Southern

Rose

A blend of cabernet and merlot that shows the virtues of these varieties from the cooler climes of Denmark. Lifted strawberry and light raspberry with a spicy and slightly orange zest character on the finish. Lifted and long. A nice style with good texture

Great Southern

Riesling

Another very good riesling from this Denmark vineyard. A merging of cut lime and lemon zest with traces of spicy minerals a feature. It’s bone dry and long with a precise mouth feel through to the finish.

Great Southern

Chardonnay

Here is an excellent example of the unwooded style. So first, if you're not into oak, even the lighter oak that’s applied these days, then this little fella is just for you. The good thing is it’s been made to retain its zingy acidity, which is so important for the style. Creamy but with a citrus tang. Great current drinking.

Great Southern

Riesling

The spicy minerality of this taut yet still slightly textural riesling is fascinating. White florals on the nose with a little lemony citrus. The palate is controlled and persistent with tremendous length. It was a terrific season, and this one has turned out beautifully. One of the best from this excellent vintage.

Great Southern

Sauvignon Blanc

A pure and fragrant wine with the usual gooseberry and lightly crunchy passionfruit and tropical flavours balanced with a light snow pea citrus tang. Really zingy fresh palate makes this perfect for summer sipping by the pool.

Great Southern

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

Such a pure and pristine example of this style. Has a slightly dusty snow pea and light tropical fruit influence on the nose. Crunchy melon and a splash of citrus adds lift as it moves to a long penetrating finish. There’s great depth of flavour here. Offers a lot more than the standard fruit bomb.

Margaret River

Red Varietal

This comes from the original Lewis plantings in 1976. It gets about 50% new oak and only the best barrels are selected. The first of these was made in 2015. A mighty impressive wine from a blend of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. The perfumed franc carries the aromas while the more substantial assertive cabernet adds structure and poise. On...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

One of the best of these I have tasted. Whole bunch pressed, barrel fermented and aged in French oak barriques for 9 months with stirring every 2 weeks. Only the best barrels are selected. There is power and concentration here with a fine focus that carries to a very long finish. Captures the grapefruit and lime edginess with a little...

Margaret River

Sauvignon Blanc

This distinctive wine shows what can be done with sauvignon blanc in Margaret River. It’s been one of the best wines from Streicker for some years. The colour has a faint greenish hue. Aromas of grapefruit and lime with a little lemon butter emerge immediately. The palate shows a careful use of 33% new French oak and time in barrel...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Mostly from the Bridgeland vineyard with the remainder from Ironstone. It’s made a little different from the Streicker in that after handpicking and whole bunch pressing it is barrel fermented before spending nine months in oak without stirring or malolactic fermentation. A chardonnay that really jumps out of the glass. Intense notes of nectarine and fragrant pear and a little...