Latest reviews

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Riesling

This is as good a riesling as Talisman have produced and they have produced some good'uns. There is tension at every step through the lift of citrus and a lemon blossom musk-like aroma. The palate is where it tightens up but then deep down there is the fruit intensity of a pure and lively young riesling. The lip-smacking finish completes...

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Merlot

While less opulent than the plump 2020, it more than compensates with its elegance and silkiness. It takes advantage of the new clones that are now part of the vineyard. The result is a merlot that has structure and poise but at the same time retains the beautiful perfumes that are part of its DNA. A little savouriness complements the...

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Merlot

Consistently one of the finest merlots released in WA. And this from the opulent '20 vintage is a cracker. Talisman started using new clones a few years ago, and the result has been a merlot that brings structure and definition to the table. The nose displays dark plum with a minerally graphite edge and a slightly earthy blackcurrant nuance that...

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Malbec

This is a small volume production, but it is always one of my favourites from Talisman. Loads of dark chocolate coat the primary blackcurrant with the rhubarb pie character. The tannins are remarkably smooth as they support the supple rich and quite luscious palate. Strikes a nice oak and fruit balance with those tannins lurking in the background.

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Chardonnay

A wine that continues the more refined and restrained approach I saw with the '21, which, albeit was a cooler more linear vintage. Distinct aromas of crème brulee and quince with a lemon edge vanilla pod character. The palate is so neatly integrated with beautifully weighted rich and textured fruit held with a fine linear acidity. A touch of gunsmoke...

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Cabernet Sauvignon

Talisman has been something of a champion of the combination, using malbec which seems well-suited to the property. A wave of blackcurrant invades initially with a jubey red fruit lift. The palate is quite firm with assertive tannins adding structure and bite. A little licorice and dark plum add further complexity as it sweeps to a long finish.

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Rose

This comes from cabernet on the Talisman property. Immediately you know it's got a little more to it. For a start, the barrel fermented approach is evident initially on the nose and then confirmed on the textural palate. Perfumed raspberry and strawberry with a little orange peel nuance. Serious stuff, but ultimately a fun drink. Love it.

Great Southern

Shiraz

This is part of a triumvirate of wines that showcases the vineyard and winemaking that have crafted these super wines. This is not your fruit bomb Aussie shiraz. This is syrah and there is more than a little Old World style here. The fruit shows an almost luminosity that bursts from the glass. The palate picks up the vineyard characters...

Great Southern

Mourvèdre

This is a variety that is finding a safe, comfortable home in Frankland River. Lovely perfumed red fruits on the nose displaying a slightly earthy, dusty raspberry and light plummy character. The palate is soft and supple. It's medium weight with a fine chalky ironstone thing treading through the palate. The cradle of tannins and fine oak, together with natural...

Great Southern

Grenache

Fragrant, highly perfumed and thoroughly delightful opening of this bouquet. The fruit intensity is stunning especially when you consider the medium palate weight. It's such a vibrant and pure expression of the vineyard with a distinct ironstone, grainy character evident. Lifted red rose petal fruits with a trace of raspberry brightness. A distinctly linear wine with a high chalky acidity....

Great Southern

Shiraz

Has a high-end black pepper and perfume character with a little Chinese five spice character on the nose. A beautiful medium weight palate which is effortlessly long and precise. Elegant fine-boned tannin sync with the black fruits. No new oak has been used and the aim is clearly to capture the essence of Frankland which it does. Of the Farvies...

Great Southern

Mourvèdre

Savoury aromatic black fruit characters. Almost a stewed fruit character on the nose but it's not overdone. It's real fruit that you are getting here. Great mouth feel and texture with a lively gravelly tannin. The palate is focused and precise and is very much in the Old-World style. The leaner soils of the vineyard contribute to its distinctive slaty...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

A bolder and slightly older style chardonnay with a modern twist producing its linear refined structure. Loads of white peach and nectarine with a trace of quince paste complexity and richness. The palate is bright and almost crystalline with its crunchy minerality a feature. A dry savoury struck match adds to the finish.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Another excellent wine from this sleeper vintage in which the wines have generally taken a little time to shake themselves out of their slumber. Plenty of dark chocolate and blackcurrant fruit starting to emerge with the support of chalky fine tannins and sensitively applied oak. One of the best I have seen under this label.

Margaret River

Shiraz

A block that consistently delivers an outstanding shiraz. It's definitely more in the medium-bodied stylish syrah vein than classically big Aussie shiraz with its bright red fruits and lifted perfumed aromatics. Has a thoroughly beautiful mouthfeel with fine bony tannins and slick oak balancing the fruit intensity. I do like this style of wine.

Margaret River

Semillon

Not many straight semillon made these days, so it always pleases me when I find one. This captures the essential lemon characters of the variety on the nose before delivering a generously proportioned palate with a fine lift of acid. The texture is balanced with that crisp acidity carrying the finish.

Margaret River

Sparkling

A delicious and appealing crémant sparkling wine made from 100% chenin blanc, a variety that is increasingly being made into sparklings. It's fragrant and fruity with a bright light palate. Crisp acid, a touch of baked bread and a squeeze of lemon, all work to create an ideal aperitif style wine.

Margaret River

Shiraz

The nose opens with a distinctive vineyard character of cool mint sitting over the leafy dark plummy fruits. The palate is soft and smoothly integrated with fine liner tannins and a lick of oak. Retains a soft pliable palate feel with good flavour intensity.

Margaret River

Chenin Blanc

This is a barrel fermented style of chenin blanc. The oak has been gently introduced and certainly does not dominate, but it does bring a level of textural complexity to lift. Retains its fresh green apple and light tropical fruit characters with a slight creaminess. Excellent wine.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Has the delicate stamp of the vineyard DNA. It was fermented in a mix of new and older French oak, providing some nice textural and aromatic characters. There's a minerally thread with traces of sea spray heightening the minerality and linear structure. An elegant and refined chardonnay.

Margaret River

Red Blend

A medium bodied leafy wine that reflects the cooler vintage in Margaret River. Nose as a slight tomato bush sage character, while the palate is angular and neatly worked with gentle oak. The tannins provide a chalkiness that adds to the final picture.

Margaret River

Sparkling

A natural fermented sparkling wine using wild yeasts with no additions. The fermentation just happened and the result is a lightly fizzy wine ideal for drinking over the next 12 months. It was made with sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc and shiraz o give it the pink colour. Don't worry about the cloudiness. It's all part of it. Nice wine.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

An opulent and powerfully concentrated cabernet from Margaret River in this very good red wine year. Lashings of blue and black fruit on the nose with blackcurrant and dark liqueur cherry nuances dominant. The palate is loaded with a dark chocolate and a spicy blackcurrant richness. Fine tannins with a subtle oyster shell minerality provides support. Plenty of life in...

Blackwood Valley

Red Varietal

A very good example of this Italian variety from the Blackwood Valley. Fresh and crunchy with a lemon zest and apple crumble complexity. It's light and zingy with a deliciously appealing palate extending to a clean long finish.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Loaded with fully ripe juicy dark fruit which has been crafted into a medium-bodied but generous wine. Carries the full package of juicy red fruit with darker plum and blackcurrant nuances emerging. The oak and tannin combo sits comfortably. Has a dry minerally finish.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

A richly complex wine sourced from Margaret River. The nose reveals an engaging and complex mix of stone fruit and meal with subtle brioche character. Rich deeply concentrated flavours have been enhanced by wild yeast fermentation and regular lees stirring which has built textural complexity. A steely core delivers a precise long finish.

Great Southern

Pinot Noir

A delicious fresh young pinot noir made for immediate drinking. As I sipped, I felt I was in a Spanish tapas bar. Sweet fruit with cherry and raspberry dominance. Soft and supple palate has a light chalky tannin influence. All wild fermented and bottled unfiltered, so you are getting a good window into the vintage.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

An exquisite example of the chardonnays from Margaret River in 2022. Intense aromas of quince paste, lemon rind and pear with a little grapefruit. There's a subtle struck match and saline seashell minerality on the palate with a charry oak influence well managed. This is an excellent chardonnay that will continue to evolve.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Thoroughly beautiful cabernet from Wilyabrup in Margaret River. It's a firmer style with sinewy tannins evident supported by a decent oak contribution. Loads of blackcurrant with a graphite bay leaf character and a smear of olive tapenade. It will definitely benefit from extended cellaring.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

A wine that has developed a consistent style over the years. This one seems slightly less overt than some previously and I do like its degree of restraint while still not compromising on the intensity and complexity, especially on the palate. Honeycomb, nectarine and almond meal find their way into the palate. meal It builds relentlessly to a very long...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A Margaret River cabernet displaying the combination of power and elegance that marks this excellent vintage. Rich blackcurrant varietal characters emerge from the nose with other notes of black olive and bay leaf with just a little graphite minerality. The palate has deep intensity with the concentrated fruit wrapped in a firm tannin and fine grained oak web. Chalky palate...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This is one of the best releases of this sparkling wine. It's made from 100% chardonnay from down at Pemberton and prior to disgorging spent 24 months on lees in bottle. Has a light creamy mousse with a lifted fresh baked bread and lemony melon character. A light citrus tang lifts the palate through to a clean long finish.

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

Light bodied and thoroughly delicious pinot noir. Opens with an earthy, sweet strawberry and dark cherry combo on the nose. Impressive palate with glazed cherry and subtle earthy minerally characters merging. The tannins are fine and slightly chalky with the oak well integrated. The firm spine gives purpose to drive through to the finish.

Pemberton

Nebbiolo

A slightly more linear and firmer wine than the more opulent 2018. Spicy dusty dry earth characters on the nose cut through aromas of dark cherry and subtle blue fruits. The palate is tightly wound with a typical firm thread of tannin creating focus and direction. A linear and slightly angular wine with the dry savoury finish perfect for all...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

An excellent wine that delivers a super wine at a very good price. Has beautiful aromas of light fig and creamy nectarine with a creme brulee richness. The palate balances concentrated stone fruit with some nice savoury citrus nuances. A little nutty complexity adds to the finish. Neat little wine.

Margaret River

Red Blend

Really interesting wine, this. There are three clones of cabernet sauvignon and a new clone of cabernet franc plus different clones of malbec with a little merlot. This is a very young wine, but it is looking very good. It’s structured and poised with the 25% new oak an important contribution. Lots of minerally blackcurrant fruit with a trace of...

Swan Valley

Chardonnay

This Swan Valley white blend that is generally chardonnay, semillon and verdelho regularly surprises wine show judges. This one slots right in for drinking now. The fruit has evolved nicely to develop gently toasty, creamy flavours with that nice lift of citrus adding life. The Swan valley does these wines just so well.

Swan Valley

Fortified

A glorious statement of Swan Valley fortified wine using verdelho, one of the staple varieties of the region. The wine is aged for many years in old oak allowing it to deepen and concentrate to eventually release a wine of remarkable complexity. Toffee, dried apricot and maple syrup with a caramel richness adding even more depth. Just wonderful.

Pemberton

Chardonnay

Fabulous example of what can be done with sparkling wine in WA. This is outstanding and a mighty follow-up to the 2016. It's a combination of pinot noir and chardonnay from Pemberton and spent five years in bottle before release. Intense citrus, bready aromas and gentle vanillin character with a subtle meaty red fruit influence. Palate drives deep and long...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

Such a sophisticated blanc de blancs style drawn from chardonnay sourced in Pemberton. As always, the wine is aged for a minimum of five years before release. The complexity and autolysis characters are certainly emerging. Aromas of fresh baked bread, brioche and a little citrus create an engaging opening. The palate is complete and very long. A high-class sparkling wine.