Latest reviews

Margaret River

Chardonnay

What a stunning chardonnay from Margs. Opens with a slightly charry edge to the ripe limestone stone fruit characters on the nose. The palate is delicately poised but with a deep intensity. Lemony grapefruit and quince paste emerge from the palate with a fine charry oak and fine acidity to promote a very long finish. Finishes with a crunchy seashell...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

The delicacy and fineness of this Dijon clone is immediately evident as is the slightly savoury element that distinguishes it from the Gingin clone so dominant in WA. Comes from down at Karridale so it picks up on that cooler climate significance. Having said all that it is a wine displaying a rich palate with a subtle jasmine, honeysuckle and...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

You've gotta love this baby. It's from an established vineyard in Pemberton. Exotic aromas of violets and strawberries. The palate has tremendous depth and persistence with the use of oak and tannin management superb. The 1000-litre foudres have ensured the oak and fruit integration is harmonious and complete. I'd like to be drinking this over the next five years.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

As the name suggests the fruit comes from a number of vineyards down this famous road from Karridale, through Wallcliffe through to Wilyabrup. It is such a vibrant and lively crunchy wine with tremendous life in the palate. Distinctive citrus tang with grapefruit and quince paste melon characters. Traces of white peach and a fresh sea spray contribute to the...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This stylish and elegantly structure cabernet comes from one mature vineyard in Wilyabrup along Caves Road. Dark blackcurrant and ripe plummy black olive fruits merge on the nose. The palate is velvety smooth showing a perfect integration of oak, tannin and fruit. An edgy minerally graphite and bay leaf with a dollop of chocolate to complete.

Great Southern

Chardonnay

This is a wine that Cherubino has a bit of fun with using lots of different things to create a distinctive and compelling wine. Love the creamy brioche and funky minerally palate. It's rich and flavoursome with tremendous depth and concentration that finishes with an elegant flourish.

Great Southern

Shiraz

Medium-bodied syrah from Frankland River. It's an effortlessly delivered wine of real style. Cherubino has made good use of some of his alternative syrah clones from the Riversdale vineyard. Lifted ferruginous aromas are regionally distinctive while the earthy dark fruits swirl through a delicious palate. Minimal intervention has allowed the fruit to express itself.

Great Southern

Riesling

Okay, the interesting thing is that some of this was barrel fermented in French oak and after that it just did its thing with little added. So the wine has life and texture. Love the mouth feel which has a textural feel while retaining the bright spicy lightly citrus tang. Very long finish.

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

This comes of the excellent Channybearup vineyard in Pemberton. Love the structure and poise in this pinot. Engaging aromas of spices and light cloves with a strawberry red fruit thing emerging. The palate is light bodied but poised with fine chalky tannins doing their thing. Incredibly long palate.

Great Southern

White Varietal

There's not much of this variety in Australia so it's nice to see something like this one pop up. It has a slight spiciness which shows on the nose but the palate is rich in stone fruit and creamy, nutty characters. A little contribution from oak maturation is evident on the palate. Nice fine acidity adds a final flourish.

Great Southern

Red Varietal

Been a bit of a fan of this variety since it started to appear largely from the Great Southern and the Riversdale vineyard. Loads of bright red fruits deliver with ease and style. It's a soft and supple wine that is perfect for current drinking. But of course, there is a little more to it than that. The chalky tannins...

Great Southern

Grenache

This is a blend of counoise, mataro, shiraz and grenache. It's a balanced and poised blend and offers great drinking over the next few years. It's a wine I prefer to drink when those vibrant bouncy fruit flavours are dominant. The cournoise seems to add a slight peppery crisp acidity to elevate the other varieties. It's an important contribution.

Great Southern

Grenache

This is why we love grenache and why it has become such a popular wine. Aromas of light red fruit confectionery with subtle damp turned earthy influences. It was treated in French oak foudres which has clearly contributed to its expressiveness and textural feel. Slightly chewy finish adds appeal.

Pemberton

White Blend

A bit of a Heinze blend of varieties from Pemberton. It's light and aromatic with a nutty creamy backdrop giving the wine poise. Six months in oak has muted the naturally high ended aromatics to create delightfully presented wine that is such a pleasure for current drinking.

Margaret River

Cabernet Franc

A thoroughly delightful medium-bodied cab franc from Margaret River. The varietal perfumes are augmented with other notes of black olive and charcuterie meats. Supple with fine chalky tannins integrated with the light touch of oak. A wine for the medium term.

Pemberton

White Blend

A classic grape variety mostly found in Piedmont in Italy. Has a racy acidity but richer textural palate notes. It's generous and in this case some older oak has been used to help in the formation of a well-shaped palate. I've tasted this over two years now and the extra year is starting to make quite an impact.

Great Southern

Shiraz

The elegance and charm of this vintage in Frankland River is immediately evident. Much of the finesse refinement comes from the use of the new Waldron, 470 and 174 clones. It is a sumptuous shiraz that draws on the beautifully fragrant and flavoursome fruit of this region. Ironstone and spicy plummy fruit flavours with chocolate coating to complete. A crowd...

Great Southern

Cabernet Sauvignon

A glorious example of Frankland cabernet. The varietal notes of blackcurrant and a little black olive are beautifully infiltrated by that regional ironstone character. The palate is a powerhouse with a firm core of new and one-year-old oak working with the firm chalky tannins to carry effortlessly through to a sustained finish. Still quite tight at the moment but extended...

South West

Chardonnay

Plenty to like about his value chardonnay sourced from vineyards in the South-West of the State. It's creamy with a lemony citrus tang and light melon character. Ever so light touch of oak so you are getting a pure fruit influence.

South West

Cabernet Sauvignon

A mighty impressive wine for this price. Soft and generous medium-bodied blend from fruit out of the South-West. Plenty of black fruit with a richer plummy pudding contribution from the merlot. Supple and friendly mouthfeel makes for excellent drinking at a great price.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a blend of cabernet, malbec and cab franc from the Pedestal vineyard in Margaret River. It's a soft and quite supple wine of excellent aromatics with the perfumed influence of the cab franc quite evident. Has a chewy chocolate richness with supple tannins in support. Nice wine.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Just starting to hit its straps. Most of the ‘19s seem to take that little extra time to come together and release their full potential. This is one of those. It's off the Pedestal Vineyard in Margaret River. Typical blackcurrant and leafy graphite and black olive nuances. The palate is generous and full, with a dark chocolate and black fruit...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Superb chardonnay showcasing all that is good with this variety in Margaret River. Aromas of quince, mustard and lemon zest with a grapefruit edge. The palate shows the richness developed from barrel fermentation. The fine grapefruit and crunchy minerality are sustained to a very long finish. A powerful wine of great class.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Highly perfumed Margaret River cabernet that provides a point of difference to the excellent '19. This delivers a velvety smooth palate deep with rich and opulent fruit flavour from this highly concentrated vintage. It is quite effortless as it takes you through the mid-palate and into a stunning long finish. The tannin and oak work on the palate is superb....

Great Southern

Cabernet Sauvignon

Silky smooth and elegant cabernet from the special Block 6 within the Riversdale Vineyard. There is an ethereal aroma here of violet and red fruit with a cedary blackcurrant overlay. Once you reach the palate you are in a heady zone. Refined and graceful lines based on fine chalky tannins and a liberal well managed use of oak carry the...

Great Southern

Cabernet Sauvignon

Beautiful South, indeed. Comes off the Riversdale vineyard using a mix of different clones for the cabernet sauvignon, malbec and merlot. A thoroughly deliciously engaging red blend offering plush bright fruit flavours augmented by some gentle oak treatment and supported by a fine thread of tannin. The textural feel in the mouth is sublime.

Great Southern

Riesling

An intense aroma of spices and tart lemon greet on the nose. The palate is laced with minerally citrus fruit delivering a tangy crunchy mouth feel. Fresh as a daisy and ideal as a current drinking wine of great value.

Margaret River

Shiraz

A super value for money shiraz sourced from the Great Southern. Typically, soft and generous with medium body. Plush plum and spices with a little cracked black pepper. The oak is muted to allow the fruit to express itself.

Great Southern

Tempranillo

Two varieties that sit so well together. A rich and ripe generously proportioned blend with a stack of dark fruits flowing through the palate. The shiraz comes from Mount Barker and the tempranillo from Frankland. Aromas of plum and mocha with a little prune juice lift. Then the palate delivers a dark chocolate red and black fruit combination.

Great Southern

Riesling

A blend of riesling and gewurztraminer from Frankland River. Needless to say, that with these varieties it is a highly aromatic wine…well the name says it too, doesn't it. An interesting merging of citrus, lemon rind and orange blossom on the nose. Then the palate reveals a slightly mandarin and lemon peel character. Wine of tremendous flavour.

Margaret River

Chenin Blanc

Super season for this aromatic fruity variety. A small portion was barrel fermented resulting in a slightly tighter palate at the moment but one that is ready to develop beautifully with age. The nose has a sort of red apply skin and punchy melon nuance. The palate is racy with a crunchy chalky acidity supporting that vibrant fruit expression.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Continues the generous style that has been part of the Cape Grace DNA. It's wild fermented and gets about 40% new oak which this season needed to strike the right balance. Nectarine and edgier cumquat emerge over aromas of quince paste and crème brulee on the nose. The palate is layered and textured with great depth of flavour that carries...

Margaret River

Red Blend

A wonderfully elegant and refined blend of the five main red varieties of Bordeaux. Not sure I have seen a better Aravina red wine. Combines the regional and seasonal power as the individual qualities of the five varieties are melded into a seamlessly presented palate. Aromas of red berry, bay leaf and a little cracked seas shell. The fine grained...

Great Southern

Riesling

Oh my. One sniff confirmed by the taste shows why this is regarded as one of the great vintages for riesling and why Rob Diletti is regarded as one of our great winemakers. Steely, spicy and lemony with a tense slaty edge. The palate is deeply intense, bursting with beautiful aromatic varietal riesling. That crunchy wet pebbly mouth feel is...

Great Southern

Pinot Noir

Another outstanding pinot from Castle Rock. Diletti has managed to combine the immense power and flavour of this variety in a very good vintage with a degree of subtle finesse to create a thoroughly beautiful example of pinot noir from the Great Southern. The intense strawberry fruits are complemented with a savoury element. Seamless with a fine lingering acidity. Makes...

Great Southern

Shiraz

It's a combination that has worked so well for Castelli, who source the fruit from the vineyards of Frankland River. Generous and smooth palate profile with excellent integration of sumptuous fruit and fine-grained oak. Rolls effortlessly along the palate.

Great Southern

Pinot Noir

A firmish light-bodied pinot displaying those beautiful spicy cherry notes that announce this as pinot. A slightly savoury earthy infusion provides further palate engagement. It's neatly woven with fine chalky tannins and a sliver of oak. A wine that excels at this price point.

Great Southern

Chardonnay

A wine that is driven by vibrant fresh fruit. It's a tangy chardonnay with the lively citrus characters working beautifully with the richer riper stone fruit. Nectarine and light melon combine well with understated oak to finish. A wine for the shorter term.

Great Southern

Pinot Noir

This comes from Castelli's home block in Denmark. It's light boded yet conceals plenty of power within it's lightly framed palate. Aromas of varietal sour cherry weave through slightly gamey notes of damp earth and mushroom. Smooth and seamlessly integrated palate provides focus to an effortlessly long finish.

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This is a really well-crafted chardonnay from Pemberton displaying that delicate restraint that is part of the regional DNA. Light florals open and then reveal more lemon curd and citrus with a trace of honeysuckle. The palate has a thoroughly beautiful texture with flavours of light stone fruit and spicy minerally citrus tang. An excellent value for this quality.