Red

Western Australia

Red Blend

This is a blend of primitivo., which we generally call zinfandel, sangiovese and the Sicilian variety nero d'avola. The combination works a treat, providing a remarkably soft and generous wine of suppleness and oodles of flavour. Balanced fruit dominant with just a little oak in the background. The sweet fruit of the zin works well.

Swan Valley

Red Blend

This is about a 50/50 blend of these two varieties and it has had no oak. On the nose there is a fragrant blue and black fruit combination. It may not have had oak, but it has structure, with supple tannins in support. Quite a juicy and flavoursome wine. It is rich and delicious, with juicy fruit as it drives...

Swan Valley

Red Blend

Riverbank Estate Rebellious Field Blend Red 2023 ($19.50) This blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, petit verdot and malbec is from the Swan Valley. It is a delicious wine for current drinking. Loads of ripe red fruit presented with medium-bodied and typical Swan Valley softness. Bright and vibrant, screaming for some pasta. Score: 90/100 Cellar: 5 years

Swan Valley

Red Blend

This is a blend of shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and malbec. An elegant and refined medium-bodied red with highly fragrant, perfumed fruits and a wonderfully approachable, fieldy, easy-drinking palate. Soft with fine, delicate tannins and was only in tank. It’s drinking so well now as a current-drinking wine that would even handle slight chilling in summer. Has good structure and poise.

Swan Valley

Grenache

A light to medium-bodied grenache brimming with all the bright red fruits you expect with grenache. Highly floral notes with a lift a juby raspberry and rose petal subtleties. A wine for drinking in the shorter term.

Swan Valley

Grenache

A variety that just does so well in the Swan Valley, and this year has proved quite exceptional. Opens with those typical red fruit aromas showing a nice strawberry–raspberry combination with a slightly confectionery character. The colour is quite pale, but that can be deceptive. Because even though it's medium to light bodied, there's a deep flavour intensity here with...

Swan Valley

Red Blend

Another ripe, juicy wine from this hot vintage. Hot it may have been, but clearly clever viticulture and winemaking have contributed to a wine that is distinctly fruit-driven and beautifully balanced and poised. Has a lot of stewed rhubarb character. Has 18 months in older oak. It’s drinking really well now.

Swan Valley

Red Blend

This is a terrific example of this blend, with the soft and generous malbec a feature. Loaded with a plummy, rhubarb-like red fruit aroma, while the palate is absolutely seamless, integrated and delicious. Has a beautiful chalky tannin influence.

Swan Valley

Grenache

Grenache makes some of the best wines from the Swan and this one in what was a very warm early start to vintage absolutely nails it. Medium-bodied with fragrant rose petals and earthy raspberry nuances. The palate is just delightful with sweet fruit balanced by understated oak, fine tannins and a little herby savoury touches on the finish.

Swan Valley

Tempranillo

Tempranillo from this estate is consistently outstanding. The bright red fruits with the raspberry nuances and leafy dried herbs characters provide such a beautiful opening on the nose. The palate is loaded with confectionary red fruit carrying that slightly raspberry character through to the long finish. A cracking wine for current drinking.

Swan Valley

Red Blend

There have been some solid temps from this vineyard, and this blend with just a little grenache works mighty well. Ripe red cherry and raspberry fruits with some nice spicy dried herb notes. It’s soft and supple with a generous middle palate displaying typical plumpness. Oh, yeah, we’re ready to drink.

Swan Valley

Red Blend

Plenty of ripe red berry fruits evident, and the dominance of the Mediterranean tempranillo has obviously contributed to that. Beautiful raspberry and slightly spicy red fruits, with a palate that is soft and generous, with fine, understated tannins and a little oak. Had about 18 months in largely older oak. Has a nice soft, medium-bodied style but plenty of flavour.

Great Southern

Cabernet Sauvignon

A mighty impressive example of why the 2018 vintage in WA has been so revered. One take of the aromas and you are immediately engaged with the dried herbs, cedar and bright blue and red fruits. Then the palate captures those characters and more with faint hints of graphite and light bay leaf. Will cellar for many years.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a vintage that I have increasingly come to appreciate even more than. And this stylish medium bodied cabernet is a perfect reason why. It’s an effortless wine the delivers with such poise. The nose has a slightly meaty blackcurrant character with traces of oyster shell minerality and black olive. The palate is seamlessly integrated with a deft touch...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2020 vintage produced some excellent cabernets in what was an early season. This has now evolved rather nicely with time in bottle. It's an immediately complex and compelling opening of blackcurrant, dark cherry, and chocolate on the nose, with a very subtle minerally oyster shell character providing further definition. The palate is elegantly woven with very fine chalky tannins...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A vintage that produced red wines of excellent intensity and fruit definition. A delightfully fragrant and pretty wine displaying strong scents of violets and black fruits. The palate is seamlessly woven with fine powdery tannins linking with a light touch of oak to harness and complement the fruit perfectly. Medium bodied and keenly balanced.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

From the great '23 vintage, this is another exceptional Margaret River cabernet. Generous and full-bodied with an intense opening of blackcurrant, olive tapenade, dark chocolate, with a lift of graphite, all providing a compelling aromatic intensity. The palate is elegant and stylish, and the cooler season certainly helped it build the flavours slowly and in a way that kept it...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

An elegantly crafted medium-bodied cabernet, putting this wonderful vintage on display. On the nose, the blackberry and blackcurrant combination strikes immediately, but then there’s a lift of bay leaf and muted black olive. There’s energy and drive through the palate, with a slight minerality supported by some grainy tannins and neatly applied oak. Everything fits together so neatly.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

One of the best value cabernets around. The season was very good, and this is generous wine delivered with subtle medium-weight understatement. On the nose, blackberry, a faint hint of bay leaf and fine grainy tannins. The palate is structured, with opulent plummy blackberry fruit and well-weighted oak providing control.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Great to see a seven-year-old wine just starting to hit the market. This cabernet from Margaret River comes from a season that produced some very smart wines. The nose of blackcurrant, bay leaf, oyster shell and a faint hint of graphite is immediately evident. The palate delivers Margaret River DNA, deeply embedded in a powerful and generous cabernet, tightly structured...

Great Southern

Cabernet Sauvignon

The exceptional 2018 cabernet fruit from Frankland was chosen for this super wine. Combines the elegance and style of that region with the power of the variety. There's an engaging combination of leafy blackcurrant with a trace of that regional ironstone rusty character. The palate is superb with fine chalky tannins in support and a precise oak and fruit balance....

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Concentrated and expressive cabernet from a small block in Frankland River. The aromas burst open with blackcurrant and plummy liqueur cherry dominant, against a muted backdrop of lightly toasty oak. It’s more medium bodied but lacks nothing in power and firm cabernet structure. Firm grainy tannins and well managed oak shape and focus the finish.

Great Southern

Shiraz

My oh my, this is starting to move nicely into its work One of the best shiraz from Rockcliffe. An exceptional wine displaying all that is good from the Great Southern. The bouquet shows a dark cherry, plummy licorice and slightly earthy ironstone character. And if that don't get you in, then the sublime palate will. It's a luxurious mix...

Great Southern

Shiraz

My oh my, this is starting to move nicely into its work One of the best shiraz from Rockcliffe. An exceptional wine displaying all that is good from the Great Southern. The bouquet shows a dark cherry, plummy licorice and slightly earthy ironstone character. And if that don't get you in, then the sublime palate will. It's a luxurious mix...

Great Southern

Shiraz

A little bit of pinot technique has been used in this cool climate shiraz with whole bunch open fermenting capturing the supple exquisite fruit flavours. Aromas of dark liqueur cherry and plum with a spicy addition. The palate is loaded with a hugely concentrated mix of raisiny black fruits, dark chocolate and slightly earthy flavours. It’s deep and sumptuously rich...

Great Southern

Cabernet Sauvignon

Thoroughly delightful cabernet sauvignon that captures the essence of this outstanding vintage. Has typical ripe sweet fruit displaying a mix of blackcurrant and plum dark chocolate characters. The minerally chalky tannins add a fine elegance. It's firm through the middle palate extending to a very long finish. A finishing oyster shell character completes it perfectly.

Great Southern

Grenache

When it comes to delightful, delicious drinking, grenache is a variety that stood out in 2023. This is one of the most beautifully presented Rockcliffe wines I have tasted. Spicy plum and bright red fruits on the nose provide an exquisite opening. The palate has a vibrancy and energy that is part of the vintage DNA. It has a fine...

Frankland River

Malbec

Some pretty impressive malbecs come out of Frankland River, and this is right up there with any of them. IT has the typical bright malbec red fruits on the nose, seamlessly morphing into the palate. But there is another gravelly ferrous character that adds enormously to the appeal. Highly concentrated but effortlessly presented palate is rich in fruit and intensity.

Frankland River

Malbec

A lovely example of Frankland River malbec from a small vineyard, showing an intensity of bright red fruits with a little creamy blue fruit influence. It's medium-bodied but generously flavoured, with the fine juicy red fruits emerging on the palate, supported by a slightly chalky, limestone-like acidity. It's a wine of some poise and offers terrific drinking in the medium...

Great Southern

Pinot Noir

Terrific pinot, displaying complexity, structure and poise within its medium body. Spicy and slightly truffly raspberry and dark cherry greet on the nose. A highly perfumed infusion of sour cherry adds further aromatic complexity. The palate has a sublime silky feel with tannins that glisten and fruit that delivers with vibrancy and energy. Beautiful focused precise and long finish. Really...

Western Australia

Tempranillo

A tempranillo that delivers with purpose and poise. Yes, it has the bright spicy red fruits with those traces of mulberry and a lift of cranberry. But then the firmer tannins work through while a balanced imposition of oak adds further structure. A highly energised wine that is just starting to reveal sweet raspberry notes on the palate.

Great Southern

Malbec

A most elegant and refined malbec reflecting this cooler year. The aromas are a merging of jubey rhubarb and raspberry with a plummy slightly blueberry nuance. The palate is deliciously appealing with plush red fruits and a wrap of chalky limestone tannin and fine oak. A subtle finishing touch of mocha and subtle coffee grounds completes a very nice wine.

Great Southern

Mourvèdre

Perfume and plum medium-bodied wine from this famous Rhone variety. Lots of plum and raspberry nuances with a gentle earthy touch adding complexity to a smooth and seamlessly structured palate. There' a slight savoury and meaty complete adding to a most appealing palate.

Frankland River

Mourvèdre

This wine has been sourced from Frankland River, where it really does quite well. In this case, the regional nuances of the red fruits of mourvèdre with some spice are supplemented with a little gravelly ironstone nuance, which is fairly typical of the region. It's medium-bodied but has quite beautiful grainy fruit characters with loads of primary red fruits and...

Great Southern

Pinot Noir

An immediately engaging pinot noir from Denmark. The nose displays a slightly spicy raspberry combination with subtle, layered, earthy mushroom character. The palate is light-bodied and has a velvety smoothness balanced by some fine-grained oak and fine tannins with that necessary precise acidity to help the structure and poise.

Great Southern

Shiraz

Seamless, beautifully integrated, balanced and a pure joy to drink; that's what this cracking good shiraz from Frankland River is all about. Perfumed liqueur cherry and dark savoury plum on the concentrated and immensely powerful but with a degree of restrained expression. Grainy chalky tannins and a suggestion of ironstone add to an already complex engaging palate. Drinking beautifully now.

Great Southern

Pinot Noir

This is a pinot that is simply deliciously drinkable from the get-go. Aromas of black cherry and lightly roasted coffee with a dark chocolate coating emerge. The medium bodied palate offers succulent supple fruit flavours balanced by a fine chalky acidity sustaining a long finish. A fine thread of tannins adds structural integrity.

Great Southern

Pinot Noir

Highly fragrant, light-bodied pinot noir, but one showing a high degree of complexity, initially on the nose and then into the palate. There's a nice floral touch with dark cherry and spices on the nose, and then the palate works through a combination of plummy cherry characters and spicy berries. There's a slightly earthy, truffly note to it, and that...

Great Southern

Shiraz

This is a super-generous and flavoursome shiraz from the Great Southern. The aromas are highly perfumed with a combination of dark plum and spicy, earthy nuances. The palate is quite sumptuous and rich, but so effortlessly smooth and integrated. Loads of flavour in a thoroughly enjoyable wine that I think is drinking right in its wheelhouse now.

Great Southern

Shiraz

A fragrant light-bodied shiraz displaying slightly earthy vanillin raspberry and plummy characters on the nose. It's designed as a simple and friendly current drinking wine. Soft tannin influence adds just the right touch to the supple smooth and very fruity palate. It's fruit, fruit, fruit.