Regions

Manjimup

Pinot Noir

A highly expressive pinot from a season which turned out pretty well for this variety. Aromas of sour cherry and mushroom are typically pinot, and then some lighter, brighter red fruits emerge. The palate has a slightly spicy character. It's textured and seamless, with a fine thread of chalky tannins and some nice fine acidity sustaining the structural integrity that...

Manjimup

Pinot Noir

A thoroughly beautiful expression of Manjimup pinot noir. Bright red fruits on the nose of dominant strawberry but then infused with a complex mushroomy, earthy character that brings another dimension. The palate has real structure and a solid core and yet wrapped around it is the flesh of generous pinot characters. Finely crafted with excellent tannin and oak, harnessing some...

Manjimup

Shiraz

If you remember 2020, it was warm, it was early, oh, and it had COVID, but the wines produced were, in some cases, quite exceptional. This is a super example of the vintage. It’s rich, it’s textured, it’s lavish, and it’s loaded with fruit, all perfectly poised and presented. The aromas are a blue fruit, plummy mulberry combo with a...

Manjimup

Shiraz

Shiraz can sometimes be overlooked in Manjimup, it being a cool viticultural region. But in good seasons, and ’23 was one of those, the wines can be excellent. In this case, this is a beautiful medium-weight, seamless, smooth, effortless shiraz harnessing some excellent fruit characters. Aromas of chocolate and dark plum with a little lifted spice, and then a palate...

Manjimup

Red Blend

Beautiful contemporary blend of these two varieties from a season that was ideal for producing approachable, friendly and quite delicious wines. This has some lifted leafy blackcurrant aromatics with dark berry influences. A little raisin fruitcake and a dollop of chocolate. Palate lifts with more red fruits and with the fine tannins, directs through to a long finish. It’s a...

Manjimup

Pinot Noir

Highly fragrant, perfumed pinot bursting with dominant red fruits, raspberry and strawberry. And then a palate that is quite fruit-driven but with good structure. Cherry and light chocolate notes and a little mushroomy character add complexity to a well-crafted palate. Has a fine minerality as it sustains a long finish.

Manjimup

Shiraz

Ah, the ’23 vintage. It rears up again. This is a wonderful wine expressing this cooler climate region but capturing the wonders of this great vintage. It’s medium-bodied, lovely lifted fruit on the nose, displaying a plummy red fruit combination, and then a palate that is simply sublimely integrated and seamless. Fine chalky tannins, neatly applied oak, and that plush,...

Manjimup

Red Blend

This is a new wine from Peos. It's a shiraz and cabernet blend produced by combining the best barrels of the vintage. Without doubt, the best Peos wine I have tasted. Smooth and effortless, yet at the same time powerful and deeply intense. The mix of mulberry, blackcurrant and spices is engaging. The firm fine core of chalky tannin and...

Manjimup

Shiraz Blend

This is something of a powerhouse blend from a vintage which produced some excellent wines. The nose is a splash of dark fruits with blackcurrant, dark plum, and even a little mulberry. The palate has retained a firm structural feel providing definition and direction. Rich, layered black fruits, savoury and cedary characters, and slightly dusty, chalky tannins adding further direction...

Manjimup

Sauvignon Blanc

Savvy works really well in Manjimup, and here is an excellent example of the region and the season. It’s not overblown with all those tropical notes but has some lovely fruit intensity, melony citrus, gooseberry. With a lovely fruit-driven palate showing a fine, chalky, sustaining acidity and a clean minerality to lift the finish. A neat current drinking example of...

Manjimup

Sparkling

This is the first sparkling wine I’ve seen from Peos and it stacks up mighty well. It’s a combination of chardonnay and pinot, and this cooler region in the state certainly suits the production of sparkling wine. Lemony, melony, brioche notes on the nose. And then a palate that is elegant and delicate at the same time, but with good...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

A wine hat has prompted me to reset my cellaring expectations for these wines. It has picked up a little colour but on the nose and palate it is still remarkably youthful with a lot of primary fruit. The nose has a subtle butterscotch and roasted cashew crème brulee character with a faint hint of toasty marmalade edging in. The...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This was still very tight at the time of tasting but as it breathed it opened up to reveal all that intensity and power in a deeply concentrated and supremely elegant palate. It's a fine style with an opening of lemon butter and subtle minerality. The palate has a controlled chalky character which contributes to its tight linear feel. It's...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

The beauty and pristine nature of this great vintage shine through in this thoroughly beautiful chardonnay. On the nose aromas of nectarine and peach merge with a splash of citrus and a layer of meal. Richer notes of crème brulee and lightly roasted cashew emerge from somewhere deep in the palate. It’s a finer style yet there is sustained persistence...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

There's a striking precision and fineness about a wine from a warm year that still produced excellent fruit in Pemberton. Aromas of peach and light ginger with floral, jasmine-like notes. The palate has a faintly creamy cashew complexity and a nice lift, finishing with a savoury light cashew influence.

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This is a single-vineyard chardonnay, dry-grown, cane-pruned, handpicked. But the key element is it's made of four Dijon clones. And that seems to have clearly impacted its detail and structure. It was aged in French oak barriques, of which 25% was new, for about 10 months. The aromas are more in the savoury spectrum with a slightly chalky, limestone-like character...

Pemberton

Red Blend

This is a blend of 65% merlot, 20% cabernet sauvignon and 15% cabernet franc. Takes the standard wine a little deeper and a little longer with an immediately more complex and layered palate profile. It gets an extra year in older oak which obviously plays a part in its palate feel, creating a nice softening effect. A most complete wine...

Pemberton

Red Blend

A Right Bank-inspired blend of dominant merlot with contributions from cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. It’s a slightly atypical Aussie style with its restrained elegance and less reliance on plump ripe fruit. This is one of the best. Bright aromas of bay leaf, black cherry and tomato bush. The palate is medium-weight with depth and poise. A fine lingering acidity...

Pemberton

Cabernet Sauvignon

This slightly more restrained vintage has contributed to a pretty and delightfully elegant wine. Has an engaging mix of light plum, cherry and licorice. On the finish a little chalky minerality adds that final tick. Love the oak and tannin integration which have contributed to the medium weight frit to create a thoroughly beautiful expression of these three varieties.

Pemberton

Red Blend

An elegant and stylish example from what was a cooler vintage, though it still crams plenty into its tight frame. There's a mix of blue and red fruits and a floral aroma. The palate is still quite tightly wound, yet the seamless integration of oak and fruit controls and extends through to a long finish with effortless ease. A nice...

Pemberton

Red Blend

Here is a sort of left bank, right bank combination. Seamlessly structured and intense red blend that captures what Pemberton can do when the season is right. Aromas of light cedar, some dark black fruits, a little perfumed lift. There's a subtle, earthy, gamey character lurking that adds so much complexity to the primary fruits. It's a wine that exhibits...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

A most pretty wine showing delightfully friendly primary red fruit characters on the nose and then into the palate. Floral notes merge with cherry and spicy slightly earthy notes. The palate is light bodied and deliciously fruit driven, displaying bright fruit characters. The palate is balanced with excellent tannin and oak harnessing the fruit, building relentlessly to a long finish.

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

This was a super year in the most parts of the State, and you can see the thoroughly beautifully expressive sweet and sour fruit characters immediately. First things, first. It totally belies its 10 years of age. Still with primary cherry and raspberry fruits but with that emergence of a meaty, truffly character the first signs of its maturity. Has...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

Such an elegant and most beautifully pretty wine that is classically pinot in character and structure. The cooler year has held it tight and fine, yet the deeper fruit intensity emerges. The nose is a merging of cherry and spicy raspberry with a chalky limestone dusty overlay. The structure is still quite firm with chalky tannins running the show but...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

Here's a compelling case for holding back some of these wines. I looked at it 12 months ago, and while it was tidy and impressive then, that extra year to settle has improved it immeasurably, earning another tick from me. The aroma is floral and perfumed with cherries and plums, and the palate delivers with certainty and poise, showing slightly...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

Well, well, well. I expected the ’23 pinot from Picardy to be pretty special, and it is. Actually, it’s better than special. Aromatics are fragrant and alluring, with bright red fruits, a subtle truffly raspberry and cherry mix, and a touch of limestone nuance. The palate is simply sublime. This is pinot noir that helps define the variety in Western...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

In many ways, the recipe is about the same as for chardonnay, with French oak barriques, 25% new and 10 months' maturation. The key with this wine is it's made from 11 selected clones, nine of which are from Dijon. It's a marvellous example of pinots that the panels are producing these days. Savoury, chalky, faintly mushroom characters on the...

Pemberton

White Blend

Oh my, this is a wonderful example of this classic WA blend. The cooler climes of Pemberton and this great vintage have combined to produce such vibrant high energy fruit. Beautifully balanced and presented blend of 85% sauvignon blanc and 15% semillon. Lip-smacking flavours of citrus and guava with a crunchy tart pear edge on the finish. With all the...

Pemberton

White Blend

This is nothing like your standard SBS. It takes it to another level of sophistication while retaining the vibrant fruit freshness you look for in this style. On the nose, there are lovely floral, citrusy lemon rind characters, while the palate prevails with a minerally, slightly savoury edge, filled with riper honeydew melon. Quite a complex wine with a lovely...

Pemberton

White Blend

If you think you’ve seen just about every example of sauvignon blanc and sémillon from this state, think again. This is an outstanding take on a blend that can sometimes be ho-hum, but in the right hands can be something special. Here, three clones of sauvignon blanc are co-fermented with 15% sémillon. The result is compelling: delightful lemon aromatics, subtle...

Pemberton

White Blend

This is consistently one of my favourite SBS releases each year. Interesting thing is that it's made up of three clones of sauvignon blanc, which have been co-fermented with about 15% semillon. The beauty and power of the '26 vintage is clearly on show here. It's a wine of intense fruit aromatics with some nice spicy citrus savoury elements. The...

Pemberton

Shiraz

A beautifully perfumed and aromatic shiraz that sits a little closer to the syrah style in structure and weight. No matter, it has a little viognier and malbec which contribute to the initial burst on the nose. The palate is velvety smooth and integrated with a fine chalky tannin influence on the supple fruit. Gets about 18% new oak and...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

A solid and impressive shiraz from a very good season. An opening salvo of black fruits shows intensity and drive. On the nose, there's a further lift of spicy florals and red fruits with just a trace of raspberry. The palate is firm and concentrated, a powerful wine of great presence, demonstrating what can be achieved with shiraz from the...

Pemberton

Shiraz

With a strong focus on chardonnay and pinot noir, some of the other excellent wines within the portfolio can be overlooked, and this is one of them. This is shiraz co-fermented with a small amount of malbec and viognier. Has a bright and lustrous colour, palish red with a little crimson hue. Nose is bright red fruits with a raspberry,...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

So, here’s the thing. The ’20 Tete was the wine Bill Pannell was waiting for most of his life. It was a wonderful wine. But the ’21 comes along and delivers a wine of equal class and refinement, but in a slightly prettier more seductive and alluring form, a product of this cooler year. Complex weave of aromas with a...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

Wow, this is something special…very special. This is at the pinnacle of the Pannell family’s quest for great pinot noir. The 2020 vintage is spoken of in hushed tones, yet this one is pushing it all the way. It was a little closed when tasted but you don’t have to look far to see its greatness. It’s a multi-clonal blend...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

This is the best of the best from the Pannells and a wonderful testament to the endless pursuit of great pinot in Australia. In fact, great pinot anywhere. It's a wine that combines all the essential elements of pinot. It's elegant, it's refined, yet ultimately it is still powerful and defined. Red fruits and earthy characters on the nose, a...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

My oh my. I thought the 2018 was the best yet from Picardy, but this one might have just pipped it. Let me try it in another year before I get off the fence. This is power, precision and poise. A seductive perfumed aroma of cherry and raspberry and a vanillin spicy character emerging. Has a chalky minerality that threads...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Not the opulence of the 2018, but instead a wine of purity and elegance with a long refined palate. Nice combination of meaty blackcurrant on the nose. The cabernet franc brings a lift of fragrant violet and red berry. The palate is medium bodied with a fine chalky tannin and a sliver of oak in support. A stylish wine of...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Such a stylish and elegant expression of the '19 vintage. The extra time in bottle has been so important for this vintage, as it has allowed the wine to really knit together and begin to release its riches. Gets a boost with the acidity of the petit verdot and the perfumes of the cab franc. Beautiful palate structure and texture...