Regions

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

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

Shiraz

Yet another prime example of why Margaret River should never be ignored for syrah or shiraz. This is a wine of structure and purpose, yet at the same time, it's loaded with warm, fleshy fruit. The use of stalks back in the fermentation has contributed both structurally and to the slightly more savoury elements. It sits in the medium bodied...

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

Cabernet Sauvignon

Always a crowd pleaser, is this cabernet. In year of deep fruit concentration, it’s easily coped with the 45% new French oak over 18 months. A powerful and assertive wine of tremendous presence. Perfumed violet floats over darker blackcurrant notes while a thick coating of dark chocolate adds further engagement. It’s dense and concentrated through with a rich middle palate...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Seamless, elegant, refined. This is high class Margaret River cabernet. The intensity of the fruit has clearly handled the 45% new oak where it spent 15 months. Loads of blackcurrant fruits with a subtle cedary, slightly gamey character adding complexity. The palate has real power, yet it's presented with a degree of elegance. There's richness here as it extends through...

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

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

Chardonnay

This vineyard really does turn out some quite distinctive chardonnays, and this is certainly an excellent example. It was hand-picked and then whole-cluster pressed before the juice was racked off for barrel fermentation. In the end, it was matured for about 9 months in 40% new oak, and yet this is not an excessively oaky wine. The nose has a...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This comes off a now very mature chardonnay vineyard in Margaret River. It's a powerful statement of chardonnay, with a wave of fresh cut pear and lime, a little grapefruit, and a subtle minerality adding to the complexity of the nose. Palate embraces the variety, with a little stone fruit, brioche, and lemon curd combination providing richness while being held...

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

Red Blend

A wine that certainly captures the essence of a cool and quite elegant vintage in Margaret River. It’s a combination of dominant cabernet franc and a small amount of cabernet sauvignon. I think there are a few other Bordeaux varieties in there too. Leafy blackcurrant aromas immediately point to a wine of refinement and elegance. The palate is quite beautiful...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Presents the qualities of the ’22 vintage quite beautifully. There's quite a floral, perfumed note of violets and black currant with a little lifted liqueur cherry. This carries through onto the palate, which is supported by a tidy combination of tannin and sweet oak. The fruit has a plushness, and yet it's balanced with that chalkiness that gives it structure,...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This is a wine that has really elevated in quality over the past few years and is now consistently excellent. It is made in a specific style, rich, textured and flavoursome, with lovely toasty oak complementing the melony stone fruit richness and slightly creamy texture. It is certainly a full-bodied, flavoursome wine, with a fine mineral and savoury edge providing...

Margaret River

Tempranillo

The warm, ripe 2024 vintage seems to have suited this variety, which is a combination of tempranillo clones from Yallingup. The colour is brilliant and bright, while the aromas show cherry, liquorice and bright raspberry characters. The palate is supple, with plush, soft fruit delivering a balanced and thoroughly enjoyable drinking experience. Super wine for drinking over the next few...

Margaret River

White Varietal

The vermentino caravan is gathering momentum with an increasing number of this Italian variety starting to emerge. This one captures all you want with its clean, fragrant, and fresh palate and nose, releasing a slightly citrusy apple and pear sort of character that hangs in there and delivers with precision on a linear, striking palate. This is a wine perfect...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Impressive wine from this super season. It's got everything you expect in Margaret River cabernet. Lots of dark berries with blackcurrant, blackberry, a little dark chocolate, and a faint, subtle lift of violets on the nose. Palate pulls everything together with a firm thread of fine tannins and neatly layered oak that comes from the 16 months in French barrels....

Margaret River

Chardonnay

If this is the quality of these chardonnays from the Brash Road Vineyard that Swings bought a few years ago, then don't expect the price to stay this low. This is a cracking good wine, showing the virtues of this mature vineyard. It was matured in French oak for about nine months, and on the nose, you start to get...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This is from the vineyard Swings acquired a few years ago and they have really maximised the potential of what was an excellent site. This is a finer, tighter and more linear style than the Backyard Stories. On the nose, white peach, cut pear and lime characters are quite dominant, with slightly spicy vanilla bean and brioche complexity. The palate...

Margaret River

Shiraz

This vineyard has proved highly successful for shiraz, or syrah, over the years and now, in the hands of Swings & Roundabouts, it is making some mighty fine wine. It has been made in a way that accentuates the medium-weight fruit, releasing vibrant, bright and quite punchy berry characters while retaining structure and poise. The larger-format French oak puncheons have...

Margaret River

Shiraz

It's rosé and it's delightful. Colour is a pale pink, and the aromas are just what you'd expect from shiraz made into this style. It's a strawberry and raspberry combination with lifted florals and then a palate that is clean and crisp with lovely fresh fruit flavours delivered with a dry and ever so slightly savoury finish while retaining a...

Margaret River

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

A fine, crisp, crunchy style. It brings these two bedfellows close together. Has the typical lemon, lemon zest, and slightly apple and pear character with a little grassy, guava influence. It all hugs together and then releases through to a nice, clean, crisp finish. Perfect summer drinking.

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...

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

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....

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

The fruit comes from Rob Mann’s Calgardup vineyard, with about 6% cabernet franc. Classically cabernet in character, it has a leafy blackcurrant lift on the nose, with redcurrant, oyster shell and cracked seashell characters. Medium-bodied and wonderfully expressive, it has a vibrant tannin line that reflects the vineyard’s proximity to the ocean. There is a crunchy, energetic quality throughout, with...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This opens with a slightly savoury nose with hints of brioche, marzipan and light stone fruit. The palate is fine and pristine, with a subtle savoury, nutty and mealy character, supported by some lees influence. All Gingin clone, planted in 1984 from cuttings sourced from Leeuwin Estate, this is a vineyard of remarkable intensity and purity. Winemaking is deliberately uncomplicated,...

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

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...

Swan Valley

Muscat

From one of the great names in Australian fortified wines. The base wine for this great liqueur muscat was picked in 1983 after which the best vintages were chosen to be regularly blended. It is a smooth and mellow wine with all the complex and intrigue of caramel, honey and chocolate swirling through the aromas and then into a multi-layered...

Swan Valley

Shiraz

The blend for this remarkable liqueur shiraz began in 1981 and now includes 15 different vintages. The wines are blended in old brandy casks and now reveal aromas of concentrated dark chocolate, coffee, caramel and raisiny toffee. It’s dense and multi-layered with richness and complexity that builds relentlessly to a very long finish.

Swan Valley

Semillon

Talijancich has been making semillon since 1989, and I suspect there has never been a better one than this. Picks up the varietal characters of lemon and other citrus notes, but then adds the complexing richness of partial barrel fermentation. The palate reveals flavours of custard and lemon tart with a citrussy edge for balance and a slightly nutty finish....

Swan Valley

Verdelho

The distinctive rich and lavishly textured Talijancich verdelho is probably the most individual in the Swan valley. Gets its richness from lees influence, creating a wine of texture with intense stone fruit and roasted nutty influences. That faint flinty edge just adds to finish flourish. It’s creamy and flavoursome with the capacity to age.

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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.

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Cabernet Sauvignon

This has developed over the years into one of the best roses from WA. It’s made from cabernet sauvignon, which in this year especially, seems to have worked really well. It’s pale pink and then an aroma of savoury red berry emerges. The palate has a slightly textural feel which comes from some time on yeast lees. Excellent.

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Cabernet Sauvignon

The colour is a brilliant pink, slightly deeper than a lot of modern rosés but still exhibiting a burst of luminosity. But this is a rosé with a subtle difference. It’s from cabernet sauvignon and it’s been wild fermented in oak with some time on lees. So, what you’re getting is a rosé with texture and complexity, with a dry...

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Chardonnay

In some ways this appears to resemble some of the earlier Gabrielles. It’s a wine with an unashamedly significant winemaking artifact, yet it presents with poise and style. Rich lemon tart and quince paste with a butterscotch and slightly toasty oak influence. A complex weave begins on the palate with savoury lemon fruit and slightly reductive faint struck match influences....

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Cabernet Blend

A thoroughly beautiful example of this blend from what turned out to be a very good vintage. Highly aromatic with lifted blackcurrant and chocolaty bay leaf. The medium weight and perfectly balanced palate reveals more plummy spicy characters augmented with richer dark chocolate. It’s a smooth and elegant wine of some class.

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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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Sauvignon Blanc

This fumé style savvy has been really well made in that while it’s been wild fermented in old chardonnay barrels, the degree of oak influence has been held in perfect balance. At the same time, it’s created a wine of richness and texture and layers of flavour with a slightly lemony nutty character and a fine savoury minerally finish. This...