Swan Valley

White Blend

A really delightful blend of chardonnay and semillon. Sure, it's a little unusual as a combination, but it works really well in the Swan Valley. Semillon gives it that fine cutting edge with a little lemon zip, while the chardonnay adds strength and palate weight. Nice citrusy aroma with some melony fruit, followed by a palate showing beautiful, juicy, ripe...

Swan Valley

Verdelho

Swan Valley verdelho is a really reliable go-to drink, certainly during the summer months. This one's loaded with typical tropical fruits, evident on the nose and then through to the palate. There's a slightly citrusy, spicy character that permeates, while the palate shows lovely rich fruit, controlled by fine, focused acidity through to a long finish. Delightful current drinking, but...

Swan Valley

Chardonnay

Chardonnay in the Swan Valley can often be underestimated, and yet when you see a wine like this, you've got to question why. This is terrific wine from the Baskerville Vineyard of Upper Reach. The aromas show the influence of barrel fermentation. It's quite spicy, with some nice roasted cashew, stone fruit characters and a subtle creaminess. The palate is...

Swan Valley

Cabernet Blend

Generous, smooth-textured, thoroughly delicious, medium-bodied blend from the Swan Valley. Loads of blackberry and ripe plum characters are evident on the nose. The palate is plush and soft with supple tannins, which is a feature of Swan Valley reds. And yet there's structure here as it unfolds through to a nice long finish. Lovely, approachable wine for the short to...

Swan Valley

Grenache

There are two things that go together absolutely perfectly: the Swan Valley and old-vine grenache. This superb wine comes from vines that are more than 75 years old. They're non-irrigated and have necessarily been handpicked. It's medium-bodied with lovely perfumed aromatics of raspberry and red fruits. The palate is deliciously supple and juicy, with those red fruits augmented by a...

Swan Valley

Tempranillo

The warmer climes of the Swan Valley are well suited to tempranillo, and 2024 was certainly warm. But the fruit has handled it really well, producing a wine that is soft, supple and medium-bodied, but with good fruit intensity. It's a plush wine loaded with a mix of blackberry and cherry with a dollop of dark chocolate. A lovely spicy...

Swan Valley

Shiraz

This is everything you expect from Swan Valley shiraz. It's soft, plush, supple and most approachable. Bright red fruits have been worked with a little French oak, resulting from careful small-batch handling to get the best from the fruit. Spicy plum, dark chocolate and a little raspberry and cherry lift combine into a lovely palate feel. Most attractive drinking and,...

Swan Valley

Shiraz

A thoroughly beautiful example of Swan Valley shiraz in what was an outstanding year. The fruit is generous, but the slightly longer, relatively cooler season has allowed some wonderful flavours to develop over a longer period. Spicy plum and dark cherry, with a liberal dose of spice, lead to a palate that is seamless, supported by slightly chalky, supple tannins...

Swan Valley

White Varietal

This was naturally fermented and, again, like the fiano, has some short skin contact with high solids. Then spent a little time in both oak and steel. Vermentino can be pretty simple, but this one is anything but simple. Yes, it retains that clean, linear, crisp fineness that is varietal, but then there's other nuances of nutty sea spray. Aptly,...

Swan Valley

Fiano

Shows what you can do with this variety with a little flair. In this case, Garth Cliff has put the wine through some short skin contact and high solids, all of which adds texture and complexity to a variety that already exhibits some nice characters. But in this case, it's produced a wine of richness yet, at the same time,...

Swan Valley

Grenache

The source of the fruit is old Swan Valley bush vines that are now more than 50 years old. This is such a good example of what the Swan Valley does so well with grenache. He's followed the recipe of natural ferment with some whole bunches and maturation in old oak, so it all allows the fruit to express itself...

Swan Valley

Grenache

This delightfully light- to medium-bodied grenache comes off some old bush vines in the Swan Valley. Cliff has used some whole bunches with some natural ferment to create a bright, vibrant, medium-bodied grenache that captures the essence of the variety. Aromas of strawberry and raspberry with a slightly cherry character. And then a palate that's light to medium-bodied, soft, supple...

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

No suite of Swan Valley wines would be complete without chenin blanc, and Garth Cliff knows a thing or two about making decent chenin. In this case, it's been whole-bunch pressed and went through natural fermentation, high solids and just in old barriques. From the start it is an incredibly complex palate-friendly wine that provides yet another spin on this...

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

The extra time this wine has had on lees has really brought it into the next dimension. The colour has deepened ever so slightly, and the aromas are saturated with lemony, creamy characters and that faintly tropical influence of the variety. The palate has intensity yet delicacy, due in some way to the marvellous vintage but also to the way...

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

Another cracking wine under this relatively new label. Fruit is sourced out of the Swan Valley, and that makes absolute sense. It was a warm season that's translated into wine of intensity and texture, but with that typical chenin blanc lift of acidity to elevate it. It's creamy and rich and thoroughly delicious on the palate, with a light tropical...

Swan Valley

Shiraz

This is such a pretty and quite beautiful shiraz from vines that are approaching 100 years of age. It does show the Swan Valley softness and suppleness well to the fore. And with those soft tannins and gentle hint of oak, it really does cuddle the wine. Nice mix of sweet cherry and raspberry with little coffee grounds and liquorice....

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

Wonderful floral, perfumed white-petal notes on the nose announce this as Swan Valley chenin blanc. In a warmer year, the aromas and flavours are certainly well to the fore, but they're well controlled, with freshness retained by the crisp, lively acidity. The palate has lovely texture and richness, but there's also a purity and pristine character as it fires through...

Swan Valley

Shiraz

A rich, succulent, generous, full-bodied shiraz. Loaded with all manner of red berry and dark plum, syrupy chocolate, and a little vanilla essence. Palate is soft and quite supple with gentle, understated tannins, and supported with some fine-grained, almost powdery oak. Drinking so beautifully now, but it has the structure and the fruit intensity to handle further cellaring.

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

This wine comes from the Carabooda Block, just north of Perth. It's a site that's consistently produced some excellent fruit, and this chenin is another cracker. Oodles of tropical, citrusy aromas on the nose. And then a succulent, crisp palate showing a little of the melony, stone fruit, citrus combination you might expect. Clean, refreshing acidity sustains a long finish....

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

Gee, this is a good example of the sparkling chenins being made in Western Australia these days. It's made using the traditional méthode champenoise, with early picking that accentuates the natural acidity, and then time on lees to build a creamy complexity. Has a lovely fruity aromatic. And then a palate that is quite soft and fluffy, but with tremendous...

Swan Valley

Petit Verdot

Petit verdot likes a little warmth, so the Swan Valley is ideally suited to it. But this slightly cooler year just toned things down a bit and it's produced an absolutely exquisite example of what the Swan Valley can do. Lifted floral perfume notes with red berry and lightly cedary oak and then a palate that is rich and generous,...

Swan Valley

Red Blend

A really interesting combination in that it's a blending of two varieties which are more bit players when married with cabernet predominantly. But a coolish, long ripening period in the Swan Valley has suited this wine absolutely perfectly. Beautiful black fruits on the nose. A little nuanced red fruit from the malbec and the darker fruits of the petit verdot....

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

If you want to understand all the fuss about older chenin blanc from the Swan Valley, then stick your nose in this. Wonderfully exotic aromas of butterscotch, toast, marmalade. All things that come with ageing of this wonderful grape variety. The palate has a delightful purity about it, while the natural fruit is balanced by some quite distinct secondary aged...

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

This new face in WA wine was one of my finds a couple of years ago, and once again it has come up trumps, displaying the remarkable qualities of chenin blanc to emerge triumphant even in challenging and very hot seasons. It is a testament to both vineyard management and winemaking. In this case, it leans more into stone fruit...

Swan Valley

Fortified

Oh my, what a wonderful example of a liqueur style that the Swan Valley does so well. The colour has that deep caramel and a slight hint of khaki on the edges. You open with an aroma of remarkable complexity, with toffee and roasted coffee beans, dark raisins and syrupy caramel all swirling around and capturing your attention. And then...

Swan Valley

Shiraz

This outstanding Swan Valley shiraz comes from a very old dry-grown vineyard. Everything you expect from the Swan Valley in a good year. It’s soft, supple and expressive, and there’s enjoyment wherever you turn. Aromas of bright red fruits, dark chocolate and lifted sarsaparilla. The palate is absolutely exquisite: so finely integrated, velvety smooth, with great polish and poise. You...

Swan Valley

Grenache

This distinctive and always impressive grenache comes from a single vineyard of old bush vines planted back in 1954. It’s sited along the Golden Mile, which produces grenache of such exceptional quality. Great attention to detail was taken with bunch selection, handpicking and hand sorting of all the fruit from this old vineyard. Red fruits with raspberry, rose petal and...

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

A consistently impressive and expressive example of this variety sourced from the Swan Valley. On the nose, you get the usual tropical, albeit lightly tropical, fruits. But then, in this case, there’s a slightly spicy, dried-herb character adding further complexity. The palate is textured and flavoursome, with the light fruits supported by a fine, crisp, natural acidity that is a...

Swan Valley

White Varietal

Sittella introduced this a couple of years ago. It’s a variety synonymous with the Rías Baixas region of northern Spain. This is quite an exciting release and, in my view, the best to date. Nice, subtle aromas of spices and dried herbs, with a little lemon zest. The palate has surprising complexity for a lighter-style wine, with that spicy, lemony,...

Swan Valley

Verdelho

A quite beautiful, understated expression of Swan Valley verdelho. Light fruit notes on the nose, with a little limestone character, and then a palate that is crisp, pure and expressive. It’s light-bodied, but there’s tremendous flavour here that extends with ease through to a sustained finish. I love the precision and that lightly mineral finish. An excellent wine.

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

This has been made in the méthode traditionnelle style from grapes grown on the estate. There’s plenty of sparkling chardonnay around these days, and it’s little wonder because it produces excellent sparkling wine. But this one has introduced a little more texture and richness into the natural acidity and fruitiness of chardonnay and produced something really special for this variety....

Swan Valley

Shiraz

The old vines for this wine were planted at the Swan Valley Estate back in the '60s, making this classic old-vine Swan Valley shiraz in all its glory from an exceptional season. A perfect example of what the Swan does so well. Aromas of spicy dark plum and black cherry lead to a medium-bodied, generous palate with supple, fine tannins...

Swan Valley

Verdelho

Much like the chenin in this range, this was fermented in stainless steel and given extended time on lees, contributing to its textural feel. At the same time, the vibrant citrus and tropical notes remain clearly defined, flowing into a palate that is delightfully flavoursome and pure. There is a pristine clarity to the fruit. Terrific current drinking, with a...

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

I do like chenin blanc from the Swan, and in this excellent year the result is compelling. Fermented in stainless steel and left on lees before blending, which has given the wine texture and richness while retaining fresh, spicy, citrus and slightly appley characters. The palate is punchy, vibrant and slightly textural, lifted by a splash of citrus on the...

Swan Valley

Muscat

Wow, it's hard to imagine anything better than this. This is pure luxury. Griffiths has been following his muscat quest for many years and started this blend back in 2003. You can see it in the colour, which has deep browny, khaki, and slightly olive green hues, which indicate the incredible age. The aroma is a layered maze of complexity...

Swan Valley

Durif

A variety that does like the warmer vintages to allow it to maximise its tremendous flavour potential. In this case, the 2024 vintage turned out to be ideal for working the variety, which comes from the Maxwell Road vineyard. This is typically generous and big, yet it's not excessive. The fruit has some lovely chocolatey, cherry-like characters and a little...

Swan Valley

White Varietal

Pure, precise, lively Swan Valley vermentino. It comes from a single block right on the river. On the nose, you get a subtle combination of freshly squeezed lime and some light mango-like tropical aromas. Beautiful, crisp, fine flavours on the palate, with a little citrus and pear. Lovely balance and lovely drinking now.

Swan Valley

Chenin Blanc

Captures the very essence of Swan Valley chenin blanc. This is a lovely wine from this slightly warmer year, so the fruit is generous and intensely flavoursome, but it retains the crisp, natural acidity of chenin, even from the Swan, producing a quite beautiful drink. Lifted aromas of citrus and apple with a slightly Sherbert character. The palate is slightly...

Swan Valley

Grenache

This grenache was sourced out of the Swan Valley, a region that contains some of the best grenache vines in the country. This has a slightly earthy, dusty aromatic working with the riper primary black cherry and plum notes. And then a medium-bodied palate starting to build a deeper complexity with layers of fruit, revealing ripe blackberry and spices.

Swan Valley

Shiraz

A beautiful example of Swan Valley shiraz from this warmer season that produced excellent fruit of balance and poise. Spicy plum and clove with a little cedar on the nose, and then a supple, soft, generous palate of typically medium body from the Swan, but displaying great depth of fruit and a pure, sustained finish. Excellent wine.