WA Wine Review 2027

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Griffiths has moved outside the Swan Valley, as he sometimes does, to source fruit for this cabernet sauvignon. It's a beautifully expressive wine that captures the region perfectly with the medium weight of the fruit and that subtle, very slight graphite and ironstone character. The aromas are bright, blackberry with a little even blue fruit influence. Seamlessly structured and integrated...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This Margaret River chardonnay uses Dijon clones and, after wild fermentation and lees stirring, it spent 10 months in oak. This season worked mighty well for chardonnay. The warmth has provided deep, powerful intensity, but the Dijon clone has just refined and tightened it with a delightful chalky, minerally acidity.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

The extra time in bottle is evident immediately with the bright golden hues in the glass. The nose is starting to move into that lovely toasty marmalady character, but not excessively, while retaining its citrusy lemon characters and subtle gun smokiness. Palate is textural and rich, but with a fine savouriness adding balance and precision. If you're wanting a wine...

Margaret River

Sauvignon Blanc

This warmish year has certainly produced fruit of terrific intensity and weight. In this case, the sauvignon blanc was sourced out of Karridale, well to the south of Margaret River, and was wild fermented in French barriques with lees stirring and 10 months of maturation. A slightly nutty oak influence is subordinated into the fruit, and so it never dominates....

Frankland River

Riesling

This is a real crunchy, lively, fruity riesling sourced out of Frankland River in this warm year. The nose displays a slightly bath salty sherbet like character with liberal spices and lemony notes. The palate is zingy with a minerally edge and plenty of citrus notes. Drinking quite beautifully now, but as you would expect, it has cellaring potential.

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

An excellent cabernet from this warm year that's been sourced from Frankland River. Blackcurrant and blackberry notes on the nose with a little dark cherry character, with a dollop of dark chocolate richness. Palate is seamlessly constructed with tremendous power and energy. Fruits are wrapped with a neat influence from the chalky, minerally tannins, and gently infused oak. Has a...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2022 vintage was one that produced some very expressive and powerful statements of Margaret River cabernet. And this one delivers it all. Black fruits, a little leaf, black olive on the nose, with a trace of subtle raspberry red fruits. Palate is seamlessly integrated with the fine tannins and oak, delivered with real polish. Effortless and stylish through to...

Margaret River

Red Blend

An interesting wine that dips its toes into the Left and Right Banks of Bordeaux in terms of varietal sourcing. But it's a combination that works really well. The aromatics of the cab franc provide a lovely lift of floral notes and red berries, with the addition of the juicy, slightly leafy malbec. Palate is soft and supple, with lots...

Great Southern

Pinot Noir

A little bottle age has really brought this wine into its own. An engaging combination of glazed cherry and raspberry on the nose. Some spices and a little lanolin like character. Palate is quite soft and supple, but there is good support from some chalky tannins and well integrated oak. Smooth, seamless, and long finish.

Great Southern

Pinot Noir

Bright, fruit driven pinot from the Great Southern of medium body. But there is depth here and layered complexity, with those bright cherry and red berry notes augmented with a subtle toasty mushroom like character. Palate loaded with cherry flavours, a liberal splashing of spices, and some nice integrated oak. Produces a wine of polish and poise.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

The Gingin clone has been used effectively in this wine, bringing the power and intensity of the clone to the forefront. But at the same time, it's beautifully designed with control and finesse, creating a linear expression. Citrusy, lemon curd, slightly oatmealy underlay on the nose, and then a palate which gathers momentum and drive through to a long finish....

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

I had to do a double take to check the vintage when I saw this wine. So it's now six years old and it's really benefited from that extra time in bottle. This was in the COVID year, which you might remember was quite warm and very early, but produced wines of intensity and power. The extra time in bottle...

Margaret River

Shiraz

More proof, if proof were needed, that Margaret River can produce high class shiraz, syrah, when the seasons are right. '22 was one of those years, and this is an excellent example of Margaret River syrah. It is a totally seamless, velvety smooth, and beautifully composed wine that draws together the spicy, plummy, dark chocolate fruit intensity with the support...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This is the pick of the litter, if you like, with the contributing parcels carefully chosen and handpicked. It was whole bunch pressed and matured in barriques for 10 months. The striking thing about this wine is its impeccable balance. It draws together the power and intensity of the fruit, but then expresses it with a degree of subtlety and...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Bright, juicy, youthful chardonnay. Displaying true varietal essence on the nose at the outset. Mix of citrus and lightly roasted cashew, and a hint of lemon rind and grapefruit. Palate has a distinct minerally purity about it, with light, bright white peach and nectarine held close with a keen acidity and cut lime edginess. Quite beautiful current drinking chardonnay with...

Margaret River

Sauvignon Blanc

This has developed into something of a winner for Passel Estate over the years. It's based on some quite beautiful fruit, which retains a fresh, limey, citrus tang and wonderful vibrancy. And in this case, it's been supplemented with additional oak influence, handled with a deft touch, so the balance is retained and the vibrancy ensured. Has a lovely, juicy,...

Margaret River

Shiraz

This more southern vineyard seems to have handled the warmer '24 vintage very well. The wine is poised and balanced, with lovely fruit weight and intensity. Aromas immediately strike with spicy plum, liquorice, and dark chocolate. And then the palate has a crunchy juiciness about it, with a mix of red fruits and rhubarb. Supported by fine, chalky tannins and...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This sits on the very top shelf of the best Art Series cabernets released by Leeuwin. Of course, the season was marvellous, being slightly cooler and quite long, and it certainly suited this slightly more southern vineyard. It's allowed good, slow, well-developed ripening without going over the top. And it's contributed to a wine of real varietal energy and definition....

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

One of the prettiest and most complete of any Prelude to date. This has fully ripe blackcurrant, leafy bay leaf, and black olive fruit with a fine, chalky tannin thread. It’s a most elegant and stylish wine, but there is structure and poise. This is largely cabernet, but there's a small portion of malbec, which I think brings that lifted...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

The style of this wine is now firmly established. Brought back from the slightly finer, leaner edginess it had become into a wine of more opulence and palate friendly richness, providing a point of distinction with its famous sibling, the Art Series. Aromas of lemon, cashew, and even sea spray. And then a palate that offers deep, mouth filling flavours,...

Margaret River

Riesling

Despite all the naysaying about the appropriateness of riesling in Margaret River, this wine, year in, year out, produces quite beautiful expressions of this variety. And this is certainly one of the best. Nice floral notes with citrus, lemon pith, and a little orange pulpiness on the nose. The palate has a minerally zinginess about it, with a crisp acidity...

Frankland River

Shiraz

A beautiful testament to old-vine Frankland fruit. In fact, these vines are now more than 50 years old, and their value cannot be overstated, especially in warmer years, where, despite the heat, they can bring fruit of tremendous generosity and softness, all in perfect balance, to the table. This is loaded with dark blackberry and cherry-like characters on the nose....

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Plenty of varietal character and poise in this cabernet sauvignon. A mix of black fruits and subtle ironstone on the nose, with a little chocolatey bay leaf character. The palate is generous and slightly medium-bodied, but there's stacks in there, with a tight inner core of tannin and oak wrapped by that almost fleshy black fruit richness of these old-vine...

Frankland River

Shiraz

Generous, soft, round, plush shiraz from this warmer year. In fact, the remarkable thing is that a wine of such suppleness and almost gentleness has come from what was hot times in the old town of Frankland in '24. Bright red fruits with some plummy cherry notes, a little spice and dark chocolate. And then the palate, soft and supple,...

Frankland River

Chardonnay

A most enjoyable and approachable, slightly older-school chardonnay, showing loads of deep fruit intensity and plenty of smoky, toasty oak. So, if you like your chardonnay to make a statement, this is right on the money. Lots of creamy stone fruit with a lemony citrus edge, and some lightly smoky characters. It has a dry, savoury, slightly struck match finish,...

Frankland River

Riesling

This comes from some of the oldest riesling vines in the state. It looks like '26 was a very good year, and this pure, vibrant, minerally riesling expresses it. Made from free-run juice, which heightens its tension and purity. The aromas are of lemons and florals, while the palate has precise acidity supporting good fruit weight. Displaying a slightly pithy...

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Like the shiraz off this vineyard, these vines are now more than 50 years old, and they play a fundamental role in the style and quality of Alkoomi cabernet. This captures the region quite perfectly. There's a light, lovely varietal purity, with a combination of blackcurrant and blackberry on the nose, some ironstone, ferruginous subtleties, and a subtle leafy lift....

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This is largely hand-picked, estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon from the Bordeaux clones, but then it has smaller components of Merlot and Petit Verdot. It's hand-held all the way, Cabernet, and like the Merlot, it also receives two years in French oak. And yet this is anything but an oaky wine. It's perfectly balanced, with good fruit intensity and concentration, lots of...

Margaret River

Merlot

Peccavi has made a bit of a thing with Merlot over the years, and this is another exceptional wine showing what can be achieved with this variety. It was all hand-picked and then hand-sorted, with fermentation involving hand plunging and regular pump-overs. It was macerated for an extended period and then spent two years in French oak. So, plenty has...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

The '21 vintage in Margaret River often receives some negativity, and it is an example of a wine that is now just five years old showing what could be achieved in the season. It's really come together quite beautifully, more in the medium-bodied zone. With leafy, dark blackcurrant and black olive nuances on the nose, and a little bay leaf...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

A beautiful season to capture the power and richness of the Gingin clone from this excellent vineyard. Lovely stone fruit aromas of peaches and cream, with a little nectarine and lightly cut lime. The palate, though, is where this wine really kicks in. It's powerful and long, with great intensity. A stone fruit, cereal-like combination, a citrus lift, a touch...

Swan Valley

Cabernet Blend

This was from the Covid year and is really starting to move into its work. Vibrant aromas of blackberry and dark plum with a lifted red berry influence. A little dark chocolate adds to the palate composition. The palate is generous and beautifully composed, with vibrant, lively fruit supported by fine tannins and gentle oak. The oak was a mix...

Swan Valley

Shiraz

A generous shiraz showing some distinctive earthy and slightly dried herb characters on the nose. A little tarry edginess complements neatly. The palate is warm and generous, with a neat contribution from 18 months in oak and the supporting chalky, fine tannins. You need to let this one breathe, as it opens up nicely with a little air. The plush...

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

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

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 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

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.

Swan Valley

Rose

This is a combination of the pressings from all varieties grown on the property. Lovely floral, watermelon and cranberry notes on the nose. The palate is certainly slightly sweet, but the balancing acidity keeps it precise and long, with a balanced finish. It’s a beautiful current-drinking wine, and I reckon a plate of fresh fruit would be perfect.

Swan Valley

Rose

A blend of 10 red varieties that grow on the property. It’s a delightfully fragrant and refined rosé style. This has a nice fruit weight on the palate, with a purity and energy that is apparent immediately. Has nice texture, which is supported by a salivating crunchiness that makes it so appealing.