WA Wine Review 2027

Margaret River

Red Blend

The colour has a certain luminosity about it. It's a pale copper onion blush and most attractive. This is a combination of pinot noir, malbec and cabernet franc, varieties that certainly suit this style. It was barrel fermented, which introduces a degree of complexity and palate texture. It's a dry style with a slightly savoury character and beautiful refreshing acidity...

Western Australia

Red Blend

This is a blend of grenache, shiraz, and pinot noir from the Swan Valley, Margaret River, and Mount Barker. Each of the varieties was treated slightly differently, but when they come together, they produce a wine that is complete, loaded with juicy red fruits. It has a precise purity about it, which is highlighted by the subtle use of older...

Swan Valley

Grenache

Swan Valley grenache is the source for this quite beautiful expression of the variety. Such a bright, lively, and fresh grenache. Screaming for current drinking. It was made using a mix of whole bunches and whole berry, with open fermentation in concrete. Time on skins has allowed the fine tannins to integrate neatly with the vibrant red fruit. There's a...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This is such a striking wine made from Pemberton chardonnay. It was fermented in a combination of older French oak puncheons and ceramic eggs and has produced a wine that is a pure, bright, and fresh expression of chardonnay from this terrific region. There's a nice lemon meringue character on the palate with a slightly savoury balancing offset. Beautiful mouthfeel,...

Margaret River

Chenin Blanc

There's a little bit happening in this naturally fermented lo-fi chenin blanc that comes from a vineyard in Margaret River. A small portion of the fruit was pressed to concrete eggs, and this has contributed to its vibrant freshness, especially on the nose. Time on lees with regular stirring has introduced that textural feel into the mid-palate, but the essential...

Western Australia

Red Blend

This is a rosé style sourced from grenache, pinot noir, and pinot gris off vineyards in the Swan Valley, Pemberton, and Margaret River. The grenache and pinot came off dry-grown vineyards that were handpicked and saw a little time in older oak puncheons. The gris certainly gives it an aromatic lift. It is a delightful, fresh, and spicy wine loaded...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Another exquisite example of the wonderful wines from the '23 Margaret River vintage. Highly perfumed aromas of black currant, violet, and red-berry nuances. The palate is so seamlessly integrated, with a sublime merging of fruit, oak, and tannin that creates a harmonious whole. There's an effortless poise to the wine that drives through to a long, quite beautiful finish, a...

Margaret River

Red Blend

This is a great-value blend of the main Bordeaux varieties, with cabernet franc providing the dominant contribution. It's lively with great fruit, soft, almost supple, and with very fine, gentle tannins providing subtle support. Bright, plummy blackcurrant fruits with an ethereal lift of red fruits and bright florals. Such a supple, easy-drinking wine of medium weight but immense generosity.

Margaret River

Shiraz Blend

The warmer '24 vintage seems to have suited this wine, which has been a consistent performer for Hay Shed Hill over many years. Loads of black fruit, licorice, and dark cherry, with a vibrant raspberry nuance that adds lift through the middle palate. It's supple and generous, with gentle use of oak complementing a wine ideally suited for drinking in...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

You certainly know you're in the Margaret River zone from the first take on the nose. Lifted black currant, light cedar, and a subtle bay-leaf nuance. The palate is medium weight but with beautifully poised, balanced fruit and oak working seamlessly together. The tannins are quite fine and chalky, making for a very complete package: a quality wine presented with...

Margaret River

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

This is a superb example of the style, made from some of the oldest semillon and sauvignon blanc vines in the region. It displays engaging fruit intensity with vibrant energy, supported by gentle use of oak, striking a really perfect balance with a slightly creamy texture and fine, persistent lemony acidity for energy and lift through to the finish. Drinking...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

You get decent bang for your buck with this entry-level chardonnay. Delicate, racy, and zesty, with good fruit intensity, it displays a melony, light stone-fruit combination supported by crisp, minerally acidity and just a splash of lemon juice to lift. Clean, vibrant, and alive.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This is a super wine that comes off low-yielding mature vines on the property. The aromas are a classic combination of cut lime, pear, and nectarine. The palate is still tightly wound and somewhat shy, but it will evolve, open up, and develop further complexity and layers with age. It's a vibrant, minerally style with tremendous length.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

I have to say, this is one of the most complex and intriguing of any of the Hay Shed Hill chardonnays I've seen over the years. It comes off some pretty mature vines these days and spent 11 months in French barriques after fermentation. It has a fairly typical light stone-fruit, savory nuance with a touch of burnt-caramel complexity. Fine...

Margaret River

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

This is the entry point into the Hay Shed Hill range, a bright, fragrant, flavoursome, controlled blend with light, grassy characters supplemented by a tangy citrus nuance, finishing with a final flick of acid. A nice current-drinking wine.

Margaret River

Pinot Noir

Pale onion-blush colour, suggesting immediately a modern style of Australian rosé. The pinot was whole-bunch pressed, with only the lightest-coloured juice kept to produce a highly fragrant and aromatic, dry, savory style of rosé. It's fine, with nice texture held by a fine acidity that extends through to a sustained finish. A nice current-drinking rosé.

Margaret River

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

Here's a wine that captures so much about this style from Margaret River in a very good season. A lovely combination of typical gooseberry and citrus notes with a touch of grassiness, and a palate with surprising texture and richness that ultimately delivers vibrant, energetic fruit.

Frankland River

Shiraz

This is quite different from the 470 clone. It's a softer and more supple character. On the nose there are lifted notes of blue fruit. The ironstone characters really thread through here. The cuttings came from New Zealand's Hawke's Bay region. No acid additions or tannins with no fining. The colour is so brilliant and bright with energy in abundance....

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This comes from the Treeton and Jolliffe vineyards. They are in barrels that work for this style rather than being inferior. The aroma has a minerally chalky character. It's a slightly different expression of Margaret River cabernet with some more blue fruits. It has a fair time on skins to build texture, aromatics and length. The colour is brilliant and...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This is the first time the clone P58 has been used — also known as the Penfolds clone. It's 62% Gingin clone which certainly gives it palate weight and texture. There's a slightly saline aromatic here showing a touch of oyster shell minerality. It was wild yeast fermented, contributing a creamy savoury element to the Gingin clone. There's a limestone...

Pemberton

White Blend

The fruit for this wine comes from John Brocksopp's property in Pemberton. Fermented with natural yeast in large format oak. This has a lovely texture but it is not overly heavy and thick. It retains a vibrant fine refreshing drive. There is the usual phenolic influence there but there is a fine lift on the nose and palate. Plenty of...

Western Australia

Red Blend

It's a pinot and tempranillo combination. Have been making rosé since 2015. The pinot comes from the Bellarmine vineyard in Pemberton. Intense red berry fruit on the nose with strawberry and cranberry characters. Picked early, whole bunch pressed, some in ceramic egg. Has a slightly savoury character. Lovely slightly viscous texture which adds another dimension to it. The fine chalkiness...

Frankland River

Riesling

This comes off the Swinney vineyard. There's a distinctive crisp lemony character here with its slick minerally iron filings character. It was left on light lees in a mix of tank and foudres adding a subtle textural feel. Has a tight edgy lemon character on the finish which gives it focus and definition. It was aged on fine lees for...

Margaret River

White Varietal

Lightly fragrant aromas of apple and pear. Comes largely off the Della Fay vineyard. It was fermented in stainless steel with Slovenian oak foudres with a mix of wild and inoculated yeast. Has a distinctive saline character. The palate especially has a crisp saline character with a hint of grapefruit. Crisp minerally chalky lick on the lips at the finish....

Frankland River

Shiraz

One of two shiraz from Frankland’s Swinney vineyard, with extended maceration allowing the tannins to lengthen, soften and ripen perfectly. Has a slightly spicy charcuterie character on the nose but with a distinctive fennel character which is part of the clonal influence. It has energy and vibrancy here with definition and detail. You should check out the Waldron Clone shiraz...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This comes from a dry- grown vineyard on Pusy Road. Fermented in open pot fermenters, hand plunged, and an extended maceration to provide length and elegance with fine tannin. Had eight months in oak and some in a terracotta egg and some in ceramic. It also gets about 40% new oak. This is a beautiful wine of poise and elegance...

Margaret River

Chenin Blanc

This all comes from the old Treeton Estate, which is LS Merchants. Has a portion of handpicked and machine-picked and 5% on skins without plunging, with some treated oxidatively, some fermented in egg, and some in tank and foudre. It’s a leaner style with freshness and vibrancy. Has good weight and texture with a spice and lively freshness. Has a...

Geographe

White Blend

This is a classic French Fumé style, which, after hand-picking, was matured in French oak, and that is clearly evident on the nose and on the palate. Adds a smoky, savory, and slightly nutty nuance to the vibrant fruit, with a palate that delivers richness and texture. The key is that the oak doesn't dominate. It still allows the fruit...

Geographe

Shiraz

This wine has evolved over the years from what was once quite a brutish, massive wine into one of more restraint, but still with the opulence and ripeness that the name might suggest. It comes off very low-yielding vines, resulting in wine of tremendous concentration and richness. Dark plummy, dark chocolate nuances on the nose carry through to a palate...

Geographe

Chardonnay

A light and contemporary current drinking chardonnay. It's a fresh, citrusy, and quite tangy wine with subtle melony nuances and a fine citrusy edge. Crunchy, vibrant palate with minimal oak contribution and designed for current drinking. Really hits the mark for this style of wine.

Geographe

Chardonnay

This is something new and quite an excellent expression of chardonnay from this outstanding vintage. There's some neat oak contributing to an expressive style, but with the power and intensity of the fruit, strong features as a nutty, creamy character on the nose and then a palate which shows some slightly struck-match, flint-like characters. It's a wine of great character...

Geographe

Chardonnay

There's power and intensity here from this Ferguson Valley wine, but it delivers it with such restraint and elegance. After hand-picking, it was whole bunch pressed into a mix of new and one-year-old French oak for fermentation. I think this wine is showing more restraint than some of the earlier vintages in line with how it's evolved in recent years....

Geographe

White Blend

A neat little current drinking wine that combines freshness and flavour with a crunchy, lively palate. Typical of the year, there's a degree of delicacy with a melony citrus character that opens on the nose and then threads through to a palate where a crunchy citrus, lemony zip adds to the very subtle tropical passionfruit nuance. It's a lighter-bodied example...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This Pemberton chardonnay from Bill and Dan Pannell really does capture so much about this vintage and this region. It has all the delicacy and refinement you expect from Pemberton, but there is a gradual build-up of intensity, which is clearly evident on the palate. Lightly fragrant floral nuances on the nose, with very subtle cashew nuttiness and a faint...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

A delicate, fine, and most elegant chardonnay from Pemberton. Delicate, yes, but there is a deep, concentrated power here that captures much of why Pemberton is such an exciting region for chardonnay. There's a minerally, chalky, citrusy acidity supporting the tightly held but intensely concentrated fruit. There's subtle brioche and roasted cashew depth on the palate. And with that minerally...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

This is a super exciting pinot from Pemberton, and when you can get a pinot of this quality at this price, you really do have to thank your lucky stars. This is high-class sophistication. Dark cherry, slightly truffly notes on the nose with a spicy subtlety. The palate has tremendous intensity but delivers with medium weight and such delicate poise....

Mount Barker

Chardonnay

This Mount Barker chardonnay displays the elegance, restraint, and delicacy of the 2025 vintage in Mount Barker. Has a subtle citrusy, nutty nuance on the nose, with just a faint melony complexity. The palate has a nice fruit composition but a lively, slightly steely, minerally thread that gives it precision. And that fine chalky acidity really helps carry it through...

Pemberton

Sauvignon Blanc

The crunchy vibrancy of fruit sourced from Pemberton is clearly evident from the first aromas. There's a beautiful mix of light gooseberry and citrus with a subtle but restrained passionfruit varietal character. The palate has a crunchy vibrancy about it, with a subtle minerality adding further complexity, with those tropical fruit flavours and just the faintest hint of cut grass...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A generous but medium-bodied cabernet. From a vintage which turned out to be excellent, especially for these reds. The nose is a beautiful mix of black currant and spicy leafy notes. The palate has a deliciously rich, chocolatey black currant flavour, backed up with some fine tannin threads and well-weighted oak. Has good structure and intensity and captures cabernet nicely,...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

I've tasted some truly wonderful cabernets from Xanadu under this label over many years, but I have to say I've tasted none better than this. It is a simply wonderful example of Margaret River delivered with poise, power, and a certain panache. Captures the vintage well with the power and yet subtle restraint that it's best known for. It's medium...