WA Wine Review 2027

Pemberton

Merlot

A structured and firm example of Pemberton merlot. The nose is a mix of black fruits, dark plum, and slightly raisiny fruitcake. But everything is delivered with restraint and poise. This is a merlot of some standing and substance. The structure is quite firm, and yet the sweet, supple fruits fill it out quite beautifully. Tannins are well managed, and...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

Starting to establish itself as one of the premier pinot noir producers in the state, and this wine perfectly illustrates that claim. Red fruits with sour cherry, slightly earthy mushroom-like influence, and then some brighter cranberry and raspberry-like characters. The palate is typically light-bodied, but it has power and persistence. Intricately layered and woven together, with the chalky tannins and...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This Pemberton vineyard is really starting to kick some goals, and this is a wonderful example of chardonnay now coming from the property. On the nose, there's crunchy grapefruit and cut pear, with a little squeeze of lemon. The palate has a slight creamy feel to it, but it's still quite fine and controlled, with a deep and lingering finish....

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A rich and textured cabernet from this marvellous vintage. It captures that pure essence character of the season with deep, concentrated fruit flavours a feature. Blackcurrant offset by a minerally ironstone bay-leaf thing happening. Dark chocolate and dry sinewy tannins. An excellent wine from this great year. And it's started to show its best now with time in the bottle.

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This has been a wine marked with consistently high quality. It's made in a largely traditional way, in the méthode traditionnelle. And it's kept on lees for about 24 months before disgorgement. In that time, it's started to pick up some nice, oatmeal-like, brioche-like complexity, while still retaining the essentially crisp, lemony fruit. It's got a fine, lingering palate. This...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A bold, expressive cabernet sauvignon. Grapes were hand-picked and wild-fermented, then matured in French oak barrels. The wine displays deep blackcurrant and cassis notes, complemented by cedar, tobacco, and a touch of dark chocolate. Firm yet velvety tannins provide structure and balance. Amazing how this has moved into a new zone with an extra year. A classic cabernet sauvignon that...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This intriguing chardonnay comes from hand-picked fruit, wild fermented with full solids in oak barriques. Stones collected from the coast and the barrels are rolled, so granite rocks gently macerate and stir up lees and add extra surface area, increasing the texture derived from lees contact. The wine shows tremendous complexity and distinction, with a minerally, sea-spray character and a...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

There’s plenty of power and drive in this excellent cabernet. Sourced from Margaret River and fermented in open fermenters with basket pressing to French oak for 16 months. Intense blackcurrant aromas announce this as cabernet with a little leafy and black olive infusion. The palate is neatly integrated with a firm thread of tannin and oak creating a tight core....

Pemberton

Chardonnay

The difference of region and vineyard, and for that matter clones, is immediately apparent on the nose. It's made using selected parcels of Dijon clones 95, 96 and 76 from the established Channybearup Vineyard in Pemberton. Once again, it's made along the same lines as each of the others in this range, but it shows a different character, and that's...

Geographe

Shiraz

Consistently one of the best shiraz released in the state. Opens with a fairly typical plum, blackberry, dark chocolate character, with a faint hint of coffee grime. The palate has a grainy textural feel with a lively thread of stony minerality. It's had about 35% new oak, and yet the oak is certainly not intrusive and sits harmoniously as it...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

It’s a lighter style of chardonnay that delivers with a precise balance. It was whole bunch pressed to a combination of new and seasoned oak where it spent nine months. The oak adds a subtle textural complexity without overplaying its hand. Traces of citrus and grapefruit with a s, light nutty cashew character and a final cut of sliced pear....

Margaret River

Rose

The colour shows brilliant bright pink hues. A light and dry rose style with a slightly savoury finish very much in tune with the modern expressions of this style. Aromas of watermelon and cranberry with a little confectionary lift. The palate is light, gentle caressing as it carries appealing flavours of strawberry and slightly pink grapefruit flavours to the finish.

Pemberton

Nebbiolo

Medium-bodied wine that expresses much of the essential character of this Piedmont variety. Aromas of raspberry and mulberry with a slight minerally character. Bright floral notes add further aromatic life. The palate is still firmly held with the varietal firm tannins holding a line through to the long finish. Will benefit from some cellaring time.

Swan Valley

Fortified

I remember my first tasting of this this wine many years ago. It was life changing and I’ve been a fan of these Swan Valley fortifieds ever since. Rich and lavishly complex with caramel and dark chocolate with liqueur orange and fruit cake aromas. The palate builds a multi-layered complex richness displaying those leathery, dark fruit cake and syrupy chocolate...

Swan Valley

Verdelho

Liqueur verdelho is one of the remarkable wines of the Swan Valley. It also shows the extraordinary versatility of a variety that can on the one hand be fresh and fruity and on the other – well, this. A rich and unctuous fortified wine of breathtaking depth and richness. Layer upon layer of toffee, honeycomb and rich raisin fruit. The...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This single vineyard chardonnay is the best and most sophisticated of any yet released by Grace Farm. It’s all Gingin clone which was whole bunch pressed to new and used barriques with solids allowed to influence texture and aromas. Aromas of lemon curd and quince with lightly roasted cashew and a hint of turmeric. The palate is linear, with a...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

One of the best chardonnays from Smithbrook in recent years. Really nails it in every way. Immediately opens with a mix of stone fruit and cutting lemon tang merging with a roasted almond character. The palate is intense and penetrating, with the support of a fine persistent acidity. Has a savoury minerally finish to complete a very tidy wine. Starting...