Wine Reviews By Barry Weinman
Wines of the Week
Grosset – Gaia – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2023. If I had to choose one word to describe this wine, it would be “polished”. But it could also be: fine, elegant, restrained, intense, subtle, supple, superb and awesome. I actually struggled to pull flavour and aroma descriptors together for this wine as it is such a complete package, and everything melds together, making for a delightful wine that is superb drinking today, but will surely be even better in a decade’s time. With air, the perfumed, floral fruit really built. A remarkable wine! Includes the addition of 14% cabernet franc and the wine spent 18 months in French oak barriques (45% new). 13.8% – 96+pts – $108. (31 May).
Houghton – Gladstones – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2020. This is quite spectacular. The depth and intrinsic power of this wine is evident from the very first whiff. Blueberry, black currant, cedar and subtle spice all meld into a compelling bouquet. Fine, graphite-like tannins are silky and, whilst providing an almost velvety texture and structure, are remarkable for the way they allow the fruit to remain the focus. Enormous length of flavours. 13.75% alc – 96 – 97pts – $105. (31 May).
Katnook Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2021. This is a very good cabernet. It is not the most dense or overtly powerful wine, but it makes up for this with lithe, elegant fruit and palate structure. Medium bodied, and very approachable now. In fact, this would be an excellent by-the-glass wine for current consumption. But over the next two days, this really opened and showed enough structure to reward medium cellaring. Living in Western Australia, I do not review that many wines from Coonawarra, but clearly, I should make a greater effort. 14.5% alc – 94pts – $47. (31 May).
Craggy Range – Te Muna – Sauvignon Blanc – 2023. This is a more serious expression of sauvignon blanc. There are subdued tropical fruit notes, but the textures and flavours speak equally to the skilled winemaking which has softened the exuberance of the grapes and added layers of complexity. Great with food (pan-fried whiting fillets), or for sipping and savouring on its own. 12.5% alc – 94pts.
Recent Articles
Barry Weinman: 31st May 2025
After the intense focus on chardonnay for the last few months, it is time to look at some of the superb reds that have stood out with the panel.
One of the most noteworthy wines was Grosset’s Gaia cabernet. In amongst many of WA’s superstars, the 2023 vintage was a standout. Yes, it is a subtly different expression compared to its Margaret River counterparts, but it stands up well against the best. And the relative value is very good.
On The Tasting Bench – April 2025
Barry Weinman: 1st May 2025
With the plethora of local chenins and rieslings available to provide refreshing (and serious) drinking, New Zealand sauvignon blanc does not get much of a look in at home.
But the 2023 Te Muna Sauvignon Blanc from Craggy Range is a timely reminder of just how good these wines can be.
Barry Weinman: 28th April 2025
The tasting panel behind Weinman on Wine tastes blind at every opportunity to ensure that preconceived ideas of quality and value do not influence the tasting results.
Chardonnay Season Part 4 – A new discover
Barry Weinman: 26th April 2025
It is very easy to be complacent when it comes to chardonnay when you live in Perth, given the quality of WA wines. So it is great to get a wake up call from time to time, to remind me that there is more to fine chardonnay than just Margaret River (or the Great Southern).
Chardonnay Season Part 3 – Vasse Felix
Barry Weinman: 19th April 2025
It has been a privilege to watch the evolution of Vasse Felix’s chardonnays, and in 2023, they have released a stunning trio of wines.
Barry Weinman: 2 April 2025
Lamonts recently held a tasting of premium Western Australian chardonnays, to get a picture of the quality of the lauded 2023 vintage.
Before the event, the panel sat down to taste the wines, blinded to the composition or order of the wines served. This proved a fantastic opportunity to get a handle on the vintage, and to see which producers excelled.
26 March 2025: Barry Weinman
There has been a plethora of wines that I have reviewed over the summer, so expect a number of reviews over the next few weeks.
To get things started, here is a cross section of Rhone varietals that particularly impressed for either value or outright quality (or both).
23 March 2025: Barry Weinman
Given the warmer weather, the panel seemed drawn to Chardonnay, with several superb tastings, including a 2023 tasting held at Lamont’s in Cottesloe.
It seems, in Western Australia at least, there has been a never ending run of good to great vintages for chardonnay.
12th December 2024
At a time when there is a trend for an ever-expanding range of wines being made at a number of Australian wineries, it is refreshing to see Woodlands focusing on what they do best.
Yes, for those on the mailing list there is an assortment of small batch wines made available from time to time but in the main the focus is primarily on chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon.
Howard Park Global Sparkling Tasting
14th November 2024
This was possibly the most thought-provoking tasting that I have ever had the privilege to attend. It was not just the diversity of styles and grape varieties that made me stop and think. It was also the way the wines were sorted into brackets to explore different factors that can influence quality and style in sparkling wines.
Houghton Jack Mann Vertical Tasting: 1994 – 2023
Sitting down to taste 20 vintages of Houghton’s Jack Mann was an unbelievable privilege for two reasons.
Firstly, it was an opportunity to look at every vintage of the wine ever produced including the never released 2018 as well as the yet to be bottled 2023 vintage. The 2018 was not released due to a fire at the storage facilities Houghton was using. Not only did it destroy all bottles of the 2018, it also destroyed their entire museum.
The second reason that this was such a memorable event was having the opportunity to sit down with eight current and former Houghton winemakers as well as to hear from Corinne Lamont and Dorham Mann, Jack Mann’s children.
Singlefile New Release – October 2024
Barry Weinman: 16th October 2024
Since its inception, Singlefile has continuously delivered wines of the highest quality. Wines that have continually challenged the very best from Margaret River and further afield. And with the current releases, winemaker Coby Ladwig has further entrenched Singlefile as one of the leading Western Australian wineries.
Grosset Rieslings – 2024 Vintage
Barry Weinman: 30th September 2024
Let me get straight to the point. The 2024 Rieslings from Grosset are the best they have ever released
And the 2024 Polish Hill is at least as good as any Australian riesling I have ever had the privilege of tasting. It may very well be the greatest I have tried, but my memory is not good enough to say that definitively.
Wines I like to Drink: Deep Woods in Focus
Barry Weinman: 23rd September 2024
That the team at Deep Woods are making great wines should come as no surprise to anyone. Their show record over the last decade with cabernet is unmatched by anyone. And the chardonnays have quietly been amassing a swag of trophies and gold medals along the way.
This run of show success is likely to continue, given the superb quality of the upcoming spring releases.
Howard Park: A Sparkling Future
Barry Weinman: 15th September 2024
Given that he had spent more than a decade under the guidance of the legendary Ed Carr at Arras, the appointment of Nic Bowen in 2021 to the role of Chief Winemaker at Howard Park clearly signalled the winery’s intentions to be in the upper echelon of Australian sparkling wine producers.
Sittella Wines in Focus: August 2024
Barry Weinman: 21st August 2024
Sittella has been a favourite of mine for a number of years, driven by the high-quality wines on offer along with the outstanding quality/price ratio that they have offered.
Their name may not have the same cachet as some of the more prestigious WA producers, but I feel this relates more to the quiet, understated way they go about promoting themselves, along with the Berns family’s steadfast belief that they must deliver great value with everything they do, rather than any reflection on quality.
New Release highlights – June 2024
Barry Weinman: 2nd July 2024
Across the month, there were a few wines that stunned the panel for their ridiculous value and quality. Wines that will delight this winter at a variety of price points.
Picardy in Focus: New Releases June 2024
Barry Weinman: 16th June 2024
Established in 1993, Picardy have been quietly forging a reputation for high quality wines from the Pemberton region for three decades now. And, when judged as a whole, the current releases are, in all likelihood, the best ever released by the Pannell family under the Picardy label.
Barry Weinman: 30th May 2024
I love good pinot noir, and my obsession with the variety has been fuelled over the years by the challenges of finding high quality wines at affordable prices.
In recent times, the overall quality of Australian pinot has improved in consistency greatly, to the point where there are now a number of (relatively) affordable wines that offer excellent drinking.
Value Picks from Singlefile: May 2024
Barry Weinman: 23rd May 2024
It may seem a little unusual for a winery with Singlefile’s reputation to be singled out for value, but the panel was very impressed by the value on offer when looking through a range of new releases from the 2023 vintage.
The pinots appeared in a masked tasting of high quality wines and were amongst the cheapest in the tasting. But this did not prevent them from standing out for quality and drinkability.
Swinney – Farvie – 2022 Vintage in Focus
5th May 2024
Right at the start, let me make one thing clear. The 2022 vintage Farvie reds from Swinney are outstanding. And the wines have been highly lauded, with Brendan Jansen MW going so far as to pronounce the 2022 Farvie Mourvèdre the best wine he had tried in the last twelve months.
Reviewing the wines, however, required the most analysis of any wines that I have tasted in recent times and there was a lot to unpack to get to the heart of these wines. This was because the wines presented in a way that is different to most wines reviewed.
Juniper Estate – Cornerstone Chardonnay releases
21st April 2024
I recently reviewed the excellent Cornerstone cabernets and the new release chardonnays are also very impressive indeed.
In this case, the wines come from two contrasting vintages which, if anything, should accentuate the differences between the cooler Karridale region and Wilyabrup which is warmer.
New Release Whites: April 2024
7th April 2024
There were a couple of left-of-centre wines that stood out in this tasting.
One was an excellent value ($23 from Dans) Vouvray from Famile Bougrier, a delicious, textured summer drink.
Cracking Cabernets: Bargain Alert
24th March 2024
There is an almost never-ending stream of great cabernets coming out of Western Australia, but they often come with a premium price tag.
However, there is value to be had at several price points as the panel discovered in a large tasting of primarily top-end cabernets this week.
Ok, so none of the wines are outright cheap, but if quality is what you are after, then these wines offer superb value at several price points.
Chardonnay – When only the best will do!
21st March 2024
Here is a preview of some new release superstars of Western Australian chardonnay. These are wines that every collector should have on their wish list.
What sets these wines apart from their predecessors is the immediacy that they offer. Both the Leeuwin and the Cullen are more delicious in their youth than in previous recent vintages.
Vasse Felix Chardonnay – 2022 Vintage
17th March 2024
I recently wrote about the superb Tom Price Cabernet/Malbecs from Vasse Felix and the great passion the viticultural and winemaking teams have for cabernet sauvignon and malbec. If anything, their passion for chardonnay is even greater, reaching an almost reverential nature.
Barry Weinman: 3rd March 2024.
To celebrate the launch of the 2020 Tom Cullity, Paul Holmes à Court (proprietor) and Virginia Willcock (chief winemaker) hosted a tasting of six vintages to give us the opportunity to see how the wines had developed in bottle, and how the style has evolved over time.
New Release Margaret River Cabernet – February 2024
Barry Weinman: 22nd February 2024
Whilst it appears that every year is a good year in Margaret River, there are clear vintage variations that impact on the style of the wines. And some years are just that little bit better. 2018 was lauded as one of the best vintages of recent times, and the 2020 appears to be at least as good.
Wines to Watch – February 2024
18th February 2024
I have not seen anything on the Mandoon Estate 2023 Wild Bunch Chenin, but it is a cracking wine and one that is sure to be crazy value given that it is a Swan Valley white wine.