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Wine Reviews By Barry Weinman

Wines of the Week

Thistledown – Charming Man – Grenache – 2023. This is quite splendid. The fruit is vibrant and fresh, with lovely red fruit characters bouncing around the palate. There is serious structure from the winemaking inputs, but these only serve to highlight the fruit, rather than closing down the palate. The pretty, pretty fruit is intense and subtle all at once. A superstar which has received huge reviews elsewhere. Single vineyard in Clarendon in the McLaren Vale. 96+pts – $100. (26 March).

Sandalford – Prindiville Reserve – Shiraz – 2018. Cooler fruit characters that, whilst fine, are intense and packed with subtle power. The fruit is more cherry than plum, reflecting the cooler region. Oak is an aid to mouthfeel and texture, rather than an overt character This is an impressive wine that is remarkably good drinking already. The thought of sitting down to a steak or rich ragout accompanied by a glass of this wine is very appealing indeed.14.5% alc – 95pts. (26 March).

Elantro Vineyard – Balnarring – Chardonnay – 2023. Wow, this wine lives up to the hype and, if anything, is even better than I was expecting from this new project from Sando Mosele. Superb fruit which is refined and elegant, and just a little subdued straight out of the bottle. But the sheer quality of the fruit is what stands this apart, along with the deft use of oak and lees influences, which add depth and texture without imparting overt flavours. The viscosity on the palate is a joy to behold, mesmerising the senses as the fruit gradually evolves for what seems like minutes. On the very close, the fruit picks up a slight pineapple note, adding to the appeal. Sealed with a Diam cork. 13.5% – 96pts. (March 23).

Sandalford – Prendiville Reserve – Chardonnay – 2023. This is very good indeed. The fruit is ripe, yet restrained and the winemaking has served to emphasise the quality and the textural aspects, without adding specific characters. Peach? Yep, but also a lot more. A delight to drink, the fruit drifts along on a raft of acid and fine oak, with just the right amount of generosity. 13.5% alc, 95+pts. (March 23).

Recent Articles

Rhone Varietals (and Friends)

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).

Chardonnay Season – Part One

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.

Woodlands: A focused approach

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.

New Release Pinot – May 2023

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.

Tom Cullity Vertical Tasting

Barry Weinman: 3rd March 2024.

Virginia Wilcock: Chief Winemaker at Vasse Felix

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.