Wine Reviews By Barry Weinman
Wines of the Week
Vasse Felix – Heytesbury – Chardonnay – 2024. This is a seriously great wine. The intensity is something to behold, yet it remains lithe and elegant. Not exactly subtle, and nor should it be. The amalgam of fruit and complex winemaking inputs is a highlight, as the lees work and oak in no way interferes with the fruit. Curry leaf minerality, subtle struck match notes, flint and spice all swirl around the glass. The peach-like fruit is grapefruit tinged, adding energy and drive to the nose and palate. The length and persistence of flavours are quite extraordinary, as is the seamless palate transition. A magical wine and one of the best young Heytesburys that I can recall drinking.
100% Gingin clone fruit, wild ferment, 10 months in French oak (53% new), with a smattering of puncheons (15%) and the remainder smaller barriques. 80% of the wine went through malolactic fermentation, attenuating the natural acidity. 13.5% alc | 97 points | $140
Vasse Felix- DHH1 – Chardonnay – 2024. This has a lot more in common with the Premier than it does with the Heytesbury, but like the latter wine, the intensity has been turned up to 11. This intensity comes primarily from the spectacular fruit, with the winemaking components more subdued compared to the first wine. Interestingly, the fruit profile is more grapefruit than peach, and there are no tropical characters to be seen anywhere. What is most remarkable is how the acidity is a defining feature of the wine, yet does not impart any aggressiveness whatsoever. As good as it is now, it will be even better in 3–5 years. 100% Gingin clone, 100% malolactic fermentation, 11 months in one- to four-year-old oak. 13.5% alc | 96 points | $80
Swinney – Farvie – Mourvèdre – 2024. Oh my, the perfume here is quite extraordinary. Cranberries and black currant make up the fruit component to the nose. This carries through to the palate. The palate is fascinating as this is, at first, delicate and reticent, with restrained fruit and the supplest of structural components. But then the fruit ebbs and flows across the palate in waves, each time given a different glimpse of the story being told. And a minute or more later, I found myself absorbed by the mouthfeel, with different textural components interplaying across the palate. Totally seamless and very beguiling. A wine to sip and ponder. A crouching tiger, ready to pounce 13.6% alc – 96pts.
Swinney – Farvie – Shiraz – 2024. Oh wow, I think I must have died and gone to heaven, such is the beauty of this wine. Intense fruit, firm structure and supple oak. Yet the palate is seamless and spellbinding. Red fruits to the fore, with the minerality a defining feature of the palate. Intensity? Yes! But somehow, this remains medium bodied in many respects on the long, refined finish. Seamless, yet more structured than the other two wines in the range and my pick for both sheer quality as well as drinking pleasure at this early stage. When to drink? any time you get the chance… this is a superstar. 13.8% alc- 98pts.
Recent Articles
Vasse Felix 2024 Vintage Chardonnays: Chasing perfection
Barry Weinman: 25th March 2026
Hot on the heels of the brilliant Cullen Kevin John and Pierro chardonnays from the 2024 vintage comes the trio of premium wines from Vasse Felix.
If you needed any further proof of the potential of the 2024 vintage for premium chardonnay in Margaret River, these three wines deliver that in spades.
Whilst the quality is the reason for this review, it is the contrasting styles between the three wines that are the most interesting part of the story. Same winery, same winemakers, same region, but each is a unique expression of high-quality chardonnay.
Swinney Farvie – 2024 Vintage in Focus
10th February 2026
The Great Southern, whilst geographically large, is relatively small from the perspective of wines produced. In 2024, the total crush for the region was 4,322 tonnes. This is only 17% of the size of Margaret River’s crush (25,593 tonnes).
Barossa Beauties – Welland Wines
February 2026
With the current release reds from Welland Wines in the Barossa, Quality/Price ratio is off the scale.
Howard Park Global Sparkling Tasting
Held: 20 November 2025
In November 2025, Howard Park hosted a global sparkling wine tasting that went well beyond a simple comparison of great Champagne. Curated by Chief Winemaker Nick Bowen, the tasting was designed to explore how place, style, winemaking decisions and time shape the world’s finest sparkling wines.
Over the course of 2025, I was fortunate to taste many exceptional wines, both in formal settings and shared with friends around the dinning table. Looking back, the Howard Park Global Sparkling Tasting stands out as the most thoughtfully conceived and intellectually rewarding tasting of the year.
Rather than simply assembling famous bottles, the tasting invited comparison and contrast across styles, countries, winemaking techniques and vintages. The result was a rare opportunity to understand not only which wines impressed most, but also why.
Castle Rock Estate
Barry Weinman | September 2025
Perched high on the cool, granite shoulders of the Porongurup Range, Castle Rock Estate has been quietly focusing on producing high-quality wine since Angelo and Wendy Diletti planted the first vines in 1983. The site—elevated, wind-kissed and east-facing—has proved perfect for Riesling, alongside increasingly distinguished Chardonnay and, importantly, Pinot Noir.
When the Constellations Align: USA Superstars
Barry Weinman |October 2025
For the team at Constellation, bringing high-quality wines from their USA stable of wineries must be a bit like trying to sell ice to Eskimos or taking coal to Newcastle, given the spectacular quality of Australian wines that are available.
Singlefile Wines
Barry Weinman | October 2025
Singlefile Wines was co-founded in 2007 by geologists Phil and Viv Snowden, together with their daughter Pam and son-in-law Patrick Corbett. The family’s passion for wine was kindled during Patrick and Pam’s time living in Italy, which deepened their appreciation for exceptional wines.
Grosset 2025 Rieslings
Barry Weinman |October 2025
Grosset needs no introduction to lovers of Australian Riesling, having long sat at the very pinnacle of Clare Valley Riesling, acting as a quality beacon for others to aspire to.
Over the last decade, wines from Tasmania and the Great Southern in particular (Porongurup, Mt Barker, Frankland River) have emerged as contenders for Australia’s best Riesling, but Jeffrey Grosset has not rested on his laurels, continuing to finesse his wines and taking advantage of ever-maturing vineyards.
Dukes Vineyard
Barry Weinman | October 2025
The original Duke vineyards were planted in 1999 with an initial 9 hectares under vine. Since Ben Caine and Sarah Date purchased the operation in 2022, there have been significant efforts being put into the vineyard to improve quality. For example, they have embarked on a project to completely revise the trellising system, starting with Riesling and working through the vineyard.
Sittella in Focus
Barry Weinman | September 2025
The current releases from Sittella continue to reinforce their reputation for delivering high-quality wines at very affordable prices. And as the range has expanded, so too has the versatility that the wines provide.
Forest Hill Vineyard
September 2025
We were recently on the road in the Great Southern to meet with some of the key producers in the region, with a focus on Denmark and Porongurup.
First up was Forest Hill, who surely must be one of the unsung heroes of the Western Australian wine industry. The quality of the wines produced, particularly under the “Block” range, is superb and tremendously underpriced in the global context.
On the Tasting Bench: June 2025.
Barry Weinman: 27th July 2025
Here is a round up of some of the better wines reviewed in the last month that did not make it into other tasting notes.
A highlight for me was the 3drops pinot. Brilliant drinking and good value.
Lenton Brae – Value meets style
Barry Weinman: 25th July 2025.
With the first vineyard being planted in 1982, Lenton Brae has long been part of the Margaret River wine scene. Part of the interest for me related to the fact that founder Bruce Tomlinson did not stick to the script for Margaret River, with pinot blanc being one of the key varieties planted, along with a dedicated focus on making age-worthy sauvignon blanc-based wines.
Barry Weinman: 23rd July 2025
The 2017 pinot was the wine that brought Shepherd’s hut to my attention. A fantastic effort (especially at the price) and a wine that is still drinking brilliantly today. If anything, the 2018 was even better and remains a go-to wine when I am looking for a mid-week glass wine.
Faber Vineyard – 2025 Benchmark Tasting
Barry Weinman: 20th July 2025
John Griffiths, Faber’s larger than life winemaker/proprietor hosts what must surely be some of the most enjoyable and best value events held locally each year.
Of all the events, the Benchmark Tasting is the one that lovers of Australian shiraz should put into their calendar.
This is an opportunity to taste twelve high quality shiraz (blinded to the order they are served in) from a cross section of Australian wine regions, complemented by a delicious and substantial four course meal, all washed down with some gems from the Faber cellar.
Barry Weinman: 22nd June 2025
In a line up of predominantly very high-quality chardonnay, the Moss Wood Elsa sauvignon blanc was a real eye opener. A brilliant wine that shows the potential that can be achieved with this style in Margaret River. And great value!
And the panel were very pleased with the quality of sparkling wines that is being made in WA. In a line up of 10 wines, the Frazer Woods and Marri Wood Park both stood out.