Wine Reviews By Barry Weinman
Wines of the Week
Henschke – Mount Edelstone – Shiraz – 2022. In contrast to The Wheelwright, the Mount Edelstone has far greater initial impact on the nose. There is no escaping the sheer intensity of the ripe, almost opulent fruit. On the palate, a seemingly never-ending cascade of berry and plum flavours floods the tastebuds, whilst the minerality — driven, I suspect, by the acidity — is much more evident. Whilst it appears at first glance barely more than medium-bodied, there is tremendous latent power sitting behind the fruit, with the oak and tannins adding depth, texture and structure as the perfect foil. Stupendous. John Jens suggests this is the greatest Mount Edelstone ever produced. I am not going to argue. Aged for twenty months in French oak (8% new). 14.5% alc | 97 points | $300
Henschke – Hill of Grace – Shiraz – 2022. On the nose, this combines the subtle suppleness of The Wheelwright with the power and sheer depth of the Mount Edelstone. The fruit sits in the just-ripe plum spectrum, tinged with cherry and transitioning to blueberry. Yet nothing could prepare me for the palate. The sheer depth of fruit left me slightly weak at the knees and almost light-headed with delight. Is this the perfect wine? Quite possibly. I could not imagine a more profound wine anywhere in the world. There can be only one Hill of Grace, and I am extremely fortunate to have had the privilege of tasting it. Matured in 100% seasoned French oak casks for twenty months. 14.5% alc | 98–99 points | $1,100
Picardy – Pinot Noir – 2024. Very pretty, ripe cherry fruit — delicious and impactful. I love the way the acidity plays against the fruit, adding energy and drive in conjunction with the fine, supple tannins. The textural components present as much as minerality as they do in the more traditional mouthfeel sense. Excellent length and persistence of flavour. An excellent drink now and over the next five years; the attractive fruit makes this highly approachable. Just as at home with food as it is on its own. 14.0% alc | 94 points | $60.
Battles – Pinot Noir – 2024. The purity here is simply stunning. The fruit is cherry-tinged, but also carries raspberry and blackcurrant notes. The palate is fine and elegant, supported by supple tannins and fine, vibrant acidity. Hints of earthy complexity add to the package, cascading into fine tannins and oak. These characteristics do not dull the fruit, but it is clear that a few years in bottle will see this grow in power and stature. A very fine wine indeed. Fruit comes from the Shepherd’s Hut vineyard in Porongurup. 13.5% alc | 95 points | $40
Picardy – Tête de Cuvée – Pinot Noir – 2023. A lot more structured and powerful. It has the same minerality as Picardy’s estate pinot, but everything has been turned up a notch. The effect is to render this somewhat closed straight out of the bottle — everything is there, but it needs five to seven years in the cellar to really hit its straps. The acidity is the driving force on the finish; and while it does keeps the fruit in check at this early stage, it also adds great drive to the palate. 13.5% alc | $120.
Singlefile – Family Reserve – Pinot Noir – 2024. Whilst the nose is somewhat subdued, the palate bursts to life with pinot goodness. This has the power and intensity you see in the best Central Otago wines, but with more structure supporting the fruit. A powerful wine with cherry-like fruit, spice and supple oak. Excellent purity and depth, with a seamless finish. A fascinating wine to drink now, though it will take another step forward with five to ten years in bottle. Clones 777 and D5V12; eleven months in French oak barriques (30% new). 14.3% alc | 95 points | $65.
Singlefile – Great Southern – Chardonnay/Pinot Noir – NV. A very impressive wine. There is real depth and power to the fruit, supported by a degree of richness from the autolytic characters. The blend is 84% chardonnay and 16% pinot noir, with the former the driving force, contributing the citrus fruit characters. The gentle autolytic characters add depth and texture, showing subtle brioche and dough notes. A superb wine equally at home with fine food as it is on its own. A blend of seven different vintages spanning 2015 to 2021, with a proportion of fruit from Pemberton. Spent four years on lees and, with a dosage of only 3 g/l, this could be classified as extra-brut. Available exclusively from the cellar door due to limited production. 12.5% alc | 95 points | $60.
Singlefile – Run Free – Pinot Grigio – 2025. A lovely wine. Floral aromatics combine with gentle viscosity and great acid balance. Most noteworthy is the length of flavour, with the grapey fruit making an impact along the full length of the palate. Fresh enough to make this a great afternoon drink, yet with enough savoury structure to be an excellent companion to lighter foods. 12.9% alc | 93+ points | $28
Recent Articles
Henschke: 2022 Vintage
Barry Weinman – May 2026
Some days in wine are more remarkable than others. And so it was when John Jens reached out to ask whether he could bring around the new Henschke reds from the 2022 vintage.
To taste the Hill of Grace or Mount Edelstone is a rare treat. To taste them side by side, alongside the Wheelwright and the Hill of Roses, was an extraordinary privilege — and the wines did not disappoint. Whilst the sheer quality was a given, the highlight for me was the subtle variations in style that each vineyard presented.
New Release Pinot Noir: May 2026
Barry Weinman – May 2026
With the cooler weather settling in, it is the perfect time for pinot noir. Last week’s panel tasting presented a number of wines well worth seeking out.
The most surprising wine was Singlefile’s 2024 Run Free Pinot Noir. How a wine of such quality can be sold for $30 is beyond me. The 2024 pinot from Battles is the first release of the variety from this producer, and it is a cracker. And the Picardy and Singlefile Family Reserve pinots showed the more serious side of the variety.
New Release Highlights: May 2026
Barry Weinman: May 2026
Across various blind tastings conducted over the last few weeks, these are some of the standout wines.
On the Tasting Bench: March 2026
Here are three of the highlights from the last few weeks of tasting.
The 2023 Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay is another stunning rendition of this wine, and the 2023 Moss Wood cabernet is the best young Moss Wood that I have tasted in several years.
And a wine that I know nothing about, but charmed the panel was the Thunderstone Pinot Noir 2024. Great stuff!
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.