Windance Estate Winery – Consistent Excellence
Barry Weinman – 8th June 2025.
Windance Estate Winery was established by Drew and Rosemary Brent-White in 1998. Daughter Billie and her husband Tyke are now in control, with Tyke responsible for winemaking.
Over a few weeks, in various blind tastings, the panel reviewed a number of Windance wines. And what stood out for me in particular was the consistency and quality across the wines tasted.
The premium Glen Valley range is beautifully packaged and showed very well indeed. The Estate range is also very good and the value offering is compelling indeed.
Based on these tastings, I would highly recommend a visit if you are going that way any time soon.
Reviewed
Windance – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – 2024. The grassy, herbaceous nose and palate has more in common with Marlborough in NZ than what I am used to from Margaret River, but that is not a criticism, as the wine is very good. Mouth-coating flavours linger for a time, with hints of lime, guava and passionfruit all coming in and out of focus. Served cold on a warm afternoon, this will be a crowd pleaser. Add in some freshly shucked oysters for a tasting treat. Packed with flavour. A proportion of fruit underwent barrel fermentation (20%) which, combined with the lees work, has had a positive impact on mouthfeel/texture. 12.0% alc – 93pts – $24.
Windance – Glen Valley – Chardonnay – 2023. The line and length on this are noteworthy. Fine fruit (nectarine and hints of citrus, with even a flash of pineapple) has been polished in the winery, adding depth and texture, without impacting on the flow across the palate. Not having gone through malolactic fermentation, the acid is fine and perfectly matched to the fruit weight. The finish has a seamless quality. An excellent wine and absolutely delicious to boot.
90% Gin-Gin clone, 10% 95 Clone, Wild Ferment, 10 months in oak (50% new). 12.5% alc – 95pts – $46.
Windance – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – 2023. This is all about the silky mouthfeel. The fruit is ripe, if somewhat subdued at present, but the way it flows across the palate is most impressive indeed. I had visions of a stream flowing over a smooth stone, such is the way the tannins have been polished. Not the most intense, or powerful, but a wine that brings immediate pleasure and slips down just a little too easily…
The cabernet is complemented by merlot (14%) and malbec (12%). Aged for 10 months in thin-staved 225l (Bordeaux) barrels, 30% of which were new. 13.8% alc, 93pts – $30.
Windance – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2023. The first thing that grabbed my attention was the structure, rather than the fruit per se. The way the fruit and oak tannins have been polished is exemplary. But as this sits in the glass, the fruit quality slowly starts to express itself, with the flavours building in layers across the palate. Ultimately, the very fine (though prodigious) tannins close down the finish, but these never get aggressive or coarse. Rather, they act like a blanket, turning down the intensity of the fruit, without diminishing the intrinsic quality. This is a very fine wine, and extraordinary value.
Includes a small proportion of Malbec and Merlot. The wine was aged in French oak barriques for eleven months (35% new). 13.8% alc, 95pts – $40.
Windance – Glen Valley – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2022. This is very good indeed. Fine, elegant and restrained, the fruit quality is quite superb. The structure is a highlight, allowing the silky fruit to be the star, but still acting as a strait-jacket, keeping everything tightly controlled. Needs time but is a remarkable wine. Spent 12 months in French oak barriques (60% new). 13.8% alc, 95pts – $60.