Wine Region: Western Australia

(2025) No oak, but wild ferment for this affordable Shiraz in the Vasse Felix range. Deep and dark but vibrant in colour, there's a lift to the nose, sweet kirsch berries and raspberry, spice and a floral hint. In the mouth it is juicy and mid-weight, plenty of ripe and creamy black fruit, and a tang of citrus to the acid. Tannins are moderate but do give this a bit of definite savouriness.

(2025) A very fine Bordeaux-style blend of 76% Sauvignon Blanc, aged six months in mostly new oak, and 24% Semillon. Certified organic. The nose suggests cedar, herbs and lime, with a toasty, nutty underpinning. The palate is quite full, but it immediately shows structure and savoury intensity. It is firm, a bit of phenolic grip like fruit skins and gravel, but the limey citrus fruit does persist into a fresh, appetising finish.

(2025) Fruit for this comes mostly from the maritime Wilyabrup sub-region. A small proportion spent nine months in new French oak hogsheads and barriques, the remainder in one year and older American and French barriques. Ruby/garnet in colour, there's a ripe plum and mulberry character here, a bit of a fruit compote character with any oak influence in the background. In the mouth lovely sweet and supple black fruit fills the mid-palate, the freshness of the acidity propels it, filled in beneath by some grippy tannin and a hint of cocoa.

(2024) A Chardonnay-based sparkling wine sourced from vineyards in Pemberton and Margaret River, Western Australia. A dosage of just 6g/l gives this a poised, precise character. Lemon dominates the nose, but not too sharply, a biscuity background softening the picture. Super fresh and nicely balanced, this plays out in very pleasing fashion on the palate, ripe orchard fruit and citrus pure into the finish.

(2024) This moderately oaked wine comes from a number of sites in Mount Barker, notably Block 9, which was planted in 1985.There's a definite peppery, rhubarb and earthy cool-climate here, the fruit deep, plummy and chocolate-tinged. The oak gives a balsamic quality in the mouth, with sweet and ripe black fruit given a bit of bite by zippy plum skin grip and acidity and a grainy, welcome disruption from the spicy oak tannins. No UK retail stockists listed at time of review.

(2024) This has all the tapenade and black olive that I might have looked for here, a more red fruit touch to the still basically cassis character. Another delicious palate that caresses and coaxes its way towards a seamless finish. This is a subtle little beauty that emerges slowly and quietly. Fabulous yet again.

(2023) Another cross-state blend, this time fruit comes from Yarra Valley in Victoria and Margaret River in Western Australia. A tinge of gold to the colour here, but aromas are of restrained, cool fruit and a creamy rather than toasty oak, ripe pear and touches of tropical fruit, but all tempered and elegant. In the mouth it is a similar picture: perhaps a little more of the tropical, with notes of mango and pineapple, but again there is restraint and balance, the oak supporting rather than dominating. No UK retail stockists listed at time of review.

(2023) Unusually this is a blend of Coonawarra and Margaret River fruit, from South and Western Australia respectively. A big, bold cassis nose, touches of eucalyptus and sweet plummy depths. In the mouth the oak adds a mocha underpinning, but sweet and juicy black fruit drives this. Tannins dry the side of the mouth, the acidiy has a certain sparkiness that freshens the finish, in a lovely Cabernet for drinking now or laying down. No UK retail stockists listed at time of review.

(2023) The 2019 vintage in Frankland River was characterised by persistent cool and dry conditions and a low yielding crop for this blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Very bold and deep in colour, there's lift here, with floral and high kirsch-like notes, the minty/herby edge adding to the elevation. Delightful fruit, the tannins noticeably softer than some in this tasting, creamy with good acid balance making for a very pleasing drink. No UK retail stockists listed at time of review.

(2023) The 2019 vintage in Margaret River was similarly cool and dry. This shows a certain luminosity to the colour suggesting a lighter style, and indeed the nose has graphite and chalky freshness, a touch of olive adding an edge to the black fruit. In the mouth the ripeness is not in doubt, lots of fleshy black fruit sweet and succulent, the tannins dry but fine and the acidity does give this a freshening edge into the finish. No UK retail listing at time of review.