2024 Swinney Farvie Grenache

98 POINTS

Ken Gargett - Winepilot

Wine critics are completely unbiased and have absolutely no favourites at all. First line of the wine writers’ creed. Unfortunately, despite our best intentions, it really isn’t true. There are always some samples which, when they arrive for tasting, bring a smile of anticipated pleasure. Even though Swinney have only been on the scene for the equivalent of a drop in the vinous ocean, they have established a reputation as one of the most exciting producers in the country. The latest releases will simply entrench this even further. With all the attention focused on Grenache from the warmer South Australian regions, it may seem odd that one of our very best hails from the far distant Frankland River. This is a single vineyard wine from the Wilson’s Pool Vineyard, picked from dry grown, bush vines. Winemaker, Robert Mann, includes 60% whole bunches in the ferment. The wine spent ten days on skins before pressing to large format, older French oak, where it spent eleven months maturing. A gleaming crimson/ruby hue, the complexity in this wine is immediately evident. The aromas weave through notes of cherries, warm earth, mulberries, fresh beetroot, kirsch, truffles, plums and a touch of florals and orange rind. There is an appealing savouriness here, but giving the wine time in the glass will be to its advantage. Supple and seamless, there is a fine line of acidity maintained throughout and great length here. This will provide pleasure for the next ten to fifteen years at least. One of our great Grenaches.

96 POINTS

Jeremy Oliver

An astonishing wine that needs time to deliver its very best, this is made from bush vines in Frankland River of around 30 years of age. A profoundly deep, heady perfume of rose petals, red and black cherries, blood plums and cranberries is backed by five spice, cinnamon and a whiff of licorice. Opening out to deliver a plush round palate entirely saturated with flavour but not primary, confection-like fruit, it unfolds layers of fruit that extend down a crunchy spine towards a mouthwateringly fresh and lively finish. Flaunting its style and balance, it easily soaks up oak leaves a lingering presence of red cherries, cranberries and licorice, wrapped in refreshing acids and finishing fresh and savoury.

96 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2024 Farvie Grenache is fragrant and perfumed, redolent of rose petals and raspberry seed, rhubarb and a hint of licorice. The palate is structural and quite delicate; it is ashy, mineral and spicy, with a very fine spool of flavor across the palate. Initially, the acidity and tannins in this wine displayed as firm (fine but firm), however, the wine then opened up tremendously and will continue to do so over the next day, and with that opening comes a relaxing of all the components. This is a gorgeous wine, one that should reset your expectations about this vintage—a reaffirmation of the truism that you must follow "producer, producer, producer." This is an excellent wine from an excellent vineyard and producer. 13.9% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

93 POINTS

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

60% whole bunch. 10 days on skins. Aged in large format seasoned French oak for 11 months. Harvested on the 1st of March. Quite rosy and musky, paprika and mint, red fruits and toasted hazelnuts. It’s medium-bodied, a little sappy and nutty, a light grainy grip to tannin, has some blood orange tang in the mix, poached strawberry, quite minty and green herby, but not in a bad way. The finish has some malty characters in with strawberry and cranberry freshness, offering good length, closing with somewhat drying tannin. Lots of character. Perhaps a little too thickset, is a quibble.