2022 Swinney Farvie Syrah

99 POINTS

Ray Jordan

I think this has claims to be the finest Farvie Syrah yet in its relatedly short history. The colour is just brilliant and bright with a glowing purely crimson hue. Power, intensity and concentration delivered with such poise. Bright red fruits with floral dark cherry and a little black olive adds to its nuanced capture on the nose. The palate is sublime, almost perfect, in its structure, poise and delivery. The sweet natural fruits are balanced and aligned with the fine minerally, ironstone ferruginous characters. Continues to redefine the Australian varietal style.

97 POINTS

James Halliday - The Australian

Dry grown on a vertical trellis, shade cloth intercepting the afternoon sun; 65% whole bunch; 12 days on skins; pressed to large format oak, 14 months maturation. The bouquet has warm spices, licorice and black fruits; superb mouthfeel, balance and texture, thanks to the shimmering tannins. Silk and satin rather than velvet. 276 dozen bottles.

95 POINTS

Mike Bennie - Halliday's Wine Companion

The Farvie wines have almost immediately launched into the upper echelon of fine wine from Western Australia. The 'reserve' selection of fruit from the excellent Swinney vineyard. This is perfumed and pretty, medium weight and spicy, delivers very fine, savoury-edged tannins and exceptional persistence of flavour. It opens with volleys of raspberry, fennel, charcuterie and smoky spice. The palate is succulent, sweet fruited at its heart but shot through with saltbush, orange-y acidity, bloody game meat notes and fennel/mint/briar herbal elements. The flex of tannin is downright beautiful and holds the wine together superbly. A wonderful expression.

Matthew Jukes

The colour alone stops you in your tracks because it is as near-black as possible, interwoven with ravishing midnight blue and sanguineous red tones. The nose seems to take its instruction from the colour, with a profoundly deep engine of malevolent, night-walker-style blackberry and black cherry tones, shot through with Swedish liquorice, fresh peaty soil and cracked black peppercorns. If Nosferatu, Voldemort, Moriarty and Sauron caught up on a day off, they would drink this wine. And given its freshness and purity, it wouldn’t leave them slow off the mark after their rendezvous because, for all of the awe-inspiring qualities in the glass, this is one of the most dynamic Syrahs on earth. Lividity and dynamism join forces to make this another remarkable declaration of the power and poise found in the great Frankland River terroir brought to the fore by inspirational winemaking.