2023 Swinney Farvie Mourvedre, Frankland River

Licorice and blackberries, cassia bark and coal dust. Black pepper spice, boudin noir, spilled viscera. Pastrami on dark rye. A metallurgic core, something firm and ferrous at its heart. Fine but forthright gravelly tannin. Unapologetically firm through the finish. A brooding beauty, a masterclass in allowing mourvèdre to tread the tightrope between the sacred and the profane.

98 points Nick Ryan The Weekend Australian

Farvie Mourvèdre is more expansive, and it is immediately convivial. This variety’s softer impact and more open-armed expression lull you into a false sense of security before the trademark Farvie minerality attacks without warning or mercy. The moisture is sucked from the palate and is replaced with stoniness and skin characters that tease and striate. These palate manoeuvres cause rivulets of juiciness to collect, which refresh the senses with clean, free-running, open and gentle red and purple fruit flavours. It is stunning.

19.5/20 points Matthew Jukes matthewjukes.com

Oh yes, I love this wine. It has a beautiful perfume and brightness evident on the nose and the palate. This is bush vine mourvedre. The structure and palate poise are exceptional. The rustic edges are slightly knocked off. Meaty chorizo but it’s subtle. These characters are trimmed. And in a year like 2023, mourvedre has less acidity. It has a slightly ironstone rusty nail thread running through it with a tense dry tannin feel in the mouth. It was matured in a single 16-litre vat that has no direct oak impact. The attention to detail is demonstrated by the management of the bush vine canopies allowing attention to each bunch with the resulting uniformity of fruit. Traces of blue fruits with a subtle licorice and tarry character. Slightly more supple and revealing than the grenache and less open and opulent tan the syrah.

99 points Ray Jordan businessnews.com.au

Winemaker Rob Mann says this is “the most audacious, emotive wine” of the trio. It’s crafted from a draconian selection of dry-grown bush-vine bunches on the same kidney-shaped patch of dirt as the vines for the Farvie Grenache in the Wilson’s Pool Vineyard. The vines here face northeast on leaner topsoil and with a higher percentage of coarse lateritic gravel; the roots have now made it down into the clay beneath. Meticulous fruit-thinning and selective hand-harvesting over multiple passes ensures Swinney achieves fruit that is as close to perfect as possible.

As was the case in 2022, bunches and berries were small, requiring a moderation in the use of whole bunches in the ferment. Where this wine can sometimes be 100%, the proportion was a well-integrated 66% this year. According to Mann, the Farvie Mourvèdre works beautifully with stem inclusion. “It helps to balance the wildness, gaminess and rustiness of the fruit while accentuating the spice element of the wine.”

The wine spent 11 days on skins before being pressed to large, fine-grained, seasoned French oak vessels, where it matured for 10 months. It’s the wildest, most intoxicating of the three Farvie wines, compared evocatively by the maker to a deep dive into a 600-page novel.

Swinney Farvie Mourvèdre from Frankland River is a game-changer—a rare, world-class expression of this often misunderstood variety. Crafted by Rob Mann from meticulously managed, dry-grown bush vines, this wine takes Mourvèdre to new heights, showcasing the grape’s potential for elegance, complexity, and finesse when grown in the right place and handled with care.

In the glass, it’s a deep, vibrant purple with a ruby edge. The nose is captivating, offering layers of black cherry, mulberry, and wild blueberry, intertwined with savoury notes of dried herbs, crushed violets, and a touch of charcuterie. There’s a subtle earthy spice—think star anise, black pepper, and clove—adding intrigue without overpowering the fruit.

On the palate, Farvie Mourvèdre strikes an impressive balance between power and precision. Juicy dark fruit flavors unfold alongside fine, dusty tannins and bright acidity, creating a structure that’s both silky and firm. There’s an underlying minerality, reflecting the ironstone-rich soils of Frankland River, while the finish is long, savoury, and refreshingly dry, leaving hints of dark chocolate, dried rosemary, and black olive.

This wine is made for food. Pair it with slow-roasted lamb, braised beef cheeks, or smoky eggplant dishes. It also works beautifully with aged cheeses and hearty Mediterranean fare. While drinking beautifully now with a short decant, Farvie Mourvèdre has the structure to age gracefully for 10–15 years, gaining further complexity while retaining its vibrant core.

Swinney Farvie Mourvèdre is a rare find—distinctive, complex, and crafted with precision. It’s proof that, in the right hands, Mourvèdre can produce wines of extraordinary elegance and depth.