2024 Swinney Grenache, Frankland River

The winemaking uses 40% whole bunches in the wild ferment. Aged on lees in used large-format French oak. This is a beautiful, elegant and sleek expression vibrating with the whole bunch white pepper and sinewy greenness. This is slipped into red cherry, white strawberry and cranberry fruit characters. It's quite peaky, a little on edge and not quite settled into its groove, but there's freshness, purity and finesse setting up a long and attractive future for this wine.

93+ points Mike Bennie winecompanion.com.au

The Swinney Grenache from Frankland River is one of Australia’s most exciting takes on Grenache, a wine that balances perfume, texture and structure in a way that sets it apart. The Swinney family have farmed in Frankland River since 1922, and today, under Matt Swinney with winemaker Rob Mann, their vineyards are recognised as some of the finest in Western Australia. Their bush vines, planted on rugged ironstone gravel and loam soils over clay, are dry-grown, forcing the vines deep into the earth and producing fruit of exceptional intensity and character.

Frankland River’s cool climate, with warm days and fresh nights, provides the perfect conditions for Grenache, allowing it to achieve full ripeness without losing vibrancy. The Swinney team uses whole-bunch fermentation to add spice, floral lift and savoury tannin, with ageing carried out in large-format French oak and concrete to preserve purity. The result is a Grenache of energy and elegance rather than heaviness.

In the glass, it shows a luminous ruby hue. Aromas of red cherry, raspberry and pomegranate intertwine with rose petal, blood orange, white pepper and dried herbs. The palate is medium-bodied, silky and precise, with juicy red fruits framed by fine, chalky tannins and a refreshing mineral edge. A savoury undercurrent of spice and earth runs through the wine, leading to a long, graceful finish.

This is a versatile food wine: chargrilled lamb cutlets, duck with cherries, pork with fennel, or vegetarian dishes such as roasted beetroot with thyme, mushroom ragù or grilled Mediterranean vegetables all make excellent matches. It is delicious young for its brightness but has the structure to age for 8 to 12 years, gaining complexity with truffle, game and earth notes.