2026 Swinney Riesling, Frankland River

A wine of incredible vibrancy and intensity. '26 was a very good season for white wines across the state, and this is a cracking good example of what was made in Frankland in this season. Minerally lemon pith and slightly slaty, wet-pebble characters. The palate then has a degree of tension but carries good weight and focused intensity. Lovely slippery slide to a crisp, lemony zip on the finish. Excellent wine.

95 points Ray Jordan Wine Review 2027

A solid release of this riesling, frisky at its core, juicy in its surrounds, distinctly citrusy in its outlook. Nicely played. Juicy lemons, candied lime, mandarin juice and veins of brine and talc. It's highly fragrant, very mouthwatering and refreshing, and has an almost pure, riverwater character going on. It plays its cards straight and delivers a delicious, finely wrought white wine. Drink to 2033.

93+ points Mike Bennie for Halliday Wine Companion, September 2026

A pungent and textural Riesling full of fresh-cut pears, kumquat and spicy lime sorbet. It screams giddiness and youth, as all young Rieslings should. In the mouth, the acidity is striking and linear, framing the wine and playing beautifully with the phenolics to create a chalky, sherbet-like texture. It finishes pithy and dry, with flavour that carries. Drink before the sun gets too high in the sky. Doesn’t need food. Drink to 2038.

94 points Cyndal Petty for Wine Pilot, September 2026

If ever a producer was evidence that it really does not take long to become a cult favourite, if you can make the wines to do so, these guys are it. That said, no doubt there were many years and endless work behind the scenes to achieve this. A range of wines like these are not concocted from smoke and mirrors. Intriguingly for a winery from the Frankland River region, it has not really come on the back of some of the most obvious varieties, such as Riesling. That said, with the quality of this wine, it could well have. The colour is a shimmering pale lemon and the wine fresh and intense, ever-so-finely balanced. On the nose, we have aromas of lemons and grapefruit, florals notably jasmine, wet slate and honeysuckle. Attractively perfumed, but equally well structured with good balance, focus, intensity and a lingering finish with juicy acidity. That intensity is maintained throughout this wine of good length. Enjoy over the next seven to ten years. Drink to 2036.

94 points Ken Gargett for Wine Pilot, September 2026

The Swinney family have been farmers in the Frankland River area of the Great Southern region in WA since 1922. The large 2,500-hectare property was originally purely devoted to livestock grazing, with the first vines planted in the late 1990s.

Today, fourth-generation siblings Matt and Janelle are steering the family business, and their much-enlarged vineyard is a respected supplier of premium contract-grown fruit to numerous Western Australian wineries managed by a team led by viticulturist Rhys Thomas. It is also the source for the uniformly excellent Swinney wines made by the talented Rob Mann.