Swinney Farvie Grenache 2020
SKU
SWGR202011 UCAU
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Generous flavours, cherry, mushroom, but more spicy, almost tactile spice.
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A mottled affair of wet logs, dark cherry, anise, mushroom, the by-word is savoury, but it’s on mute.
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Roasts, red meat, game and cheese
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1 or more bottles$150.00
Editors notes
In the late 1990’s Grenache was hardly known in Western Australia, let alone in Great Southern. But inspired by the great wines of France and Spain, and in the belief that Grenache could do well in a region already building a reputation for high quality Syrah, Matt Swinney ignored the experts and planted the region’s first bush vine Grenache vineyard. Today these vines produce two remarkable and completely original Grenache-based wines, with a quality that can be traced directly to the unique site and Swinney’s farming philosophy. Indeed, Rob Mann, who has considerable history with the variety, has noted that he has never seen Grenache fruit like it.
Tightly wound, seriously structured red. Tannins are, as Swinney vineyard seems to give us, exceptional, taut and long, providing strict boundaries and dragging the wine into the distance. The perfume is quiet, a mottled affair of wet logs, dark cherry, anise, mushroom, the by-word is savoury, but it’s on mute. Generous flavours, again, cherry, mushroom, but more spicy, almost tactile spice, ferrous things too. The coda really is about those tannins. So superb. The wine is great though you could say a touch rigid right now. - Mike Bennie
Details
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Wine Type
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Vintage
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Variety
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Brand
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Location
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Cellaring
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Closure
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Alcohol Percentage
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Bottle Size
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Oak Type
Tasting Profile
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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Low Tannin (Low Tannin)Tannic (Tannic)
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Sweet (Sweet)Dry (Dry)
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Low Acidity (Low Acidity)High Acidity (High Acidity)
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Aroma
- Black Cherry
- Savoury
- Strawberry
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Palate
- Earthy
- Red Cherry
- Strawberry
Food Pairings
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Game -
Pork -
Red Meat
Critic Scores & reviews
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Andrew Caillard MW
96"Medium deep crimson. Beautiful pure dark plum, dark cherry, raspberry aromas with underlying white pepper cola notes. Medium bodied and crispy fresh with inky deep plummy, raspberry pastille, chinotto flavours, attractive mid-palate volume and plentiful fine chalky/ graphite tannins. Finishes ferruginous. Aromatic, minerally and expressive. Drink now – keep for a while"
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Erin Larkin
98"(2019 vintage) Swinney Farvie Frankland River Grenache 2019 “88/12% grenache/mourvèdre. Hand-picked fruit from an established block of bush vines. 8% of grenache was whole bunches, the rest whole berries sorted and gravity-fed to a single large French oak vat (1600L). Wild ferment. 10 days on skins prior to basket pressing direct to seasoned French oak for 11 months. Harvested 8/4/2019, pH 3.55, TA 5.1, RS 0.3g/L, 176 cases produced. What sets hearts on fire the world over for Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the muscular, ferrous, salty raspberry humbug and minerally hutzpah. It sets the high-tide mark for grenache. We grenache drinkers yearn for it. And here it is. The strength of Frankland River is its ability to marry sweet (glossy) red fruit to savoury, gravelly earth. The 2018 was a staggering showpiece, this is more restrained, cooler and finer, yet equally long. Choose your weapon"
Other vintages
Love this wine? Here's a list of other vintages we have in stock if you'd like to try them as well.
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- Variety Grenache
- Vintage 2019
- Brand Swinney
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Red
- Alcohol Percentage 14.0% Alcohol
Swinney Farvie Grenache 2019-
Ray Jordan98 points
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Erin Larkin98 points
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Mike Bennie93 points
$150.00
Current auction
All current auctions for this wine & any different vintages.
Locations
Australia
Australia's wine industry is a thriving part of the country's economy, contributing significantly to employment, production, export, and tourism. In fact, the industry is the fourth-largest wine exporter in the world, shipping out 760 million liters of wine to countries including France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. One of the key factors contributing to Australia's success as a "New World" wine producer is the formal export and marketing of its wines through Wine Australia.
Australia's wine regions are scattered across the south and southeast, with almost every state boasting its own vineyards. Victoria, for example, is home to an impressive 21 wine regions. Some of the most famous wine regions in Australia include Margaret River, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, and local regions to New South Wales such as Cowra, Southern Highlands, and Mudgee.
Australian winemakers are known for producing a diverse range of grape varieties, with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir being among the most popular. They tend to focus on producing wines that are ripe, fruit-forward, and easy to drink, using modern winemaking techniques and equipment such as stainless steel tanks and temperature-controlled fermentation.
With its bold, fruit-driven flavors and reputation for quality and diversity, Australian wine has become a popular choice for wine lovers around the world. And with such a broad range of wine regions and grape varieties, there's something for every palate to enjoy.
Western Australia
The wine regions of Western Australia are located in the southwest corner of the state. Among them, the famous Margaret River region boasts a warm maritime climate, situated around 200 kilometers south of Perth. Although it experiences higher levels of rainfall than other wine regions in Australia, the majority of it occurs during the winter months. Margaret River is renowned for its production of Cabernet Sauvignon, which is often blended with Merlot to create Bordeaux-style wines. Additionally, the region's Chardonnays are highly sought after due to their high natural acidity and concentrated stone-fruit aromas. These wines are further enhanced by malolactic fermentation and barrel aging, which lend complexity and depth to their flavor profiles.
In addition to Margaret River, the Great Southern region is also known for its wine production. This region includes subregions such as Frankland River and Mount Barker, where floral Rieslings, elegant Shiraz with peppery notes, and Cabernet Sauvignon are grown. Other wine regions in Western Australia include Blackwood Valley, Geographe, Peel, Pemberton, Manjimup, and Swan District.
Each of these regions has its own unique terroir, resulting in a diverse range of wines with distinct characteristics. From full-bodied reds to crisp whites, Western Australia has something to offer for every wine enthusiast.
Frankland River
Home to some of the oldest grapevines in Western Australia, the Frankland River wine region is one of the five subregions of the Great Southern, Western Australia and is located at the northwestern corner of the region. In 1956, the wine growing potential of this land was first determined by a renowned viticulturalist from the United States called Dr. Harold Olmo. He noted that the climate was similar to that of Bordeaux, France, where the summers are cool which holds the key to excellent grape ripening conditions.
The river valley of this region plays an important part to the climate of the region. During the winter and spring time, it creates air circulation between the land and sea that keeps the frost at bay, which help reduce problems of vine frosting. In the summer, the river valley helps funnel cool air north from the ocean that helps cool down the grapevines during the afternoon heat, prolonging the ripening period for wine grapes. Thanks to its relatively warm mediterranean climate, the Frankland River region holds the most ideal conditions for producing the high quality wines the area is celebrated for, such as riesling, shiraz, and cabernet sauvignon.
About the brand Swinney
George John Alexander Swinney was a pioneer of the Frankland River Region. Guided by the Swinney family motto, Quo Fata Vocant—Whither the Fates Call—George settled at ‘Franklands’ in 1922. Located on the banks of the Frankland River, the property features gently undulating hills, dominated by jarrah and redgum trees growing upon ironstone gravel and loam soils. This is where our story begins. Fate is a funny thing. A perhaps spurious concept for some - but for us, a family motto.
Ours is a story that began over one hundred years ago, when George ‘Farvie’ Swinney sailed from England and put down roots in Australia, eventually finding his dream property in ‘Franklands’.
A large grazing property on the banks of the River, George and his beloved wife Mary made this place their home, setting the course for generations to come. And with each generation a new chapter begins. Because with every new custodian of his legacy comes a renewed ambition—to build on Farvie’s story and create something of lasting value.
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