Battles - Tiny Producer, Serious Wines
Former Houghton winemaker, the lateral thinking Lance Parkin, has a cult following for his small-batch well reviewed wines. Twelve wines from Margaret River, The Great Southern, The Perth Hills and Geographe - all precision-made, provenance-driven and in very limited quantities.
“…It may be tempting to underestimate this small producer from Western Australia, but do so at your own peril.
These wines are made in tiny quantities, with supreme attention to detail…”
Erin Larkin, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate (August 2023)
Saturday May 16th
Hosted by
Co-Owners Lance Parkin (Chief Winemaker) & Kris Ambrozkiewicz (Sommelier)
Masterclass: 3-5pm, 12 Wines with Kate Lamont nibbles, $60
Dinner: 7-9.30pm, 12 Wines & 5 Courses, $120
(14 Attendee limit)
What the critics say…
…Since their inception, I have loved the wines of Battles: they combine a regional authenticity that I see and appreciate, a sophistication and class that I find irresistible and seamless structure that shapes these as being some of the most exciting wines to spring from Western Australia—and indeed Australia. Stop at nothing to find them.
Erin Larkin, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate (June 2025)
…Battles is known for quality wines of polish and structure…
Erin Larkin, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate (September 2025)
Top Wine - Battles Frankland Shiraz, 2022
WA Good Food Guide 2023 Wine Awards
Lance Parkin:
Battles’ Lance Parkin, a former Houghton Winemaker - and serious wine lover and superstar wine tasting event organiser (at up to
$1000 per head).
He is is a dead ringer for a humorous, lean, lanky, slow talking, fast witted laconic Australian cattleman from a great movie. JJ
“Battles was started by friends Lance Parkin (winemaker) and Kris Ambrozkiewicz (sommelier, sales). Lance was a winemaker at Houghton in the Swan Valley before the sale to the Yukich family in 2019, …
Battles focuses on a small collection of tiny-quantity wines from a variety of regions (at this stage, the Perth Hills, Margaret River, Great Southernand Geographe) made with great attention to detail, and vineyard provenance top of mind.
Kris Ambrozkiewicz (aka Ambro) has a long-standing and intense love of wine, an impressively honed bank of wine knowledge and years of sales experience. “
- ERIN LARKIN The Wine Companion
The Wine List & Menu
First Course
Pinot Grigio, Frankland River 2025, Our Price $27
Riesling, Denmark 2025, Our Price $31
Abrolhos scallops, pancetta, kaffir lime
Second Course
Chardonnay, Margaret River 2025, Our Price $41
'Burnside' Chardonnay, Margaret River 2025, Our Price $76
Gnocchi, prawn, saffron tomato
Third Course
Pinot Noir, Porongurup 2025, Our Price $34
Tempranillo, Margaret River 2024, Our Price $27
This is very much in its infancy, showing off a deep purple hue and an abundance of primary aromas and flavours. Wafts of cherries, kirsch and blackforest cake without the sugar hit, just the aromas. Fuller-bodied yet not weighty, super savoury with tannins and acidity somewhat highly strung. Partner this with food to see it at its best in youth, or, even better, another year or so in bottle will do wonders.
93 Points, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (July 2025)
Roasted mushrooms, Asiago, almond XO
Fourth Course
Malbec, Geographe 2024, Our Price $31
Love the exuberance of this deep, dark red. Yet there's plenty of detail, too. Blue and red fruits, plum compote, hints of meaty reduction and an array of baking spices. This is beautifully modulated – not too big, with surprisingly fine tannins for malbec and bright acidity. Juicy and delicious.
95 Points, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (September 2025)
Cabernet Sauvignon, 2025, Our Price $34
Twice cooked lamb, pea pesto, buttermilk dressing, petit greens
Fifth Course
Shiraz, Geographe/Perth Hills 2024, Our Price $28
Two vineyards – one in Geographe, the other Perth Hills – coming together as equals. It’s an excellent offering, starting with the inky dark purple hue before the aromatics sway you: pepper, crushed rock and florals, especially dark red roses, and a wave of brown spices. Really good fruit at its heart. Plentiful yet raw silk tannins sashay across the fuller-bodied palate and fine acidity takes this out for a long ride. Impressive.
95 Points, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (May 2025)
Granitis Shiraz, 2024, Our Price $44
The 2024 Granitis Shiraz is inky, earthy and structural while maintaining its floral byline, even in this hot vintage. The region of Perth Hills has been thrust into the limelight, somewhat on the back of the ongoing success of this very limited wine (just 100 dozen cases were produced in 2024, although it has been as low as 50 dozen cases in previous vintages). A clever selection of coopers in line with the vineyard characteristic goes a long way toward the eventual composure and cohesion of the drinking experience, while the fruit is plush, supple and juicy…
93 Points, Erin Larkin, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate (June 2025)
Frankland Shiraz, 2024, Our Price $44
… Aromatically, this wine is sensationally perfumed, with blackberry and raspberry seed, licorice, crushed rocks, cold tea and pressed roses. This is floral, earthy, fine and powerful, a wine of contradictions and sleek dovetailing. Despite the fruit being everything stated here, the tannins are the highlight: they feel smashed into the fruit, invisible and yet everywhere at once…
96 Points, Erin Larkin, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate (June 2025)
Lateralis Shiraz, Frankland River 2022, Our Price $67
…This is built for the long haul—it's all savory tannin and unfurling fruit. It has the potential of a tightly packed rosebud, one yet to release its petals. While the fruit of the Frankland River Shiraz feels almost glittery in its vibrancy and freshness, this is earthy and layered with sheets of nori and iodine, gravel, ironstone and brick dust. It offers pressed incense, cold tea and raspberry seed, with cocoa nib and tapenade to close. This is unbelievably complex and not even close to showing its potential…
96+ Points, Erin Larkin, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate (June 2025)