THE FARVIE TRIO & MARGARET RIVER RANGE LAUNCH
Swinney has made its name in Frankland River. Now it comes to Margaret River.
We are introducing the first Swinney Margaret River Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon alongside the three Farvie wines that established its reputation.
For two decades the Swinney family grew fruit for some of Australia's best wineries before building their own label on dry-grown, bush-vine Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah from the ironstone hilltops of Frankland River. Now, for the first time, they are bottling wines from Margaret River: a 2025 Chardonnay and a 2025 Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards in Wilyabrup and Redgate, farmed with the same meticulous approach. This is the first public showing of both wines.
Then the wines that made the name: the 2024 Farvie Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, scored 98, 98 and 97 points.
Savoury, structured Rhône varieties from Frankland River beside maritime Chardonnay and Cabernet from Margaret River. A new direction for one of WA's most highly regarded producers, in a single tasting.
Sunday, November 8th
Hosted by Matt & Janelle Swinney
Lunch: 12–3pm | 10 wines and 4 courses | $165
Masterclass: 4–6pm | 10 wines & canapes | $90
Be among the first to taste Swinney's Margaret River wines. Book via the buttons below.
Swinney FARVIE Best of Variety Awards
- Ray Jordan | WA Wine Review 2021–2026
5 of 6 Best Grenache of the Year
Grenache – FARVIE & Swinney
2023 FARVIE – Wine of the Year, Red of the Year, Grenache of the Year
2022 SWINNEY – Grenache of the Year
2020 FARVIE – Wine of the Year, Red of the Year, Grenache of the Year
2019 FARVIE – Grenache of the Year
2018 FARVIE – Grenache of the Year
5 of 6 Best Shiraz of the Year
Shiraz – FARVIE
2023 FARVIE – Best Shiraz of the Year
2022 FARVIE – Best Shiraz of the Year
2021 FARVIE – Best Shiraz of the Year
2020 FARVIE – Best Shiraz of the Year
2019 FARVIE – Best Shiraz of the Year
The Critics on Swinney
“Swinney’s Farvie wines are a tale of greatness.”
James Halliday, The Weekend Australian
“These are now the established benchmarks and should be on the
buy-now list for anyone with an interest in contemporary Australian wine."
Ray Jordan, The West Australian
"Swinney is in the process of making a very powerful statement about the Frankland River region via the delivery of these world class wines."
Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 2023
"In 2023 the Farvie trio has done something near-impossible. They have already taken three wines at the highest level and improved their lot. It is easy to loosen the wheel nuts on a car but almost impossible to tighten them further. This Swinney has done."
Matthew Jukes, 2024 Fifty Finest Wines
“Swinney is the complete package.”
Max Allen
The Farvie Context
George John Alexander Swinney, affectionately known as Farvie, and his family settled at ‘Franklands’ in Frankland River in 1922. Today his great-grandchildren, siblings Matt and Janelle Swinney, continue that legacy through their vineyards and wine label.
The vineyards sit on ironstone gravel hilltops above the Frankland River. Matt planted bush-vine Grenache there in the early 2000s, when the variety was virtually unknown in Western Australia, and bush-vine Mourvèdre alongside it. Both are dry grown. The farming is meticulous: organic principles, intensive shoot and fruit thinning, and bunches selected from the morning side of the canopy or grown under shade cloth. In 2020 Swinney was named Australian Vineyard of the Year.
The Farvie wines, first released in 2020 from the 2018 vintage, are the family’s highest expression of their best vineyard sites, made in quantities of just a few hundred cases each. The 2024s come from a searing hot, early season: the Farvie Grenache was picked on 1 March, against the end of April in a more typical year.
Margaret River: different place, same philosophy
The 2025 Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are Swinney’s first wines from outside Frankland River, grown in Wilyabrup and Redgate and made by winemaker Rob Mann with viticulturist Rhys Thomas. The Chardonnay is all Gingin clone, planted in 1984 from cuttings sourced from Leeuwin Estate. For Rob Mann, who spent a decade as senior winemaker at Cape Mentelle, it is a return to the region where he made his name.
Margaret River’s 2025 vintage has been compared with the standout 2018: a warm, dry summer tempered by sea breezes, a long, even ripening period and very low disease pressure.
“This is not simply one of the best examples of Mourvèdre from Australia, it’s one of the best in the world.”
Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot, on the 2024 Swinney Farvie Mourvèdre
The Wine List
On Arrival
2026 Swinney Frankland River Riesling
95 Points, Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com.au
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.
First Bracket
2026 Swinney Bush Vine Mourvèdre Rosé
96 Points, Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com.au
Introduced a few years ago into the Swinney suite of wines, and it’s been a highlight rosé ever since. Comes from bush-vine mourvèdre plantings, in this case from what appears to be an excellent vintage. The aromas are lovely red raspberry fruit, with a slightly minerally note, ironstone and then some delightful florals. The palate is quite beautiful. It’s textured and balanced and delivers with such effortlessness. Light-bodied, sure, but there’s lovely fruit intensity within. And the finish, which is dry and savoury, completes a thoroughly splendid wine.
Second Bracket: the Margaret River debut
2025 Swinney Margaret River Chardonnay
95 Points, Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com.au
This opens with a slightly savoury nose with hints of brioche, marzipan and light stone fruit. The palate is fine and pristine, with a subtle savoury, nutty and mealy character, supported by some lees influence. All Gingin clone, planted in 1984 from cuttings sourced from Leeuwin Estate, this is a vineyard of remarkable intensity and purity. Winemaking is deliberately uncomplicated, with high solids and natural yeasts, allowing the inherent intensity of the vineyard to shine. It is a richer, riper style, with flesh, personality and character. Slightly lower in acid than many Margaret River chardonnays, but with excellent richness and complexity.
Third Bracket: Frankland River meets Margaret River
2025 Swinney Frankland River Grenache
94 Points, Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com.au
Delightfully fragrant, perfumed grenache that delivers medium weight but generous fruit intensity. Nice red fruits on the nose, some rose petal and a trace of lavender. The palate is more medium-bodied, beautifully smooth and supple, with this lovely raspberry fruit character dominant. So beautifully bright and vibrant, with a lively, long and focused finish.
2025 Swinney Frankland River Mourvèdre
95 Points, Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com.au
This Rhône variety has really found a home in Frankland, and this is another compelling example of the variety. Lovely savoury, mineral notes float across some nice red fruits, with a subtle ironstone edge. The palate is generous but supple, with that fine thread of chalky tannins supported by very gentle oak, handling and controlling the fruit through to a long finish. It’s a wine of remarkable complexity and juiciness, with those ripe red fruits and a little blue-fruit character filling out the palate.
2025 Swinney Frankland River Syrah
96 Points, Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com.au
The boldest and richest of the Rhône triumvirate of syrah, grenache and mourvèdre. The colour is a deep inky red. The nose is an intense and engaging spicy plum and dark chocolate combination. And then a palate that is both structured and supple, with a fine thread of mineral, ironstone tannins, some well-weighted, understated oak and stacks of plush, lush fruit. Scrumptious, delicious wine.
2025 Swinney Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
95 Points, Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com.au
Fourth Bracket: the Farvie trio
2024 Swinney Farvie Mourvèdre
97 Points, Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com.au
The colour is deeper and richer than the grenache. Loads of punchy dark fruit characters, with that distinctive ironstone character which is evident in the grenache but not to the same extent. Has less acidity than the Grenache. And in this case, it is 100% whole bunch in a single oak vat, which comes off leaner, lighter gravel profile soils. There’s an earthy gamey meat charcuterie character on the nose. The palate has a deep intensity. It’s a structured wine showing the firmness of the tannins. As it breathed, the seductive perfumed florals of this variety started to emerge. When I tasted it the next day, they were even more profound, suggesting great things ahead. Another example of how Farvie is pushing this Rhone variety into rarefied air among the world’s best.
2024 Swinney Farvie Syrah
98 Points, Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot
Syrah, or Shiraz, from the Frankland River region has certainly established itself as one of the most exciting styles of the grape in the country. The colour is a vibrant purple magenta. On the nose we have notes of leather and truffles, animal hides, charcuterie, black fruits, beef stock, soy, hints of florals and a touch of blackcurrants. There is real power here, but everything is in balance. Good intensity throughout with juicy acidity and abundant, fine, powdery tannins. A wine which will easily see out the next fifteen to twenty years.
2024 Swinney Farvie Grenache
98 Points, Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com.au
Of the three Farvie releases from the searing hot 2024, this is the wine that just gets the edge. The colour is quite brilliant. It was picked on March 1 as distinct from the end of April in more normal years. Aromas have that distinctive ironstone character, which is regional and vineyard. The palate is quite tight and firmish, but there is good flesh in there. The higher acidity contributed to that tight palate sensation. In this case, a higher percentage of whole bunches to capture the freshness in the wine. Almost has a sour cherry-like character with a ferrous wet slaty character. More assertive structural tannins. The only thing different in the winery was the use of whole bunches, which was up to 65% in this case. The berry sizes were quite small and loose, so you get the brightness and concentration. It is a stunning wine that continues to define Australian grenache.