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Game Changing Frankland River Born from Meticulous Farming Practices
The road from grape grower to winemaker can be fraught with difficulties. Yet, by building from the vineyard first, employing a dream team of passionate and experienced people, and never taking the focus away from quality, siblings Matt and Janelle Swinney have created something exceptional in the Frankland River region of WA.
It’s one thing to aim for the stars; it’s quite another to have the tools to get there. Matt Swinney had a powerful vision to establish a benchmark and unique vineyard on his family’s property, situated on the gravelly, ironstone soils of the Frankland. His intention was always to found a benchmark wine label using only the finest fruit, but good things take time—especially when it comes to vines! Most plantings occurred in 1998, and the site quickly garnered a reputation for quality and originality. Innovations such as planting bush vines (the first in modern-day WA, where they are virtually unknown) and taking the leap with Grenache and Mourvèdre (in a region that many felt was too cool for these Mediterranean varieties) certainly raised eyebrows. Today, both these decisions have proven to be inspiring.
Fast forward to today, and the Swinney estate has become regarded by many as the finest Shiraz vineyard in WA, not to mention an excellent source for Frankland River Riesling. They have also staked their claim (pardon the pun!) as one of the world’s great sites for both Grenache and Mourvèdre—if you think we’re exaggerating, then we look forward to showing you the upcoming releases. More recently, in 2018, the Swinneys invited renowned winemaker Rob Mann to join the team. Mann is the grandson of the legendary Jack Mann—the godfather of Western Australian wine—and is internationally respected in his own right after his work at Cape Mentelle, Hardy’s Tintara and Newton in the Napa. By his own account, Mann took one look at the vineyard and asked, “Where do I sign on?”
“The Swinney vineyard represents modern viticulture interwoven with Old-World techniques, executed with precision through a combination of exhaustive manual work and state-of-the-art technology, and all underpinned by an environmental focus...and the quality of the resulting wines, is truly extraordinary and inspiring.” Young Gun of Wine – Australian Vineyard of The Year 2020
The Swinneys have been no less careful about who they entrusted their vines. Following celebrated viticulturist Lee Haselgrove’s tenure, in 2021 Rhys Thomas joined the team as viticulturalist and vineyard manager. A long-term buyer of Swinney fruit, Thomas has been walking the blocks and rows of the Swinney vineyards for over 15 years and was a leading force in the family’s drive towards pure quality and sustainability. His soil and aspect-driven approach will only further help peel back the layers of the Swinny’s outstanding terroir.
Over the last handful of vintages, the Swinney label has been celebrated by critics worldwide in a way that is most unusual for such a young producer. Despite their sizeable holdings, the Swinneys produce very limited volumes of their own wine, cherry-picking a tiny percentage of their parcels for their own production. These vines are micromanaged to deliver the very finest and most expressive fruit they can grow. Mostly dry-farmed, the Swinney parcels are low cropped (at one to two tonnes per acre), and the canopy management is meticulous. There’s shoot and bunch thinning and shade cloth for the Shiraz and Riesling fruit, creating soft, dappled light and lower temperatures in the bunch zone. In the case of Grenache, the vines are harvested three times to pick only perfectly ripe fruit. Even then, the fruit is further graded depending on the wine it’s destined for. It’s an obsessive style of viticulture, and it shows in the wines.
The winemaking philosophy here is equally precise yet straightforward. Both Mann and the Swinney family want to reflect and preserve the personality of each individual vineyard site in that season. They want people to be reminded of the place rather than the maker. After careful sorting, fermentations are natural; Robb Mann also favours co-fermentation and the flavour and structural integration this brings. Gravity flow is utilised to avoid pumping, maximising the percentage of whole berries and minimising maceration. Mann is looking for an infusion-style, gentle extraction, and this approach goes a long way to explaining the remarkable balance and purity of the wines. The reds are aged in mostly seasoned wood, ranging from 500-litre demi muids to 36-hl wooden vats. The resulting wines are outstanding and shine with character, craft and respect for the land.
Swinny’s Farvie label represents the finest quality and purest vineyard expression from the family’s best, organically managed sites. These are wines made from specific vines and bunches, farmed in the kind of obsessive fashion that we associate with the most outstanding growers worldwide. The Farvie vines are rooted in the deep, gravelly, ironstone crests of the Swinney Estate’s upper, northeast-facing hillsides. The vines are exposed to the cool breezes off the river, and the prevalence of rusting lateritic gravel in the soil allows for excellent drainage and deep access to moisture. This specific soil type and aspect has been identified as delivering the purest earth-to-glass expression (described by winemaker Rob Mann as a ferrous or bloody note) and also providing purity, restraint and a noble tannin profile. Both the Grenache and the Shiraz are stimulating, cutting-edge wines born from skilful and fanatical farming practices.
“On the notes - fresh fruit characters of strawberry and rose water combine with subtle complexity, including beeswax, Szechuan pepper and oyster shell. Textural and full-flavoured on the palate, yet finely balanced with a mix of rhubarb and pomegranate combined with fresh curd. The finish is soft with refreshing pithy acidity and a bone-dry, briny finish.” Rob Mann, Winemaker
“Deep magenta with purple hues. Wild fruits with an intoxicating mix of pomegranate, strawberries and satsuma plums mixed with some white pepper and cassia bark. Medium- to full-bodied with lashings of red and blue fruits. Sizzling venison and Chinese five spice complexity, finishing with a chalky, savoury, and finely detailed tannin structure.” Swinney
The 2020 vintage was a knockout for this grower’s wines, producing wine full of flavour and with excellent structure and density. The Cabernet brings structure and texture—a refined chassis of mouth-coating tannins, bursting with vibrant mineral-soaked red and black fruits and tonnes of energy—subsidized by the Syrah’s suppleness and generosity. Exhibiting Farvie-level quality, it is a wine of exhilarating tension and velvety texture, finishing with fantastic length and great purity. It will live, and continue to improve, for decades to come.
“The scale of the vineyard, coupled with their pinpoint focus and pursuit of innovation, and the quality of the resulting wines, is truly extraordinary and inspiring” Young Gun of Wine, Inaugural Australian Vineyard of The Year 2020
“There is a very bright future for Matt [Swinney] and Rob [Mann], and I have a feeling that these wines will gain a cult following in the UK just as they have in Australia, where many of these wines are sold on allocation only.” Matthew Jukes
“Swinney is the complete package.” Max Allen
“Swinney is flying.” Campbell Mattinson
"There is no question that this vineyard and the style being crafted under one of Australia’s finest winemakers, Rob Mann, have redefined syrah and grenache. 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
“Validation is faith’s greatest reward, and right now Matt Swinney is up to his eyeballs in it." Nick Ryan, The Australian
“Swinney is a relatively new addition to the Great Southern, with all guns blazing and a focus on Southern Rhône red varieties. While the merits of Frankland River Shiraz are well known, the Swinneys, with the help of winemaker Rob Mann, have elevated the stocks of Grenache and Mourvèdre. They are distinctly savory thanks to wild ferments with a strong preference for whole bunches. Some overseas observers would be surprised that these wines are from Western Australia. The warm and dry 2022 vintage has worked in their favor with a raft of fine releases.” Angus Hughson, Vinous
Country
Australia
Primary Region
Frankland River, Western Australia
People
Owners: Matt & Janelle Swinney
Winemaker: Rob Mann
Vineyard Manager: Rhys Thomas
Availability
National
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