The 2023 vintage was spectacular across Western Australia, particularly in Frankland River, and with that comes the most exciting set of Farvie wines yet. It’s been an even split between warm and cooler seasons since Farvie’s inaugural release in 2018. And while every vintage has its merits, Swinney winemaker, Rob Mann, points out that Western Australia is very consistent when it comes to quality. “My grandfather [the legendary Jack Mann] used to say it’s the only region where you can expect to have 100 great vintages a century.” Cooler years like 2019, 2021 and now 2023 give the Farvie wines a unique shape, spice and perfume. Berries and bunches were small across the board in ’23, resulting in wines of deep, inviting colour and gorgeous acidity, clarity of tannin and flavour, as well as the hallmark “ferrous, rusty nail character” Mann teases out of the gravelly ironstone ridges above the Frankland River. Six years after the first release, Swinney now works exclusively with well-seasoned, large wood. “We’re not trying to make the biggest wines,” Mann explains. “We’re trying to make something subtle, complex and alluring.” Unencumbered by the flavours and tannins imparted by new oak barrels, Farvie’s success hinges almost entirely on vineyard expression. “We don't want to grow dense or heavy wines; we want to grow wines that are perfumed and elegant, that complement food and celebrate the origins and conditions of the year.” In other words, the first rule of Farvie is high-definition viticulture. The second rule is precise analogue winemaking. There is no third rule. Much of Farvie’s success can be attributed to the Swinney family’s meticulous methods in the vineyard. Each member of the team—from Matt and Janelle Swinney to winemaker Rob Mann, viticulturist Rhys Thomas and everyone in between—works towards a singular goal: to craft benchmark Australian wines that stand toe-to-toe with the world’s greats. Their efforts reap exceptional rewards; the reviews and commentary leave no doubt that this is a very special set of wines.