About The Wine
Take a walk through Swinney’s untrellised Grenache bush vines, and things change about halfway down the block, planted in 2004 on the Estate’s upper northeast-facing hillside crest. The gravel gets deeper, and there is less clay. “That’s Farvie,” says Rob Mann.
Here, the fruit is different, too; it is more ferrous and mineral with fine, velvety tannins and so much complexity. Vines are picked over multiple passes, with only the best bunches from each—those sitting in the dappled light of the vine’s architecture—set aside for Farvie.
Building on this meticulous vineyard selection, the 2024 Farvie Grenache was handpicked on March 1st from established, dry-grown bush vines on the gravelly loam soils of Swinney’s Wilson’s Pool Vineyard. Fruit thinning and selective hand harvesting over multiple passes ensured fruit was picked at optimal ripeness.
Sorted by hand, Rob Mann incorporated roughly 60% bunches this year, and the wine spent 10 days on skins before aging for 11 months in fine-grained, large-format French oak. 13.9% alcohol.
Reviews
“Remarkably pure and poised, a lithesome, silky wine that anchors its high-toned aromatics to substantial textural grit at the bottom end. Dried rose, wild raspberry, sour cherry and blood orange aromatics lead into a neatly etched palate that flows with determined grace. But it’s the tannins that really set this apart – taut, tightly entwined and quietly assertive. Without question, one of the world’s great grenaches. 13.9% alcohol.”
97 points, Nick Ryan, The Weekend Australian
“ 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.”
98 points, Ray Jordan, RayJordanWine.com.au
About Swinney
Based in Frankland River, Western Australia, Swinney is a family-run estate where siblings Matt and Janelle have built something truly exceptional by focusing on quality from the vineyard up. Established in 1998 on gravelly ironstone soils, the property made bold moves early—planting WA's first modern bush vines and championing Grenache and Mourvèdre in a region many considered too cool.
Today, Swinney is widely regarded as WA's finest Shiraz vineyard and one of the world's great sites for Grenache and Mourvèdre. With renowned winemaker Rob Mann (grandson of WA wine legend Jack Mann) and viticulturist Rhys Thomas on the team, the estate practices obsessive, low-yield viticulture—think multiple harvests, meticulous canopy management, and dry-farming at just one to two tonnes per acre. The winemaking is equally precise: natural fermentations, gentle extraction, and seasoned oak aging to let the site's distinctive ironstone terroir shine through.
These are wines of extraordinary purity, balance and character that reflect place above all else.
Snapshot
Region: Frankland River, WA
Country: Australia
Alcohol: 13.9%
Vintage: 2024
Size: 750ml
Closure: Stelvin
Varieties: Grenache
