Swinney Mencía 2021

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, along comes something to blow all your preconceptions out of the water. We have seen a handful of decent Mencía wines made in Australia and now we have a cracker out of the West, from Frankland River. The grape originally hails from Spain, from Bierzo and neighbouring districts. It might be a long way from home in Frankland River, but you’d never know it. Swinney grow it in their Powderbark vineyard. The fruit is gravity fed into an upright French oak demi-muid, 100% whole bunches, where it undergoes natural fermentation. Ten days on skins after that, and then pressed directly to large format, six-year-old French oak for eleven months maturation. This is deep maroon in colour and gives aromas of chocolate, black fruits and raspberries, florals, bergamot, cassis, warm earth, animal skins, some root vegetables and smoked meats, through to a slight sour cherry note on the finish. This is deeply flavoured, rich even, with a long finish but a powerfully tannic one. Good concentration here, chewy tannins and a wine with a good decade or more ahead of it. Not sure Australia has made a better example of this Galician grape.

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.

Wine writer and critic