Swinney Mourvèdre Frankland River 2025
- 94
- $46
- Drink by: 2026-2036
Share
Frankland River Mourvedre from bush vines which were dry grown, the fruit underwent fermentation with native yeasts after time on skins, before maturation in older large format oak barrels. Few people take on Mourvedre, also known as Mataro, as a solo varietal, and even fewer make a success of it. These guys certainly do. A near opaque, deep red core with a gleaming russet rim, there is an appealing savoury nose here, with notes of mushrooms, black fruits, bacon fat, coffee grinds and garden mulch. A wine of medium length with a firm finish, there is some serious grip to it, although there is good concentration through the entire wine. Superbly structured, it will see ten years in the cellar with ease and drink well for more than that.
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.
