Four Great Southern Wineries have been named in top 52 of The Real Review Top Wineries of Australia 2020 list with new entrant Swinney Vineyards in Frankland River rated highest in sixth position.
Wine Australia’s industry snapshot shows that there are 65 wine regions across the country, 2,468 wineries and 6,251 grape growers that crush 1.73million tonnes of grapes per year. The Great Southern crushes about 12,000 tonnes of grapes per year, representing just 0.7% of Australia’s total crush.
The Great Southern wineries, of which there are 53, make up just 2.1% of all Australian wineries and 7.6% of the top 52 wineries named in The Real Review list. The Real Review principal wine writer for Australia, Huon Hooke, stated that Swinney Vineyards was a new name to reckon with.
“The Swinneys aren’t new to vines but the recently launched brand amazed us with its formidable quality. The 2018 syrah and grenache and 2019 riesling are sublime; the top reds, named Farvie, also 2018 vintage, are shockingly good,” wrote Huon in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Matt Swinney of Swinney Vineyards, a fourth-generation farmer in Frankland River, said that they were very happy and honoured to be named in the company of such established and iconic producers.
“It’s rewarding to know that our current release wines have been recognised among the best in Australia,” Matt said.
“We are particularly pleased with the performance of our Grenache wines as it continues to highlight the great potential of this variety from Frankland River.”
At number 33 was Howard Park, which is technically listed as a Margaret River Winery but has some of it vineyards in the Great Southern. Duke’s Vineyard in Porongurup is listed number 43 and Frankland Estate came in at 51.
Great Southern Wine Producers Association board member and owner of Frankland Estate Hunter Smith said that there was a strong representation of Great Southern wineries in The Real Review’s list.
“It’s worth noting that although not every wine producer will send wines to every reviewer to sample, the results of The Real Review reinforces not only the quality of the region but in my opinion, the bright future of the modern styles the region allows us to make,” Hunter said.
This is the third year that The Real Review has published a list of top Australian wineries list, with six new entrants of the 14 Great Southern wineries to make the list of 415.
While the list focuses on wineries, not individual wines, The Real Review states it tastes more than 10,000 wines from Australia and New Zealand each year.
Great Southern Wineries listed in The Real Review Top Wineries of Australia 2020
- 6 Swinney Vineyards (new entrant)
- 33 Howard Park
- 43 Duke’s Vineyard
- 51 Frankland Estate
- 143 Singlefile Wines
- 186 Plantagenet (new entrant)
- 208 Plan B Wines (new entrant)
- 241 Castelli Estate (new entrant)
- 276 Marchand & Burch Wines (new entrant)
- 279 West Cape Howe Wines (new entrant)
- 307 Castle Rock Estate
- 347 Larry Cherubino Wines
- 362 Alkoomi
- 377 Ferngrove