Wild Swan at Mandoon Estate, Swan Valley

Wild Swan at Mandoon Estate, Swan Valley

Monica Tindall

Wild Swan at Mandoon Estate is our first stop in Swan Valley. The restaurant has once again earned a prestigious Chef Hat in the 2025 Australian Good Food Guide, solidifying its place among the top 1% of Australia’s finest dining establishments. With some of the region’s oldest vines, well-reputed wines, and a gorgeous estate, it’s a must-visit on any Swan Valley itinerary.

Chef Anthony Power heads the kitchen at Wild Swan, proudly showcasing local, seasonal produce in a contemporary fine dining menu. The Sydney boy came to visit his sister over a decade ago and never went home. Immersed in the beautiful setting and wining and dining on the region’s best produce, we can easily see why!

A simple backdrop of black tables, grey carpeting and warm dome lighting allows the garden outlook and food to shine at Wild Swan. It’s Friday lunchtime during our visit, and the restaurant is full. We were expecting it to be quieter outside of the weekend, but enjoy the buzz.

Wild Swan at Mandoon Estate Menu

I love a tasting menu and avoid unnecessary decisions wherever possible. I am grateful for the chef’s selection of the four-course tasting menu (AUD 95) paired with Mandoon Estate wines (AUD 130). Who am I to argue with, the chef and sommelier?

A glass of Vintage Sparkling 2022 in lovely Riedel flutes marks our beginning. It’s semillon grapes from the vineyards we passed lining the driveway on the way in. A little lemon in the bouquet, followed by a light palate and saliva-inducing finish, makes a pleasant, uncomplicated entrance.

Bread

Bread is next on our table—pitch-dark slices of New Norcia black barley sourdough partnered with yoghurt-cultured butter and sea salt shavings. The loaf has a thin, crunchy crust and aerated middle, and the butter is decadently rich and creamy. Ancient rye grain, locally farmed in the wheatbelt, is made into a porridge and mixed into the dough. The malted barley from the brewery next door darkens the colour, and an 11-year-old starter has been in use since the restaurant first opened.

Amuse Bouche

Chef sends a trio of small bites as an amuse-bouche. Albany rock oysters are bright and refreshing, and they have a lovely bite thanks to lemon myrtle mignonette. Albany oysters are only available three to four months of the year – so jump on the chance to try them when you can. A rye tartelette is filled with mushroom custard, pecorino di fossa (a semi-hard Italian sheep’s milk cheese that’s been aged in a “fossa” or pit underground), smoked emu ham (Yes, emu! Those huge flightless Aussie birds resembling ostriches) and shaved macadamias. It’s rich, savoury and mouth-filling. Lastly, oyster crumpets are plump with an akoya parfait (like a duck liver parfait but with pearl oyster), crowned with sea grapes and rings of pickled onion and salmon roe. Usually, pearl oysters are not edible because of the location in which they are grown. However, these come from pristine waters and have a nice minerality to them. They’re umami-forward and both firm and creamy.

Scallops

Cured Shark Bay scallops are a pretty picture with a spring-green and cream palette centring an aquamarine ceramic plate. Cured and sous vide, the scallops maintain their freshness and firmness. Underneath is a yuzu koshu crème fresh. They’re layered with attractive bursts of green finger lime pearls under a veil of apple juice and cinnamon myrtle gel. Black and white sesame seeds, shio kombu, faintly sour yellow star herb and sea fern are sprinkled on top. Completing the picture is a buttermilk sauce and dill oil. The citrus’ acidity is balanced with the sauce. It’s addictive and brilliant with the Verdelho wine mate.

The wine partner, a 2016 Verdelho Mandoon Estate, is a match made in heaven. Coming from plantings dating back to 1895, 20% has been aged in old French oak and the rest in stainless steel. These 120-year-old vines are some of the oldest in Australia. Contrary to what you might expect, the vines continue to produce rich bouquets and aromatics balanced with crispness and a lingering finish. The citrus, nectarine, flint and honeydew notes in this wine work wonderfully with the citrus and cream in the scallops.

Fish

Today’s market fish is Rankin Cod from the Pilbara (a massive, rugged region of northern Western Australia). The fish is firm, sweet, and mildly flavoured. It has been cooked, leaving a light golden hue on the fillet. Tomato water and the roasted bones of the fish are used to make a dashi finished with native lemongrass and butter. Summer greens and Gould’s squid have been warmed in a nori butter sauce are served on the side along with kohlrabi puree, spinach puree. The green tangle of karkalla (a coastal native), ice plant and snow pea tendrils break up the creamy components, adding a lovely freshness.

The grapes for the 2018 Reserve Chardonnay are sourced from Karridale, just south of Margaret River. The fruit is hand-picked, whole brunch pressed and goes through a wild yeast ferment with ageing in old and new French oak barrels. There is a thread of oakiness but it’s balanced and not overpowering alongside stone fruit, toasted almonds and pears. It’s an elegant drop, worth a repeat order.

Beef

I’m “almost” upset that Australia has succumbed to the trend of wagyu. There is so much more to beef than wagyu, but unfortunately, this fashion has swept the world. At its worst, it’s guests willing to pay top dollar for over-marbled fatty cuts of beef that have no meaty bite or flavour. At its best, it’s what Chef Anthony has prepared: a tasty melt-in-the-mouth cut that is well-partnered with thoughtful sides and an excellent wine mate.

The Margaret River wagyu striploin is pink in the middle, lightly browned on the edges and sprinkled with sea salt. It’s a well-sized portion with fresh maitake, shitake and porcini mushrooms grown in an urban farm near Fremantle. Pickled kipfler potatoes, black garlic gel, roasted walnuts, witlof dressed with honey and thyme, shallots sauteed in brown butter, sheets of daikon and sea purselane (another coastal plant) play a delicious savoury, bitter and earthy supporting role. 

Margaret River’s well-drained soils, sea breeze and long, dry ripening season, provide ideal conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon. Mandoon Estate’s 2014 Research Station, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, comes from the original vineyards planted in the region by the Western Australian Department of Agriculture when it first explored the area in the 1970s. With just over 10 years in the bottle, it’s in its peak drinking years and was chosen as Best Cabernet Sauvignon in 2017 by James Halliday! Savoury hints of mushroom and leather, along with smoke, cloves, and vanilla, soften into fruit, smooth tannins, and a natural acidity that does exceptionally well with the beef.

Palate Cleanser

It’s not surprising that the palate cleanser at Wild Swan is drinkable with both a brewery and winery on site. It’s a craft soda of freshly squeezed pear juice infused with Geraldton wax (a citrus-scented herb, not something that surfers from Geraldton rub on their surfboards) and toasted jasmine rice. There’s a lovely depth, sparkle and teeth-licking acidity to it.

Dessert

Pastry Chef Kiran Jetti appears to deliver dessert. After a quick history exchange, we discover we’ve crossed paths internationally on several occasions, most notably at Taj Exotica in the Maldives. His sweet finale is a play between hazelnut, milk chocolate and caramel. Brown butter almond cake layers the base with crunchy toasted hazelnuts, Valhrona Gianduja chocolate (toffee notes), and caramel crémeux incorporated with the chocolate on top. Chocolate foam mixes up the textures, and hazelnut Gianduja ice cream is made in-house (of course, it is).

Although I’m not a big drinker of sweet wines, Swan Valley has a reputation for some beauties. The 2010 Josip Rare Liqueur Frontignac is a fine example. Aged for 10 years in old oak barrels, it’s viscous and treacly, tasting like sticky date pudding in a glass.

Reasons to visit Wild Swan at Mandoon Estate: What is there not to like about dining in a winery? Modern menu using the best regional produce paired with wine made on-site. The tasting menu is a great way try the chef’s talents across several courses. Our favourite wines were the 2016 Verdelho Mandoon Estate and the 2018 Reserve Chardonnay. Red wine fans must try the award-winning 2014 Research Station, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wild Swan at Mandoon Estate
10 Harris Rd, Swan Valley
Caversham WA 6055, Australia
Link to Wild Swan on Google Maps
+61 8 6279 0500
[email protected]
mandoonestate.com.au/eat-drink/wild-swan

Wild Swan at Mandoon Estate Opening Hours
Friday & Saturday: 12 pm – 3 pm & 6 pm – late
Sunday: 12 pm – 3 pm

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