Sandalford Wines Swan Valley, Western Australia
Monica Tindall
If you had to guess, where would you say the oldest wine regions in Australia are? The Barossa? Margaret River?
Neither of the above.
It’s the Hunter Valley in NSW and the Swan Valley in Western Australia—not my first two guesses. In all fairness, I have been working overseas for most of my adult life and, perhaps unpatriotically, writing about European wines for the past decade. It might be a poor excuse, but it’s also one of the most exciting parts about wine writing – there is ALWAYS something new to learn. So that’s my new interesting fact (probably to be repeated tirelessly at dinner parties over the next few months while my husband rolls his eyes “again”). Swan Valley winemaking dates back to 1829, making it the second oldest wine region in all of Australia, while Margaret River, its premium internationally-recognised cousin, only began in the 1960s.
And what better place to learn the history of the Swan Valley than Sandalford Wines, a Western Australian institution?
John Septimus Roe, the colony’s first Surveyor General, was granted 4,000 acres of land in Swan Valley in 1840. He named it after his English home, and Sandalford became the birthplace of the winery. Now helmed by the Prendiville family since 1991, Sandalford is one of Australia’s oldest and largest privately owned wineries.
While the family also has vineyards in Margaret River, the Swan Valley property is where the public can have wine experiences. With over 150,000 visitors yearly, the winery buzzes with life, offering everything from cellar door tastings to winery tours and award-winning cuisine. It’s also an entertainment venue famous for concerts under the stars.
We’ve walked across from Mandoon Estate, where we’ve been staying the past few days, just a 150-metre shortcut through the fence. However, if you arrive by vehicle, you’ll come down a long driveway lined by trees, Verdelho and Chenin blanc vineyards, and a rolling lawn that leads down to a duck-filled pond. It’s postcard-picture perfect.
Cellar Door at Sandalford Wines
We meet Jamie Forrest, cellar door manager at Sandalford Wines, for a brief history lesson and wine tasting. Jamie is composed and knowledgeable, and his eyes sparkle when I ask about food pairings for each wine. I know we’re going to be friends. Aren’t people who love food and wine the best people?
Ross Pamment is currently the senior winemaker at Sandalford Wines and has been awarded James Halliday’s and Ray Jordan’s Winemaker of the Year on separate occasions. Jamie describes his work as scientific artistry, harnessing the best of the terroir and grapes to make them thrive in the glass.
Sandalford Wines
Jamie takes us through a tasting that I admit is preferentially more white than red. Perth has been suffering a heat wave, and the forty-plus temperatures have us needing cool refreshment.
1840 & Winemaker’s Range
The 1840 and Winemaker’s Range are easy-drinking wines with approachable price points and are generally ready to drink right now. All of the grapes in this range are from the Swan Valley except for the tempranillo, which is from Ferguson Valley (there sure seem to be a lot of valleys in winemaking!).
We begin with one of Sandalford’s bestsellers, the iconic 1840 Verdelho (AUD 35). It’s stainless steel-fermented and aged on the lees for two months, which gives it a light creaminess and complexity. The 2024 vintage has lovely lifted aromatics of honeydew melon, freshly cut lime and guava that follow through in the palate. At a whopping 14%, it’s a full-bodied white with balanced acidity, making it an excellent food mate or a quaffer. Jamie said he just had this last night matched with delicious chicken tortellini, a creamy mushroom pea sauce and freshly grated Parmesan. I want to dine at Jamie’s house.
The other iconic white wine varietal of the Swan Valley is Chenin Blanc. The 1840 Sandalford Chenin Blanc (AUD 35), 2024 vintage, has gone through two ferments – 75% kept on lees in stainless for two months and 25% kept on lees in secondary French barriques for two months. Its high acidity is smoothed out as a result. There are golden pear, apple, spicy citrus notes, and a faint oak influence that brings in the texture. Jamie suggests its increased complexity makes it a great food wine and proposes chicken satay as a fine choice.
You know I’m a huge proponent of more rosé drinking in Southeast Asia, and Sandalford’s 1840 Grenache Rosé 2024 (AUD 38) fits the bill. It’s pale in hue with a fresh whiff of spring, rose petals, hibiscus, and pomegranate. It’s on the dryer side, light in body, and has a lovely acidity. With a couple of these in an ice bucket, I’m ready to call the girls for a poolside session.
Margaret River Collection
The Margaret River Collection is similar to the 1840 and Winemaker’s range in that they’re easy-drinking, entry price-point wines made for drinking in their youth. As we also have a wine-paired lunch scheduled for today, we skip this group and take a step up with the Estate Reserve Wilyabrup selection.
Estate Reserve Wilyabrup
Estate Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2024 (AUD 27) is a classic blend from Margaret River. The wines are fermented separately and then blended, brandishing lovely aromas of passionfruit, white stone fruits, and some grassy notes. The purity of the fruit shines through, and structure and texture are maintained on the palate with bright acidity. I like the salinity in the finish, and Jamie endorses fresh whiting as a great food companion.
Cellar Reserve Pemberton
Next is something very special, only available at Sandalford Wine’s cellar door or at the restaurant. It’s a cool climate 2024 Sandalford Cellar Reserve Chardonnay (AUD 55). It’s the first year in the making, but its popularity with guests begs it to be repeated. It spent nine months on French oak, 50% new, with partial malolactic fermentation contributing creaminess balanced with acidity. It’s youthful but already delivering so much. Seafood would make a dream team, like seared scallops in a lightly browned butter sauce, crayfish, or lobster on the grill brushed with butter and maybe a sprinkling of green herbs.
Prendiville Reserve Collection
With the owners’ names on the label, you know we’ve saved the best for last. Only hand-selected fruit gets into these barrels. It’s the wine maker’s pick of the best of the best.
There were only 10 barrels made of the Prendiville Reserve Chardonnay 2023 (AUD 135). You can find the number made inside a red shape on the front label of each vintage. We happily drink it now (and order more for our upcoming lunch to have with our Rankin cod in beurre blanc) but it could effortlessly age for another 10 years (if you can keep it that long). In cooler climates, it’s stored in the red wine fridge at 17 degrees, doing best with a touch of air and the chill taken off the edges. It’s been in barrels for nine months with 50 % on new oak, once more striking an ideal balance between creaminess, wood influence, refreshing fruit, and acidity. Peach and citrus on the nose are balanced with gentle spice. It’s young, but the flavours are already starting to integrate.
We must try one last wine for our red-loving friends, and oh boy, is it a beauty. Once more, only the best of the best have been allowed in the Prendiville Reserve Shiraz 2018 (AUD 135), and only 22 barrels were made. It spent 14 months in French oak, 80% of it new. You can tell the fruit’s high quality as it’s not overpowered by the oak. Instead, it’s super elegant, a balance of fruit and oak, and already leading into secondary and tertiary aromas. Jamie confirms this is a fantastic friend to beef ragu with lashings of Parmesan.
Reasons to visit Sandalford Wines: second oldest wine region in all of Australia; beautiful estate well set up for wine tourism; knowledgeable and passionate staff; you must try their 1840 Verdelho and Chenin Blanc to get a taste of the region, and don’t miss the opportunity to get your hands on the limited Sandalford Cellar Reserve Chardonnay and Prendiville Reserve Chardonnay.
Sandalford Wines
3210 W Swan Rd, Swan Valley
Caversham WA 6055, Australia
Link to Sandalford Wines on Google Maps
+61 08 9374 9301
www.sandalford.com
[email protected]
Sandalford Wines Cellar Door Opening Hours
Daily: 10 am – 5 pm
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