“It hardly needs be said, that the Farrs are true vignerons: they grow their own grapes on their own land, don’t buy in any grapes for their own label (they do produce Irrewarra wines sourced from another property), they vinify, mature and bottle their own wines on the property, thus controlling the entire process. They know what they want and they’ve worked out how to achieve it—over many years of hard slog.” - Huon Hooke, The Real Review
It was no surprise to many, including ourselves, when By Farr once again took out Winery of the Year for Australia 2025 from The Real Review back in May (previously winning in 2022) - a sign of their shining status as a stalwart of cool-climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Led by Nick Farr (son of Gary & Robyn, who first established the estate in 1994), this family nurture a fine balance between old-world sensibilities and new-world approachability - a contrast made possible by the cool-climate terroirs down in Geelong, Victoria!
We look to highlight this modern Aussie icon at our weekend tasting this Saturday (19th July), pouring between 12 and 2pm. On show will be their newest releases, including a set of 2024 whites (Irrewarra Chardonnay, Viognier, Chardonnay) and 2023 reds (Farrside Pinot, Shiraz, Sangreal Pinot), plus popping open our last bottles of last year's Tout Prés Pinot Noir 2022 for good measure! 2024 was a season on the milder side conditions-wise, with warmer weather coming through around the time of picking, making for whites that flex classic Farr elegance and a reserved sense of power. 2023 was a far wetter year, on the other hand, but the talented team managed to fight off the major risks of disease pressure and canopy overgrowth, and while the first day of picking didn't arrive until March, it's made for reds of ample backbone and heightened perfume.
Don't just take our word for it, though; be sure to make it in come Saturday, and find your stance on how they currently look; we think it'll be a positive one!
By Farr Wine Releases + Weekend Tasting
Saturday 19th July
(12 to 2pm)
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Irrewarra Chardonnay 2024 -
Available for $75
"I had to check the notes for the previous release to make sure I wasn’t indulging in hyperbole two years in a row. The 2024 Irrewarra Chardonnay is brilliant. Lovely white gold in the glass the palate cool from the fridge yet immediately giving. It has a softness that defers to finer notes of acidity, ripe citrus and barley sugar; delicate honey and creaminess. In a world where making everyone happy is next to impossible, this wine, in my opinion goes as close to universal appeal as it can. Generosity combined with finesse, flavour and restraint. It may seem contradictory, but this is a wine in which you see that conflict play out in the glass. It’s very, very delicious. As always, the big problem will be getting enough to drink and also keep some in the cellar. I found myself glugging rather than sipping, as it is such a pleasure to drink." - Ben Knight, Wine Educator & Journalist (benandwine.com)
Viognier 2024 -
Available for $115
"The By Farr Viognier consists of a blend of fruit from two vineyards. The first is the original house block, planted in 1994, which is friable red soil over limestone leading to sandstone—similar soils to the Sangreal pinot noir and By Farr chardonnay. The second vineyard is a younger planting of unknown clones in red ironstone soil. Foot stomped and left for two or more hours on its skins to extract the phenols, flavour and texture. The fruit is then pressed, cooled and put straight into barrel with all solids for a natural fermentation. Gentle stirring during the end of autumn encourages malolactic fermentation, which softens the finish by converting the tart malic acid to lactic acid. The wine is then racked, fined and filtered. A lovely perfumed, yet subtle expression of viognier. Fresh peach and apricot flavours as a young wine, which we believe will intensify over time. The palate is restrained, luscious and shows a ginger-flavoured freshness with underlying power and lingering aftertaste. This wine benefits beautifully from 12 months of bottle ageing, as the acid softens." - Winemaker Notes
Chardonnay 2024 -
Available for $115
"The By Farr Chardonnay comes from the same site as the Sangreal pinot noir—composed of red soil over limestone—and was planted in 1994. The limestone of this site starts 20 to 30cm below the surface, to the depths of the root zone of the vines. It is a very exposed north-facing slope. The clones used for the chardonnay are a mixture of Dijon clones and Penfolds 58. The fruit is hand-picked then whole-bunch pressed in the winery. All the solids are collected and chilled before being put to barrel, which are 30 per cent new French oak. A very mineral site for chardonnay. The trademark characteristics of the wine produced on our site are understated power and length with a mineral finish. The wine has a great fruit expression that is well integrated with French oak. The soil characteristics have come through in the style of wine we have today. The palate is fine but firm, with great acidity, texture and length. This wine is rich in flavour, yet very refined." - Winemaker Notes
Farrside Pinot Noir 2023 -
Available for $115
"The Farrside vineyard sits on a northeast-facing slope and consists of limestone topped with black volcanic soil. The vines were planted in 2001 and run east-west to protect the fruit from overexposure to the sun. Even though the Farrside and Sangreal vineyards are only 300 metres apart, the darker soils and cooler growing conditions of the Farrside vineyard mean these grapes are picked 10 to 12 days after all others, producing a more masculine and edgy wine. The fruit is hand-picked and sorted in the vineyard, then fermented in an open-top fermenter. Each vintage of Farrside pinot noir exhibits more masculinity, structure and savoury components, while deep meaty, spicy and mineral flavours also continue to evolve. A balanced array of red and black fruits, Farrside pinot noir is fresh and edgy with bucketloads of character. This is a firm yet delicate wine with a long-textured finish." - Winemaker Notes
Shiraz 2023 -
Available for $115
"Shiraz fruit comes from the original By Farr vineyard, planted in 1994. It lies on a north-facing slope, and the red volcanic soil has a base of limestone with deep-set sandstone. All fruit is hand-picked from the VSP trellising, with 20 per cent left as whole bunches in the fermentation. It is a natural fermentation, with the fruit remaining in the tank for 19 days before pressing. Shiraz sees 18 months in French oak, 20 per cent being new, and is bottled under vacuum. A powerful nose, with the depth and complexity of cool-climate shiraz. This wine is spiced with pepper and mineral elements, leaning towards earthy. The co-fermented viognier adds a little richness to both the bouquet and palate, which has a very pleasant sweetness to start, followed by intense fruit and earthy long tannins to complete the delicate structure and overall elegance of the wine." - Winemaker Notes
Sangreal Pinot Noir 2023 -
Available for $139
"The Sangreal vineyard was planted in 1994, making it our oldest vineyard. It lies on a north-facing slope and the soil composition is bluestone and overlaying limestone, with red ironstone colouring the surface. This is unlike our other vineyards, which are mostly black volcanic soil with heavy amounts of limestone on the surface. The vine rows run north-south, receiving full sun exposure throughout the day, resulting in more perfumed, prettier wines. This is always the first vineyard to be harvested. The clones used in Sangreal are 114 and 115, which we believe have mutated over time to become the ‘Sangreal clone’, now within its own microclimate. Sangreal is consistently made with 70 per cent whole bunch and aged in 70 percent new oak. It is fermented in a five-tonne oak barrel with an open-top fermenter, and cold soaked for four days before a natural fermentation of seven to nine days. Once the cap falls, the tank is pressed. The wine is racked only once after malolactic fermentation, then sulphured and bottled, the entire process taking a total of 18 months. The wine is unfined and unfiltered in order to retain its natural flavour and bouquet. Sangreal is the most seamless and perfumed of the three single-vineyard pinots. Each year the same descriptive notes come to mind for this wine: seductive, perfumed, seamless balance and moreish. It is a site that wavers very little in more difficult vintages and excels in the great ones—this is the backbone of By Farr wines. The alluring characters of this vineyard, combined with red fruits, whole bunch, acidity and oak, have produced a beautifully interwoven expression of site and vintage. That’s what it’s all about." - Winemaker Notes
$160 on special this week; $178 RRP
"Deep and bright, youthful colour with lots of purple in the rim and great limpidity. The first aroma is of root vegetables, potato and parsnip, gradually giving way to rich ripe dark cherry that floods the palate with succulent sweet fruit flavour and beautifully balanced fine-grained tannins. The tannins provide a backbone and a counter-balance to all that opulent fruit. A totally impressive and convincing pinot noir. It has wow factor." - 98 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
"The Tout Pres vineyard was planted in 2001 with 7300 vines per hectare. The wine sees 100% whole bunches. This wine held me transfixed. It has all the spice in the world, more soil and beet characters than an agrarian kitchen, cherried flavours arranged in firm lines and in number, and a presence that is somehow more than its sum. This is firm. This wine has a cool power. It’s meaty, spicy, floral and more. But most importantly of all, drinking it is an affair to remember." - 95 Points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
If you wish to buy any of these wines, please use the links above
Alternatively, email us at sales@thewineemporium.com.au, or contact us on (07)32521117 if you have any questions
// Special prices valid until Thursday the 24th of July