“It’s easy to say, now that we are where we are, that the By Farr endeavour was always going, at some stage, to move from excellent to elite, or from very good to superb. In wine, such a conclusion is never foregone, and no matter how hard anyone tries, it will forever remain out of the reach of most. And yet, By Farr is now here; it is one of the best.” James Halliday
By Farr burst onto the scene some 20 years ago, their inaugural launch receiving the attention and accoldes of far more established brands. They’re a winery that needs no introduction, establishing themselves as one of Australia’s finest producers of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the short time since they began.
The reds in this release are from the 2024 vintage, something of a nail-biter for the winery. Beginning the vintage filled with hope, low rainfall had them on tenterhooks as they moved into Spring. The reds maintained a low, slow maturation pace, building a tension and depth that is palpable in the finished wine.
On the other hand, we have the Chardonnay from 2025, a vintage that winemaker Nick Farr describes as “fast and furious”. After months of inactivity in the vineyard, the vines hit maturity like dominos falling one after another. It was a hectic vintage, that yielded electric wines with great liveliness and plenty of acidity. With time in the cellar, I have no doubt this wine will keep on giving for many years to come.
2025 Chardonnay
“The weight of the wine is in the goldilocks zone, there are no angles that aren’t aligned, it feels smooth, chiselled and in proportion. […] complex, layered and thrilling. Find oysters to eat while you drink it, find a sea breeze and a view. Find a friend to sit next to, or drink it thinking of them.” Ben Knight
2024 Farrside Pinot Noir
“The new Farrside delivers notes of earth, petals, dark ripe fruit and black tea. It smells of spices, dried herbs and lifted notes that remind me of the stems that give this wine such power and life…” Ben Knight
2024 Sangreal Pinot Noir
“[The 2024 Sangreal] smells like wine that I recall when people ask me, how good can wine be, or is there a difference between cheap wine and expensive wine. It smells like wine that I dream about, it smells like wine that made me fall in love with wine.” Ben Knight
2024 Shiraz
“…graphite, black olives, it feels silky yet there is a note of ocean spray, a faint yet lovely salinity, then follows the spice. […] few Australian Shiraz come close to that level of finesse, texture and savoriness. It’s By Farr Shiraz, that’s a far better way to describe it.” Ben Knight
