About
"Express Winemakers are about producing wines that are uniquely expressive of their origins. We currently lease and manage four small vineyards in the Mount Barker and Porongurup sub-regions of Western Australia’s Great Southern. We feel that the cool climate and ancient decomposed granite soils of the Great Southern lends itself to low yielding vines producing high quality fruit, which is necessary to make expressive minimal intervention wines.
We farm our vineyards using organic practices eschewing the use of synthetic chemicals. We don’t irrigate our vineyards forcing the vines to send roots deep into the sub-soil. Our fruit is all hand harvested and crushed by foot, commonly employing whole bunches including the stalks. Both primary and malo-lactic fermentation occur spontaneously with native yeast and bacteria. Movement of the wine is kept to a minimum and no fining or filtration is used. We believe that these practices as well as being better for the environment, help create delicious wines that express a sense of place." - Express Winemakers
Latest Releases
2025 ‘Franklandia’ Riesling
The Wine Front review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 29 November 2025
'This is a single vineyard wine from the vines of L’enclos du Tertre. It holds around three grams of sugar.
Crikey. Sensational. Proper stuff. Delicious. Lime, ginger, green almond, sweet lemon, candied citrus peel, hazy green apple, a light pithy-chalky note. It has a juiciness, a softness to texture, a length of flavour with a saline trail following through. Energetic, vivacious. Pure feeling even with the lilt of sugar. It’s wonderfully energetic and the drinkability is off the charts. The balance here is sublime. Top flight.'
95 Points
2023 Chenin Blanc, Trappers Gully Vineyard, Mt Barker
From our longest serving vineyard, the Great Southern’s only Chenin Blanc planting. The wine possesses crisp acidity and fleshy texture at once. Characters include green apples, almonds, just ripe stone fruit and wet rocks along with a salty brininess, it finishes with chalky phenolics.
The Wine Front Review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 29 November 2025
'Gosh, when chenin blanc is good it is a really good drink. Textural, salty whites ahoy!
Here’s a salty, textural white, indeed. Preserved lemon, ginger tea, hazelnut, cumquat, pink grapefruit. It’s all happening. It feels juicy but also curiously talc-like in texture, lengthy and fresh. A cloudy nature to the wine, but the DNA of the variety in its leaner, friskier guise is all here. This one won’t hit the sink, it’s a true winner. Yum.'
93 Points
2025 ‘L’Orange’ Riesling/ Semillon, Great Southern
Taken from the same vineyard we have been making this wine from since 2017, that we’ve dubbed ‘Franklandia’ in the heart of the Great Southern’s Frankland subregion. Obvious citrus characters including orange, lemon and grapefruit as well as barley sugar and iced tea. The palate is generous and round with a firm structure and mouth coating tannins.
The Wine Front review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 29 November 2025
'Riesling and semillon on skins for eight days, then to a mix of wood, steel and concrete.
Powdery texture, tangy acidity, refreshing orange wine with good energy and bite. Lemon-lime, ginger, mandarin, quince, black tea. What fun. Feels super cool, refreshing, almost a ‘lite’ kombucha feel here in the best sense. It brings great vitality and friskiness. It does a lot for the word drinkability. It’s a party and you are invited.'
92 Points
2024 Rosé
The Wine Front review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 29 November 2025
'It’s a blend of pinot noir and chardonnay here.
Slurpy and juicy, a bit of surprising weight for the alcohol level, nutty savouriness distinct in Campari and blood orange. Fun kinda vibe. Little dusting of spice bringing energy. There’s a kind of more vinous, light red expression going on here despite the light colour and general weight. It’s cool, it’s something different, feels kinda fancy in its disco fun fun fun way.'
91 Points
2024 ‘Drinking Wine - Red, Great Southern
A bright and smashable fridge red fashioned from Syrah, Malbec and Pinot Noir. Playful flavours of cherries, red liquorice and cream soda are balanced by natural acidity.
Vineyards: Lecco Vineyard (Syrah), Fox River Vineyard (Syrah) and Crystal Brook Vineyard (Pinot Noir) in Mount Barker and L’enclos du Tertre Vineyard (Malbec) in Frankland.
2024 Pinot Noir ‘Island Mountain Vineyard’, Porongorups
A Pinot Noir grown on one of Western Australia’s coolest and most elevated sites in what was a warmer year. Displaying some cherry and strawberry characters alongside rhubarb, cloves, white pepper and a suggestion of autumn leaves. The palate is plush and generous and becomes savoury with remarkable length, it finishes up with silky tannin.
The Wine Front review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 1 December 2025
'Island Mountain sounds like something out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and it is kind of in a way, up in the heights of Porongurup hills and a mature enough vineyard. Nice one.
This finds some mojo, silky, perfumed, dark cherry, sweet spice, rose water, game meat, vibrancy. Beautiful carriage of fruit, spice, game meat character, purity of fruit, richness of fruit and freshness overall. Quite a bit of depth, a thick but soft palate and a gentle stain of creamy nougat, cherry and cinnamon lingering. Easy as. Not complicated, but a super pleasing, richer yet refreshing style and just darn delicious.'
93 Points
2023 Malbec ‘Franklandia Vineyard’, Frankland
Hailing from a dry grown and organically farmed site in Frankland, this wine displays dark, youthful characters with an underlying complexity. The palate is densely packed with berry characters alongside more savoury game meat, coffee and dark chocolate characters. The tannin is velvety in nature and the natural acidity is mellow, but helps provide structure for this wine.
The Wine Front review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 1 December 2025
'Malbec mania. MANIA. Not really, pretty mellow here.
Super plush, very gentle and lovely. Ripe plum, milk chocolate, choc-liquorice, some sage leaf, a little astringent cinnamon character though the gist here is all the creamy, rich, suppleness of the variety. Easy drinking, vibrant fruit, good depth, tick tick tick. Ultra charming and with enough shape and grip to convince. Lush and good stuff.'
91 Points
(Image: Ryan O'Meara - Express Winemakers | Photo by Nic Duncan)