The Best By Farr!
Posted by Joe Perry on 9th Jul 2020
The brand new 2018 reds from By Farr have landed here in store along with the 2019 Chardonnay. Gary Farr is one of the most iconic figures in Australian wine, he has put the Geelong region on the map for some of the greatest Pinot Noir produced in the southern hemisphere. Along with some incredible Pinot he also produces some benchmark Shiraz, Viognier, and Chardonnay.
Along with the addition of his son Nick Farr to the winemaking team, the monumental quality of these wines go from strength to strength. The reds of 2018 might be some of the best ever made, and with a history of selling out in record time, these will surely not last long either
2018 Harvest Notes: Vintage by Farr - Harvest 2019
There has been great resilience shown this year by vineyard and vigneron as we look back and consider the season that was 2018/2019.
The vineyard and earth’s surface has never looked this dry, yet the performance of the vines this vintage was remarkable. We learn so much about our soils and vines health each vintage. To still see an abundance of foliage on the vine at this stage of the year, exhibits to the vignerons that the continual aeration, moisture penetration and general biological approach to viticulture is working in our unique and harsh Australian site.
With little to no rain during the Spring months, the vineyards were very reliant on the (lower than average) sub soil moisture from lower Winter rainfall. Moving through the months of November and December, it was apparent that we were in for lower than average yields, and as we started to irrigate some vineyards in mid-December, we were very conscious not to give the vines false hope, leading to unsustainable canopy and fruit load on the vines. When irrigating the vineyards in years like this, we find it is best to only help maintain the natural progression of the vines, regardless of the potential yields that further irrigation can bring.
By Farr Farrside Pinot Noir 2018
$86.95 each or $78.25 in a mixed 6
'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.'
By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir 2018
$86.95 each or $78.25 in any mixed 6
'What a truly, seriously good wine this is. I’m not sure how they produced this from the 2018 season but produce it they have.
Length. Power. Personality. And presence. Not set within a varietal straight-jacket but set within a varietal context. Undergrowth, tang, woodsmoke, sweet-meaty-spices, more length, more dry flavour-infused tannin, more dazzle, more substance, more than you could expect or beg to ask. I looked at this over the course of 24 hours and but the end my head was spinning. I love wine. I loved this wine. This frankly is what it’s all about.'
- 96 points. Campbell Mattison, Winefront
$74.95 each or $67.45 in any mixed 6
'This is a dry red wine of terrific intensity, structure and complexity.
Strange thing to say about a shiraz grown in the Geelong region but there’s something a little Nebbiolo-esque about it. Not in its flavour profile, but in the way it goes about things. It’s not weighty or thick but it feels powerful; it offers fruit and an array of flavours but its feet are planted in acid and tannin; its peppery dryness kicks on again just when you thought it might stop. Basically it sets its style and the quality takes care of itself, which as it happens is (very) high.'
- 96 points. Campbell Mattison, Winefront
$86.95 each or $78.25 in any mixed 6
We’re going to stick with the title By Farr Chardonnay if it’s the last thing we do.
'No matter what you call it, this is a beautiful wine. It covers the bases of freshness, flavour, texture and length and then adds the indefinable. If you feel in desperate need of one long lazy afternoon then this hands it to you. It’s stone fruity and grapefruit-edged and flinty and none of those things. Its cedarwood notes are painted on the bare skin of chardonnay. Trust. From the first sip it establishes trust.'
- 96 points. Campbell Mattison, Winefront