Gary Farr is one of the most iconic winemakers in the country. He was responsible for taking Bannockburn Vineyards in Geelong to the startling heights it reached; one of the benchmark producers of Burgundian varieties in the country. His own label, By Farr, is considered to be Australia’s leading producer of those same varieties. The Farr vineyards are based in the Moorabool Valley in Geelong, with a wide array of ancient soils resulting in small yields of incredibly intensely flavoured Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Shiraz and Viognier. With Gary’s son Nick now pulling the winemaking reigns alongside his father, this is a project set to dominate Geelong wine for years to come.
96 Points James Halliday
Here 40– 50% of the grapes are destemmed, the remainder left as whole bunches, and this increases complexity with its foresty, gamey (in the good sense), spicy overlay to the black cherry and plum fruit. The outstanding feature of the wine is its weight, suspended by some magic just above the palate – you sense it rather than taste it.