High praise from Ray Jordan for Passel Estate’s latest releases

We are thrilled to share this flush of fantastic reviews in the WA Wine Review 2026 as we prepare to release our newest vintages.

Dedicated to showcasing Western Australias top wines and wineries, the WA Wine Review is written by leading wine writer Ray Jordan, and considered the benchmark in West Australian wine.

2023 Passel Estate Chardonnay
95 points
“This is a first-rate chardonnay from this excellent season, and it may well be the best yet from Passel Estate. On the nose, you open with what is fairly typical of the region, with its strong grapefruit, cut pear, and lime nuances, then a nutty, spicy character adding immediate aromatic complexity. It’s a textured wine with good weight in the middle palate, great balance and poise, but there’s a brightness and minerally energy that sustains a very long finish. The palate is where this wine really hits its straps because there’s a fine touch of subtle French oak, which you can pick up initially on the nose, but then it delivers on the palate.”

2023 Passel Estate Sauvignon Blanc
95 points
“It’s fair to say that sometimes sauvignon blancs can be consumed just a little early, and in good seasons like 2023, when the fruit has balance with lovely pure, pristine acidity and all the fruits you want, a little extra time in the bottle will improve it immeasurably. In this case, it has done just that. On the nose, there’s passionfruit and stone fruit with some nice citrus and a subtle grassy edge, while the palate is really where this wine comes into its own. It’s layered and complex, and the use of just a small amount of French oak has brought it to life, adding both texture and complexity while not overdoing it. This is an excellent wine.”

2018 Passel Estate Lot 71 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
96 points
“This was one of the great Margaret River vintages, and it’s great to see a wine that’s now got 7 years of age being released. It meets every expectation I had. It’s rich, dark, and powerful, and yet it is supremely elegant. In fact, I suggest the extra time in bottle has really fine-tuned it, and it is now drinking, or approaching drinking, at its very best. Lovely blackcurrant, oyster shell, and slightly savoury characters emerge on the nose, then into the palate, which delivers with a little dark chocolate and slightly edgy olive tapenade. It’s a cracking wine.”

2019 Passel Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
94 points
“This was a year that produced beautifully elegant wines of slightly less body, but no less flavour. Loads of leafy blackcurrant aromas with a liberal dose of dark chocolate and edgier black olive. A faint hint of brick dust adds a further level of complexity. The palate is seamlessly woven, with fine sinewy tannins, oak and fruit all laced together. Long palate.. And here’s a perfect illustration of how these wines settle down with even a small amount of bottle age. I gave it another point.”

2023 Passel Estate ‘La Joie’ Méthode Traditionnelle Chenin Blanc
93 points
“There are plenty of chenin blancs being turned into sparkling wines these days, and this is certainly one of the best. I particularly like the expression of the fruit, which has a purity and pristine qualities that highlight the traditional and typical melon-like tropical fruits and crisp acidity that are part of the variety. It also has texture and flavour through the palate, adding another dimension and making it such an appealing wine for current drinking. It would be hard to put down on a summer’s afternoon around the pool.”

2021 Passel Estate Lot 71 Reserve Syrah
95 points
“There have been some excellent examples of this wine over the years, and yet this one from a cooler vintage is certainly one of the best, producing a wine of elegance and poise with a sublimely silky smooth palate. Interestingly, after hand picking, 40% whole bunches were fermented and matured for 16 months in larger format French oak. The result is a wine that is perfectly integrated and seamless, with fine tannins in support. Spicy dark plum, cocoa and chocolate, and a nice gravelly savoury finish complete an excellent wine.”