The Rise of Forest Hill
11 wines including the New Releases &…
The Highly praised 2023 Forest Hill Cabernet Malbec
"This is a beautiful wine." and 96 Points - Erin Larkin
96 Points - Mike Bennie
96 Points - Ray Jordan
95+ Campbell Mattinson
2023 Forest Hill Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon
Trophy – Best Cabernet of Challenge and 97 Points - James Halliday Cabernet Challenge 2024
98 Points - Ray Jordan
96 Points & Special Value Wine Mike Bennie
What the Critics are saying…
“Great wines, and a slice of history.”
- Huon Hooke, The Real Review on "Forest Hill’s “historic rieslings” 2021
“As a collection, the dozen wines we tasted represented the best I had enjoyed from this pioneering Great Southern producer, with a history that goes back more than 50 years.” - Ray Jordan, accompanied by the following scores:
98 Points - 2022 Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon
96 Points - 2023 Block 1 Riesling
96 Points - 2022 Block 9 Shiraz
2023 Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon - 97 points and Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon at the James Halliday Cabernet Challenge 2024, for the second year in a row…as well as Trophy for Best in Region for the third year in a row!
The newly released 2024 Block 2 Riesling won gold and 95 points at the prestigious 2024 Royal Melbourne Wine Show.
Monday 27 October
Hosted by Guy Lyons General Manager & Winemaker
Masterclass: 5.30-7pm, 11 Wines with Kate Lamont nibbles, $65.00
Dinner: 7:30pm, 11 Wines & 4 Course Menu, $145.00 - Sold Out
(16 pax. capacity, private backroom event.)
About Forest Hill Wines
Forest Hill Vineyard has a unique place in the history of Western Australia’s wine industry, being the first cool climate vineyard planted in the state. Following extensive research throughout the South-West, a site was chosen on the property owned by Tony and Betty Pearce and in 1965 a two hectare vineyard was planted.
50 years on Forest Hill is family owned and run. The wines are crafted in our winery in Denmark with the grapes sourced from the old, dry grown, Forest Hill Vineyard in Mount Barker. Our wines reflect the site, the season and the people that nurture them.
Our family has established roots in the Great Southern, beginning in the West Tambellup region. Since this time we have had family farming grain, sheep and specialist crops in the South-West.
We first purchased a farming property in the Mount Barker region in the early 1990’s, and then acquired the Forest Hill property, which was next door, in 1996. We have a passion for the region, it’s climate and the wines, and recognise Forest Hill as a unique and historic property. The philosophy of dry-farming the vineyards was an original character which we have continued and believe in. We see ourselves as custodians of Forest Hill and it’s old vines and have focussed on re-habilitation of the creek-lines and other areas to rejuvenate the property to its historical condition, planting large numbers of native trees on the property.
As one of the five sub-regions of the Great Southern, Mount Barker has some of the oldest vines in the district and is considered the birthplace of that vast wine region. Its rippling terrain is prime territory to grow much of Mount Barker’s award-winning wines, including cabernet sauvignon and shiraz. The vines experience warm days and cooling nights due to the climate of the region, and although often low yielding, they produce high-quality grapes. This creates elegant and complex fruit, which shows fine tannins and incredible length. Other key varietals of the area include pinot noir, chardonnay and riesling.
The Great Southern wine region, situated within the ancient, rugged and pristine environment bordering the south coast of Western Australia, is the coolest in Western Australia. Soils are mostly lateritic gravelly and sandy loams, or sandy loams derived from granite bedrock. Stretching north, east and west from Western Australia’s south coast, the largest wine-growing region in mainland Australia takes in five nominated sub-regions; Albany, Denmark, Frankland River, Mount Barker and Porongurup, all producing distinctive fine wines that benefit from cool climate viticulture in a clean, green environment.
Guy Lyons - Our Host
Forest Hill General Manager and Winemaker
Igniting his interest while working at Forest Hill Vineyard during his school holidays, Guy moved interstate to study a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Oenology) at the University of Adelaide. With a diverse background, and experience in Australia, France and Germany, Guy now works within all aspects of Forest Hill. An advocate of managing the vineyard to produce wines that reflect and respect the site as well as its history.
The Wines
First Bracket
2025 Forest Hill Estate Riesling (Pre-Release)
2025 Forest Hill Block 2 Riesling (New Release)
Lifted aromas of white and red flowers, yellow peach and sweet citrus. The palate has a backbone of minerality and packed with citrus and fresh cut melon flavor. Juicy and softly textured, the palate has lovely balance with the fruit sweetness and natural acidity working harmoniously.
Tasting Notes, Forest Hill
2024 Forest Hill Block 1 Riesling
From the old vines, planted in '65. Such a serious and seriously delicious wine. Compact and energetic, tightly wound with green apple, lime, pink grapefruit, pumice stone minerality, faint ginger and green almond notes. It's racy but has impeccable pucker and tightness in texture, too. Brilliant length. Crystalline texture. Big volume of pretty perfume, citrus blossom floral, citrus fruit, some saline-nutty elements, dashes of bath salts. Sheesh, this is such a brilliant wine.
96 Points - Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion
Salmon carpaccio, ginger, black garlic
Second Bracket
2024 Forest Hill Estate Chardonnay
A lavish, lush chardonnay which has richness but not a lot of intensity, which should suit many. Toasty, sweet spices, a lick of toffee apple, some lime and preserved lemon citrus influence, a bit of talc and quite a dose of cinnamon, coconut water and cedary notes. It washes over the senses well, albeit not particularly complex. A bit diffuse, perhaps, although generally pleasing.
Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion
2024 Forest Hill Block 8 Chardonnay
This is quite a toasty, oak-laden chardonnay, but finds good power from fruit character. There's refreshing mineral veins, frisky, limey acidity and a good dose of chardonnay 101 in stone fruits, green apple and richness of green figs. A lot on! Complex, layered and yet succulent, too. Distinct and distinguished chardonnay.
95 Points - Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion
Mushroom and melted leek tart, fraiche
Extra Bracket - Pinot Noir
Forest Hill Pinot Noir 2024, Our Price $45
Lonely Shore Pinot Noir 2024, Our Price $45
“Each of these 2 Liam Carmody made Pinots are amongst WA and Australia’s greatest value under $50 Pinots.”
18.6 Points - JJ (John Jens)
Third Bracket
2023 Forest Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Pre-Release)
2023 Forest Hill Cabernet Malbec
96 Points - Mike Bennie
96 Points - Erin Larkin
96 Points - Ray Jordan
95+ Campbell Mattinson
This is delicious. It's sweet fruited but has this sense of herbal complexity, red earthy savouriness, fine cinnamon and clove spice, green olive in brine saltiness and greenery. The tannins are so very fine, elegant, sleek and keep the wine compact and refreshing. Medium weight, just, and perfectly so. Beautifully, tightly wound, with supreme length and a sense of finesse. Glorious red wine.
96 Points - Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion
2023 Forest Hill Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon
Trophy – Best Cabernet of Challenge
97 Points - James Halliday Cabernet Challenge 2024
98 Points - Ray Jordan
96 Points & Special Value Wine Mike Bennie
I’ve been waiting for this wine to emerge from the shadows of the cellar. This is a great vintage, and the result is one of the best wines, if not the best, yet from Forest Hill. This is a single dry-grown bock planted in 1975. This is cabernet in its most beautiful, structured and dominant form. Light leaf over blackcurrant with a black olive and minerally oyster shell layer. The palate is sublimely integrated, featuring a firm yet linear and fine tannin thread, complemented by perfectly weighted oak. A gem.
98 Points - Ray Jordan, rayjordanwines.com
2022 Forest Hill Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon
Trophy and 97 Points - ‘Best of Region’ 2023 James Halliday Australian Chardonnay and Cabernet Challenge
This is tightly curled in its youth, but its beauty can already be seen. Feminine, complex and perfumed, this speaks of the soil it was grown in and the history of the gnarly vines. Intensity paired with timeless elegance. The fruit sits in the savoury spectrum of sundried tomato, barberries, red apple skin, forest floor and she-oak needles, alongside smoky sage, sea lavender, native rosemary, salted plum and dried nori. The fruit is woven with a thread of graphite, while the fine oak is only lightly seasoned and will settle with time. So much generosity of expression on the palate. Supple, the tannins are firm yet malleable and finely chewable. The structure is superb. A deeply expressive wine that is sure of itself. This is couture. Dry-grown vines, Houghton Clone, planted in 1975.
97 Points - Cassandra Charlick, Decanter
Pancetta wrapped chicken, salsa verde
Fourth Bracket
2023 Forest Hill Estate Shiraz
…ripe red berry, sweet cherry, cinnamon buns, clove and dark chocolate drinking powder all going on here. A bit of warmth, some breathiness, but the general sweet fruit/savoury mesh works well and delivers a full experience of medium-plus-weight shiraz. It's a pleasing drink and inviting to all comers.
Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion
2023 Forest Hill Block 9 Shiraz
This excellent block has been dry grown since being planted in 1985. A little more hands-on here compared to the standard shiraz with hand plunging daily. Once again, it has been put into a larger format oak, which helps strike such a precise oak and fruit balance. It’s an elegant wine with bright red fruits displaying some quite exotic spices and a little dried herb. Plenty of time in the cellar will enhance.
97 Points - Ray Jordan, rayjordanwines.com