Tasting Notes 🍇

• Appearance
  Deep, vibrant red with a dense core and youthful edge.
• Aromatics
  Exudes excitement from the glass. Violets, cassis and dark chocolate sit over classic cool climate notes of vegetable drawer savouriness, earthy tones and mulberry leaves. Complex and inviting.
• Palate
  Medium to full bodied with real drive. Dry, elegant tannins are nicely integrated with fresh sweet berry fruit. Blackcurrant, dark cherry and plum sit alongside cocoa, dried herbs and earthy nuances. The old vine concentration shows in the intensity of flavour without the wine feeling heavy.
• Finish
  Long, structured and mouth watering, with fine tannins and dark fruit carrying right through the finish. A serious, age worthy Cabernet that still feels harmonious and very drinkable now.

Vineyard & Vintage 🌱

• Region: Great Southern, WA

• Vineyard: Estate dry grown vineyard, 12 hectares

• Vine age: 41 years

• Farming: Dry grown, no irrigation

• Soils: Ancient gravelly loams

• Yields: Approx 2 tonnes per hectare

Dry grown vines naturally carry smaller berries with thicker skins. Most of the colour and tannin in grapes is in or near the skins, so this translates directly to greater intensity and structure in the finished wine. The cool climate of the district ensures slow, even ripening and the development of rich flavour at balanced sugar levels.

Vintage 2018
V18 started quickly, but with no disease or weather pressure Galafrey were able to give the reds extra hang time. This resulted in higher than average ripeness and alcohol, with Great Southern reds showing a level of power and richness not often seen in the region. Expect floral lift in the aromatics and real intensity and drive on the palate.

Winemaking 🍷

• Harvest: Mechanically harvested from the dry, cool to mild climate vineyard

• Fermentation: Left on skins as long as possible to ensure depth of colour and flavour

• Style aim: Classic Cabernet Sauvignon with great depth, structure and drinkability

• Oak:  Two years in quality French oak

• Approach: Meticulous viticulture and sympathetic winemaking to express varietal character and sense of place

Technical

• Alcohol: 14.5 percent a/v

Serving & Cellaring ❄️

• Serving temperature: 16 to 18 C

• Decanting: 1 to 2 hours recommended to allow the tannins to soften and the aromatics to unfurl

• Cellaring potential: Drink now for primary fruit and power, or cellar to around 2032 for more savoury, tobacco and cedar complexity

Food Pairing Suggestions 🍽️

• Roast beef or lamb with rosemary and garlic

• Slow cooked beef cheeks or osso buco

• Grilled venison or kangaroo with red wine jus

• Hard cheeses such as aged cheddar, gouda or Comte

• Mushroom and thyme pie for a hearty vegetarian match

FAQ 🧐

Is it very tannic?
It has firm, dry, classic Cabernet tannins, but they are elegant and well integrated, especially with a bit of air.

What makes dry grown Cabernet different?
Without irrigation, the vines work harder and naturally produce smaller berries with thicker skins. That means more colour, flavour and tannin, and a stronger sense of site in the finished wine.

Do I need to wait to drink it?
You do not have to. It is already in a great spot for drinking with food, but if you enjoy more developed, savoury Cabernets, a few more years in the cellar will be very rewarding.

One of Galafrey’s best Cabernets to date: old vine depth, cool climate lift and dry grown intensity all in one glass.

Learn About Galafrey Winery

 For over four decades, the Tyrer family has tended their dry-grown vineyards, producing small parcels of high-quality fruit and transforming them into wines of character and nuance. Flavours express the cool climate and gravelly soils of Mount Barker, resulting in bright whites and elegantly structured reds loved by locals and visitors alike.

Galafrey is survived by mother and daughter team, Linda and Kim Tyrer. Nigel Rowe, Kim husband has now joined the team.

Linda, Kim and Nigel maintain a hands-on role to ensure that the Galafrey philosophy is upheld.

Today, Galafrey has twelve hectares under vine consisting of Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Merlot Grapes. We are also growing Muller-Thurgau, a unique white grape variety that produces a light, flavourful, fruity grape that has some similar characteristics to Riesling.

Galafrey’s impressive cellar door boasts breathtaking views of the vines and surrounding bushland. Come and meet Bruce, the winery dog, who will greet you at the car park and escort you to the door. And, most importantly, enjoy the taste that is Galafrey Wines.

Meet the Winemaker: Kim Tyrer 🍇

At the heart of Galafrey Wines in Mount Barker is Kim Tyrer — a passionate, hands-on winemaker who has helped shape one of the Great Southern’s most loved family wineries into what it is today. Galafrey was founded in 1977 by Kim’s father, Ian Tyrer, with a strong belief in Mount Barker’s cool-climate potential and the power of dry-grown fruit.
But in 2003, after Ian sadly passed away, the future of Galafrey became uncertain. That’s when Kim stepped in — at just 25 years old — taking on the responsibility of keeping the family legacy alive, while learning the ropes through one of the most challenging periods imaginable.

Kim officially became CEO and winemaker in 2011, and she’s been driving Galafrey forward ever since — combining tradition with a fresh outlook and a deep connection to place. She’s also proudly open about her path into winemaking: self-taught, determined, and constantly learning. In her own words, that “self-taught” background pushes her to stay focused, work harder, and back herself in — which absolutely shows in the quality and consistency of the wines.

Today, Galafrey remains a true family operation. Kim works closely alongside her mum Linda Tyrer (her business partner), and her husband Nigel Rowe, who plays a major role in the vineyard — meaning every bottle is still shaped by family hands from vine to glass.

What makes Kim’s wines so special is how clearly they reflect their Mount Barker home. The Galafrey vineyard is dry-grown (unirrigated) and sits at around 260 metres above sea level, helping naturally retain brightness and acidity in the fruit — especially important for varieties like Riesling.
Kim’s style is all about integrity, balance and honesty: wines with purity of fruit, regional personality, and that classic Great Southern “freshness” that makes you want another glass.

She’s also gained serious recognition within the Australian wine scene. Kim has been selected in the Top 50 Young Gun of Wine winemakers across multiple years (including 2018–2023), and has also been acknowledged as a finalist in women-in-leadership wine awards.
Those achievements reflect what many locals already knew — that Kim isn’t just continuing a legacy… she’s strengthening it.

Kim Tyrer is proof that the best wineries aren’t always the biggest — they’re the ones built on resilience, family, place, and the kind of passion you can taste in every sip.