It seems to me that the Frankland River region, and Great Southern more broadly, have built some impressive momentum over the past 5 years, albeit with an almost shy subtleness. It’s undoubtedly WA’s best source of Riesling, Pinot Noir and Shiraz whilst the Cabernet is also of high quality but of course sits in the shadow of Margaret River.
Frankland Estate, along with the likes of Howard Park, is a proper veteran of the region with a stella track record but there was never any danger of the wines selling out early. Well folks, that scenario has turned on its head as we have just been advised that for some of the new releases are subject to strict allocations such that we have only been permitted to buy 6 or 12 bottles (in total!). It goes without saying you’ll need to be quick! Full details on each featured wine below (plus another 5 wines listed on the website).
This wine is 100% Riesling from the Isolation Ridge vineyard at Frankland Estate. Riesling vines from two different clones were planted in 1988. The vineyard is farmed according to certified organic principles and this is reflected in the clarity and complexity of the pristine fruit.
"Superb, energetic, taut and very complex white wine. Scents of ozone and green apple, fennel and talc. Beautiful perfume that reflects perfectly into flavours in the palate, a shimmering, glassy and tense feel drawn long and to a powdery, lightly puckering and, again, talc-like lingering finish. Epic." 96pts - Mike Bennie - WineFront
Certified Organic
The core of this wine is “Winery Block” (original clone sourced from the Justin Vineyard). The wine contains 4.5% Viognier and 2% Mourvèdre. The resulting wine is one of style and real integrity.
"Bright, deep purple colour, with a fresh and spicy aroma of cool-grown shiraz, the fruit doing all of the talking. White pepper, blue fruits, violets, dried herbs. The wine is elegant but full-bodied, the tannins tightly coiled and supple, a gloriously aromatic, elegant cool-grown Shiraz." 95pts - Huon Hooke - The Real Review
Certified Organic | 94pts WineFront
100% Riesling grown on the Isolation Ridge Vineyard. Only made in the most suitable vintages, fruit for this wine was sourced from Geisenheim clone Riesling vines planted in 1988. This clone is renowned for retaining high levels of acidity throughout the growing season.
"With striking clarity and purity, this is the sort of Riesling you can get lost in, merely by breathing in the aromas of fresh sliced limes, white peaches and grapefruit, as well as nuances of white flowers, gun flint and spice. The palate has a similarly complete and composed style, leading you along with pristine lime, apple, white-peach and fresh-pear flavours. Long and effortless, this is all so pleasurable. From organically grown grapes." 96pts - Nick Stock - JamesSuckling.com
Certified Organic | 96pts Huon Hook | 94pts Wine Companion
"Loads of charm to the bouquet, cinnamon and mixed red berries, raspberry coulis and toasty, cedary oak. It's silken and beautifully balanced - ripe fruit allowed to sing without the heavy hand of oak. Exceptional value!" 94pts - Nick Butler - The Real Review
Certified Organic | 93pts James Halliday Wine Companion
2018 was one of the great vintages in the last 30 years for the region, particularly for Shiraz. The complexity of this wine no doubt comes from the three clones of Shiraz now grown in the estate vineyards and the seven small parcels used for this Shiraz (making up 93.4% of the wine), supported by the use of small additions of Touriga Nacional (3.7%), Mourvèdre (1.3%), Marsanne (1.2%) and Malbec (0.4%).
"Lovely Shiraz, bit of a treat. Graphite, clove, dark chocolate and ripe black cherry. Both dry and generous at once. Sweet-fruited and savoury. Nuanced. Flows effortlessly but there’s tannin here too. Medium-weight in a good way. All those things." 93pts - Campbell Mattinson - WineFront
Certified Organic