Coastline of Margaret River
Four days in this sprawling wine region won't come close to being time enough is to cover everything however here are my recommendations when visiting.
This a winery that came highly recommended. This is also a winery with no cellar door...a small issue that is overcome with a little tenacity and the luck of senior wine maker Kate Morgan on site, willing to take Mr Nomad and I through to a tasting. Kate really knows her stuff, and her passion for what she does, and this vineyard, is palpable. Grapes here are dry grown to concentrate the fruit and are hand picked. There is an impressive selection of well-refined wines on offer.
While all the wines we tried were excellent, the 2010 Chardonnay was smooth and fresh and completely unexpected. A little more acidity than your usual chardonnay with winter fruit flavours like quince and fig undertones makes this a wine that will cellar well but you may find difficult to.
Fraser Gallop
2010 Chardonnay
13.5% alcohol
Price $24
Price $24
Delightful, and backs it up with really good wine. Really good. With Steve at the cellar door, and Opera playing in the background in a little timber-paneled room by a stream complete with ducklings, this is my kinda tastin'. A more picturesque setting? I think not!
This way to the lovely cellar door!
Juniper is old school style with a whole lot of punch. What hits me the most with these wines is the aroma. The nose is so fragrant, you don’t know whether to drink it or put it in a vase. The Shiraz and the Cabernet Sauvignon tied for equal first. With vines from 1973, and small amounts of Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot the Cabernet Sauvignon is so savoury, I couldn’t imagine needing a meal with it. Made from dry grown vines (seems to be a trend with these older vines), the tannins are well developed, as are the full fruit flavours.
The Shiraz is smooth, tannic and white pepperish. Now, I hate white pepper, but when red wines have that slight white pepper taste, I tend to like it. Go figure!
Juniper Estate
2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
14.5% alcohol
Price: $50
Price: $50
2007 Estate Shiraz
14.5% alcohol
Price: $34
Price: $34
At our most southern port of call is Leeuwin Estate. Planting my feet on the large open grassed area below the cellar and restaurant, this is pure joy. With a sense of anticipation, a smiling sun and the waft of wine in the air, it is off to the cellar door. I have loved Leeuwin Estate Art Series Riesling for many years, and was looking forward to trying other wines on offer.
The ’07 Chardonnay is very different to the upper Margaret River. Richer, deeper in colour and a nose of oaked, spiced goodness. I left this to breath a little to see it open up and warm up. After just 20 minutes or so, the bouquet on this wine was all lychee, peaches and honey. Viscous and luscious mouthfeel reveals a headiness of flavour quite unexpected. Love a Chardonnay bursting with flavour and this one truly is.
Leeuwin Estate
2007 Chardonnay
13% alcohol
Price: $85
Price: $85
Much smaller cellar door than I was expecting, which I love. I have a similar sense of excitement on seeing the small timber building as I did when we visited Clonakilla in the Canberra Region. The service here at the cellar door was up there with the best and made this experience that more beautiful. Our host was knowledgeable and passionate about both the wine and the history of the label. Cullen was outstanding. While I was expecting wine that was exceptional, the service and the space really made this a treasure of the region. Walking away with a bottle of the Madeleine makes me feel like I have a treasure from the Cullen family trove.
Cullen
2009 Diana Madeleine
12.5% alcohol
$112
$112
Edwards Wines
Edwards Wines, which we have tasted and loved East side, recently rescued a meal for Mr Nomad and I in Broome. The wine list at this restaurant, who's name we dare not speak, was seriously lacking quality wines but happened to have a bottle of Edwards Chardonnay on the list. Hallelujah! At a tasting in Sydney over a year ago, we met Michael Edwards, one half of this brother duo. At the cellar door we meet Christo Edwards, the consummate host and viticulturist.
The story behind the label has to be one of the most compelling on offer. The little gold plane trailed by dots of gold over a world map represents the journey their father Brian Edwards took in 1990 from England to Australia in his 1943 Tiger Moth Matilda. (Must say here that the graphic designer has done a stellar job – in the cut-throat world of wine marketing, where the label has a direct relationship with your consumer, they have nailed it!).
But to the wine. My pick would have to be the 2010 Chardonnay, with 10 months in french oak, it has a subtle smokiness which is still crisp. And the flavour goes on for miles.
And yes, while its the cabernet sauvignon this district is famous for, I must say the Shiraz, from Edwards and up and down "Margie's", is sublime. This was our first stop and Mr Nomad being a Shiraz lover, found the 2008 Shiraz smooth, big and bold with lots of berries and a fragrant nose. Pre-conceptions gone!
(Ps - check out their VERY cool website here)
(Ps - check out their VERY cool website here)
Edwards
2010 Chardonnay
12% alcohol
Price: $32
Having read about Pierro, I was happy to find this right in the heart of the region. With building works happening for their new offices, this charming building was a little more rustic than per 'uge. Upon negotiating the gamut of bricks and mortar and entering, this place has some charm! Trudy introduced us to the Shiraz Viognier that was smooth yet not too sweet with length on the palate. I felt the urge to "let them eat steak". While we were a little confused by the Italian name and Chinese characters on the walls and bottles, the LTCF was the stand out. Now of course being back in Sydney, the name Pierro keeps popping up. On wine lists, friends lips, write ups - love when that happens.
Pierro
LTCF
14% alcohol
14% alcohol
Price:$32
And the rain starts. We buy the biggest umbrella with Cape Mentelle written across each segment of the 'brella, we now feel truly submerged in this region. We are now heading down to the southern area of Margaret River, stopping in here to try some Zinfandel. Mr Nomad's love of this full bodied, savoury variety knows no bounds. The nose on this one is really jammy and coffee like. The colour is dark and rich and the flavour is full of chocolate. Planted in 1975, the dry grown bush vines are producing a texturally rich and complex drop which is a just reward for what seems like quite a labour intensive grape.
Cape Mentelle
2008 Zinfandel
15% alcohol
Price: $49
Sheep a-grazin' in the vineyard
Cape Mentelle
2008 Zinfandel
15% alcohol
Price: $49
Chardonnay! I love me a chard, and the 2009 Reserve Chardonnay is sublime. This naturally fermented wine is from some of the oldest vines on the property. Quite zesty in flavour, the white peach and stone fruit characteristics are offset beautifully by the creamy, textural mouth feel that lingers forever....
Xanadu
2009 Reserve Chardonnay
%14 alcohol
Price: $85
Xanadu
2009 Reserve Chardonnay
%14 alcohol
Price: $85
Driving past Gralyn as we wind our way up and down the region, interest was piqued. A timely email from Wine Master Rob Geddes had us stopping into this cellar door as we are heading back to Perth.
Established in 1975, this family run winery only sell direct to the public (lucky we stopped!). Yes, the wines are pricey but they are truly sublime. From the Cabernet based Rosé full of strawberry flavours but not too sweet, to the full bodied reds, subtle flavor is the G-O.
My pick would be the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. After 16 months in new French Oak, chocolate, liquorice and black fruits hit the tongue with aplomb and slides right down into your insides to say "hello". While I am a fan of the 'drink now' wine philosophy, I hope I can wait until it develops a little more before opening!
Gralyn Estate
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
14.8% alcohol
Price: $110
Price: $110
