Vintage
2018
ABV
13.5%
Wine Type
Red
Wine Style
Still
Wine Description
A rich vibrant Syrah made from organically grown fruit in the Frankland River region of the
Great Southern. 2018 was marked by a long mild and dry growing season that allowed the fruit to ripen slowly and mature with rich ripe fruit flavours. Harvested in late April, fermented and hand plunged in open pot fermenters and matured in 500l French oak barrels. Bright red berry fruits, balanced with subtle oak flavours of vanilla and spice leap out of the glass. Black pepper abound. Brooding plum characters, savoury olives add a nice complexity and contrast. A soft juicy berry flavour and mouth coating tannin gives this wine structure and length. Black olives and a little touch of salty seaweed goodness interplay with fresh red currants and dark cherries to balance the wine and give it intrigue. The length of the wine is long on the palate.
Accolades
Wine Enthusiast Magazine, March 2022 – 90 Points
National Cool Climate Wine Show Australia 2021 – TOP Gold Medal
Melbourne International Wine Competition 2020 Gold Medal
Melbourne International Wine Competition 2021 Gold Medal
Portavin Wine Show of Western Australia 2021 Gold Medal
Winemaker's Bio
Having grown up in Perth, Brian developed an interest in winemaking during a traveling holiday while working at Majestic Wines in London. Brian's background is in biology and he completed a Postgraduate degree in Viticulture and Oenology from Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand.
In 2003, after his first vintage in Frankland River, Brian traveled to Amercia to do a vintage in the Russian River, a sub-region of the Sonoma Valley in California. In 2005 he completed another vintage in the Rias Baixas wine region in north west Spain, where they specialized in Albarinho which has similar characteristics to Riesling.
After 6 years of winemaking in Frankland, he joined the family business at Frankland Estate and is relishing the new challenge.
Brian is supported in the winery by Hunter Smith, 2nd generation family owner. Hunter received a Bachelor of Business (Agricultural Management) degree from Marcus Oldham College in Victoria. He became a full-time member of the Frankland Estate team in 1999, and is now applying his breadth of knowledge to every aspect of winery operations, including winemaking, finance and marketing.
