Wine: Western Australia

A Powerhouse for Premium Wine Western Australia

It has been 50 years since a small vineyard was planted near Mount Barker in the mid ‘60s, followed the next year by another at Margaret River, heralding the start of the modern era of winemaking in Western Australia. By Ray Jordan

Big companies in the east were looking with considerable interest at what was happening in the west with representatives from Seppelt, Yalumba and Penfolds seeing the significant potential even then for the new regions south of Perth. Even the legendary Maurice O’Shea, who never visited, believed that areas near Albany should be well suited to viticulture based on climate data.

In the half century since, WA’s wine industry has grown to be a powerhouse at the premium end for wine in Australia, and it is little wonder that bigger companies still look to the west – but now of course they look with compelling evidence that what started as an experiment and an idea has turned into a triumph.

Accolade Wines, through a sequence of acquisitions - which started when Hardys bought Houghton many years ago - has considerable interest in the state, with wines under the Houghton and Brookland Valley brands consistently among the best released. The recent release of the Jack Mann 2013 is further evidence of the quality of wines being made by Ross Pamment and his team and strong endorsement of Hardys’ original decision to invest in the state. Other releases include the fabulous Thomas Yule Shiraz and the highly awarded Gladstones Cabernet, which provides redundant evidence of how good Margaret River cabernet sauvignon can be.

Treasury some years ago also recognised the potential when it acquired Devil’s Lair. In recent years, the group has ramped up the range with considerable focus on the development of new era, super premium chardonnays and cabernets

But along with winemakers in the rest of the country, WA producers also recognised consumer preferences were changing to slightly lighter and less robust wines of greater elegance and refinement.

under the 9th Chamber range. The initial releases have been outstanding and point to the refinement in style based on high quality fruit and tweaks in winemaking.

Rathbone Group some time ago acquired Xanadu from the ashes of its failure as a listed entity and has turned it into one of the most exciting producers in the state. With winemaker Glenn Goodall at the helm, the range of chardonnays and cabernets in particular have been outstanding and pushed it into the top echelon of the state’s producers.

The good thing is that despite all the success at wine shows and critical acclaim from wine scribes and the industry in general, the state’s winemakers have not been content to rest on their laurels. And sharper focus on raising the bar even higher has resulted in consistency and quality across the board that even the most optimistic early pioneer in the 60s might have been hard pressed to imagine.

Chardonnay has been the variety where new thinking on style has made the most impact. For many years, WA chardonnays, led by Leeuwin’s formidable Art Series, consistently rated among Australia’s best. Others such as Cullen, Vasse Felix and Moss Wood were also in the mix at the very top of the tree.

But along with winemakers in the rest of the country, WA producers also recognised consumer preferences were changing to slightly lighter and less robust wines of greater elegance and refinement.

The trap could have been stripping the inherent power of

these wines back too far, but it is reassuring to see that in general they have refined their chardonnays, introduced more wild yeast ferments, less new oak and sometimes earlier picking, to create wines of subtle elegance that lose little in terms of power.

This is especially the case in Margaret River, where the strength of the region has always been its power and intensity. Even the great Leeuwin chardonnay has been refined albeit subtly in recent years, while others such as Cullen, Xanadu and Vasse Felix have consistently lifted the standard to new level.

Of course, it is not just Margaret River where this has been evident. Other producers such as Howard Park in the Great Southern, Ferngrove and Fogarty have also joined the party and the state’s chardonnays have never been better.

Another significant development has been with shiraz. For many years, shiraz was considered – mistakenly – as something of a second class citizen to cabernet sauvignon. It is clearly evident from tastings over the past few years that winemakers across the state are putting additional work into achieving more with this great workhorse variety.

In the Great Southern, the shiraz from Frankland River in particular and also Mount Barker have wonderful velvety richness. Wines from Cherubino, Houghton, Ferngrove, Howard Park and many others from these regions are demonstrating how good this variety can be. Some exceptional recent vintages also help.

But perhaps the most exciting development has been in Margaret River, where a different less opulent style has emerged. Because of the significant variability of soils in Margaret River, the winemakers have had to choose the sites carefully. The results are superb, with producers such as Deep Woods from Fogarty Wine Group, Cape Mentelle, Vasse Felix and Leeuwin Estate, where the variety was introduced relatively recently after a long hiatus, producing some truly exceptional wines.

When it comes to refinement, the king of varieties, cabernet sauvignon, hasn’t missed out either. While the wines from Margaret River stand supreme even on a world stage, those from Frankland River and Mount Barker are showing what they can do. Producers such as Ferngrove, Forest Hill, Howard Park and Cherubino have released a number of excellent wines where the inherent softness and suppleness is evident.

In Margaret River, the cabernets simply go from strength to strength. Recent releases from Fogarty, Cullen, Moss Wood, Xanadu and Devil’s Lair have been stunning. And the most recent Gladstones Cabernet from Accolade is a fitting testament to the many whose name it carries.

Another more recent development has been further refinement at the top end into the super premium category. For instance, last year Cullen released the Vanya Cabernet 2012, which with a price of $350 is the most expensive current release tale wine ever in WA.

Winemaker Vanya Cullen said the decision to make the wine and keep it separate from the flagship Diana Madeline – a cabernet blend – was not made until the blending stage when the quality of the wine was clearly evident.

Vanya Cullen might be the first to take Margaret River wines into unchartered high priced territory, but if a tasting of other wines in the region is any indicator this won’t be the last.

It is a sign of a maturing region as winemakers and vignerons understand more about getting the best from their fruit and refine their wine styles.

Ferngrove Winery