Frankland River

Frankland River

Mourvèdre

This wine has been sourced from Frankland River, where it really does quite well. In this case, the regional nuances of the red fruits of mourvèdre with some spice are supplemented with a little gravelly ironstone nuance, which is fairly typical of the region. It's medium-bodied but has quite beautiful grainy fruit characters with loads of primary red fruits and...

Frankland River

Chardonnay

Beautiful example of Mount Barker chardonnay. Comes off the Mount Barrow Vineyard on the edge of the Porongurup. It's a mix of Burgundian clones with a smaller contribution from the richer more powerful Gingin. This cooler site and the clever winemaking certainly contribute to sustaining the purity and pristine character, creating a fine and elegantly designed chardonnay which is a...

Frankland River

Shiraz

A worthy follow-up to the trophy-winning '23 vintage. '24 was hot in WA, but good vineyard management in some of these southern areas has resulted in very tidy wines indeed, and this is certainly one of them. Aromas of spicy plum and dark chocolate provide a captivating introduction to a soft, plush and generous wine. It's a brilliant and bright...

Frankland River

Riesling

From the very start, this wine has been something special and highly individual. It comes from a specific patch on the Ferngrove estate and produces a wine of incredible linear character. And rather than the high-end florals it has a spicier lemon zest character that dominates on the nose. The palate picks up on that spicy lemony combo and carries...

Frankland River

Grenache

This grenache has been sourced from Frankland River, which produced some very tidy grenache from this vintage. It's medium-weight with a lovely light mouthfeel, but there's plenty of flavour in there. Notes of red currant and rose petal on the nose, a faint hint of lavender, and then a palate that is supple, bright and with abundant flavour. Really designed...

Frankland River

Shiraz

Here's a wine that captures very much the regional vineyard character in Frankland River. It comes from the Swinney Vineyard, which produces some of the best shiraz in the state. Lovely exotic aromas of plummy cherry and cracked peppercorn. And then a palate which has a delightfully grainy, textured feel about it, that threads through the vibrant, plush red fruits,...

Frankland River

Shiraz

An exceptional shiraz that comes off the famous Swinney Vineyard in Frankland River. Beautiful perfumes of cherry and plum, with a little peppery, graphite-like character. The palate has such beautiful weight and vibrancy. You can see it in the colour, which is reddy crimson. And then that complex weave of graphite and plummy cherry characters builds relentlessly before driving to...

Frankland River

Mourvèdre

Introduced a few years ago into the Swinney suite of wines, and it's been a highlight rosé ever since. Comes from bush-vine mourvèdre plantings, in this case from what appears to be an excellent vintage. The aromas are lovely red raspberry fruit, with a slightly minerally note, ironstone and then some delightful florals. The palate is quite beautiful. It's textured...

Frankland River

Shiraz

This is such a good wine for the price. In fact, it's a good wine for any price, quite frankly. Sourced from Frankland River, which makes sense for this variety and is just loaded with bright, plummy mulberry, spicy characters. A little liqueur cherry for further complexity. And then the palate is soft and plush with a velvety integration of...

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This sits at the pinnacle of the Singlefile suite of red wines. This is certainly one of the best, and it is classically defined cabernet. It comes off the Riversdale Vineyard in Frankland River in a season that produced exceptional wines. Blackcurrant, a little ferrous oxide, some leafy notes with an edge of olive tapenade and a dollop of chocolate....

Frankland River

Shiraz

A thoroughly scrumptious shiraz from the Donnelly River Vineyard at Frankland River. The colour is deep dark red with crimson hues. The nose is seductive, with dark plum, spices, a little liquorice and some nice, subtle peppery notes. The palate is soft, plush and generous, supported by slightly grainy tannins, giving it a textural feel, while the oak is subliminal...

Frankland River

Red Blend

An engaging combination of mataro, grenache and shiraz working in perfect harmony. Lovely red-fruit notes with a slightly ferrous edge on the nose. It's a wine that seems to have been fine-tuned over the years. And the result is a wine of impeccable poise and balance, with beautifully integrated fruit that is allowed to fully express itself. Some dry, savoury...

Frankland River

Grenache

Year in and year out, this has to be one of my go-to grenaches from Western Australia. It just never disappoints, and this one is another ripper. Beautiful rose-petal, red-berry and slightly juby nuances on the nose. And a bright-as-a-button palate that elevates with abundant red fruits. A slightly ferrous minerality for complexity and a beautiful, textured, slightly grainy mouthfeel....

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Here's a cabernet that typifies a style from Frankland River. It's a blend of the best barrels of cabernet from the season. The aroma has an interesting combination of blackcurrant with some slight blue fruit notes. The palate is medium to full-bodied, but with real varietal intensity. There's a touch of dried herbs and bay leaf. An oyster shell, graphite...

Frankland River

Shiraz

An opulent and generous shiraz from Frankland River in this warm year. Masses of dark plum and blackberry on the nose with a little spice and black pepper. Right. The palate has a silky smooth, textural feel with super fine tannins and a gentle oak persuasion combining and cradling some quite plush, lush fruit through to a sustained finish. A...

Frankland River

Riesling

The purity and clarity of this Frankland riesling captures the intensity of the season, but in this southern zone, releases it in a very friendly, almost delicate manner. Minerally lemon notes on the nose, some nice spices. A little of the wet, pebbly, stonewash character. Palate is keen and crisp with a fine lemony, minerally combination, sustained by a precise...

Frankland River

Riesling

A tight, bracing, and tense riesling from Frankland River. Aromas of lemon and spice with a little cut lime, and a palate that is minerally and linear, with excellent intensity, showing a fine, chalky acidity. There's a little rub of lemon zest adding a nice finishing feature.

Frankland River

Chardonnay

Most attractive current drinking and short-term chardonnay, capturing the fruit intensity you expect from the Great Southern. Butterscotch savouriness on the nose, a little dab of lemon meringue, and some slightly nutty cashew-like characters. The palate is intense, with a fine line of chalky acidity highlighting its linear feel. Yet there is texture here with some slightly mealy stone fruit...

Frankland River

Pinot Grigio

A lovely, pure, crunchy, vibrant pinot grigio capturing the lifted florals and citrusy cut pear characters on the nose. And then on the palate, a lovely racy feel with lifted pear and nectarine flavours, and a little of the fairly typical apple crumble nuance. It's a zippy little wine, ideal for current drinking.

Frankland River

Shiraz

Here’s a wine that captures so much of what Frankland River is all about. It’s from the Riversdale Vineyard, and it’s made from three clones, Waldron 470 and 174, contributing to a wine of real complexity. Lovely texture and depth of flavour. It’s medium-bodied but generous, and that little flick of ironstone adds a lovely complexity. Nice lingering finish. Most...

Frankland River

Red Varietal

Cherubino started releasing this wine a few years ago, and I’ve been a fan ever since. I love the variety for its approachability, its flavours and generosity, but with its understatement and gentle poise. This wine is medium-bodied, with lovely weight and textural feel. Plush red fruits show a nice raspberry-plum combination. The palate is seamlessly integrated, with some nice...

Frankland River

Grenache

This Riversdale Vineyard in Frankland River produces some quite beautiful fruit. There’s almost a prettiness about it, and this wine captures that. Bright cherry and plum aromas on the nose, with subtle minerality. The palate is soft and medium-bodied, with a suppleness, but there is a core of grainy tannin giving it added structure and poise. A little touch of...

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet, cabernet, cabernet. That’s what you get with this terrific example of both the vintage and the vineyard. There’s a pure varietal expression here, with strong blackcurrant and subtle black olive notes on the nose. And then a palate that is so seamlessly structured and integrated, capturing the beauty and almost prettiness of this slightly cooler but outstanding vintage in...

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cherubino has produced this wine from two clones, 377 and 191, which are grown on the Riversdale Vineyard. There’s a lot of cabernet in this wine, initially evident on the nose with its blackcurrant, slightly dark plum and subtle leaf characters. The palate is tremendously intense and beautifully structured, with only one- and two-year-old oak used, resulting in a wine...

Frankland River

Red Blend

After a somewhat slow start as a result of the cool vintage, these ’21s have really started to hit their straps with the extra time in bottle, and here is the perfect example. It’s from that Riversdale Vineyard again. On the nose, you get a mix of blackcurrant, ironstone and a little vanilla pod. The palate has a varietal purity...

Frankland River

Grenache

This is one of my favourite wines in the Cherubino collection. It’s made in an interesting way that captures so much of Frankland River grenache, composed in a clay-cement ovoid tank, which is in the shape of a giant egg, and then the lees are continuously forced up, creating an internal vortex current. The technique contributes to the wine’s plush...

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a top-drawer cabernet from Cherubino. It comes from a specific block in the Riversdale Vineyard in Frankland River. After handpicking, it was left on skins for two months before maturation in new and one-year-old French oak. So it’s had plenty of time to pick up the colour, concentration and structure that you want with high-class cabernets. Despite all...

Frankland River

Cabernet Blend

Here is a more Left Bank-inspired, cabernet-dominant blend, which also includes malbec, petit verdot and cabernet franc. It’s a thoroughly exquisite, pretty, poised and elegant cabernet blend. And like the Right Bank-inspired merlot cabernet, the maturation took place in larger-format French oak foudres. This has allowed the wine to develop an inner harmony and strength, delivered with such velvety smooth...

Frankland River

Red Blend

Here’s a wine that’s straight from the Bordeaux Right Bank playbook, with this combination of merlot and cabernet franc. The aromas are quite beautiful. A mix of blackberry, fruitcake and floral perfumes are immediately captivating. The palate strikes with impeccable balance. After selecting the best barrels, it was matured in larger-format French oak foudres. So the oak never intrudes but...

Frankland River

Shiraz

Shiraz was one of the standout performers from Frankland River in 2023. And so, this excellent wine is based on some mighty good fruit. Engaging aromas of dark plum, spice, dark chocolate, and a slight pepperiness. The palate is so delightfully weighted with deep, concentrated fruit flavours rolling relentlessly through to a very long finish. It's sumptuous, but it's balanced...

Frankland River

Shiraz

The boldest and richest of the Rhône triumvirate of syrah, grenache and mourvèdre. The colour is a deep inky red. The nose is an intense and engaging spicy plum and dark chocolate combination. And then a palate that is both structured and supple, with a fine thread of mineral, ironstone tannins, some well-weighted, understated oak and stacks of plush, lush...

Frankland River

Grenache

Delightfully fragrant, perfumed grenache that delivers medium weight but generous fruit intensity. Nice red fruits on the nose, some rose petal and a trace of lavender. The palate is more medium-bodied, beautifully smooth and supple, with this lovely raspberry fruit character dominant. So beautifully bright and vibrant, with a lively, long and focused finish.

Frankland River

Mourvèdre

This Rhône variety has really found a home in Frankland, and this is another compelling example of the variety. Lovely savoury, mineral notes float across some nice red fruits, with a subtle ironstone edge. The palate is generous but supple, with that fine thread of chalky tannins supported by very gentle oak, handling and controlling the fruit through to a...

Frankland River

Riesling

A wine of incredible vibrancy and intensity. '26 was a very good season for white wines across the state, and this is a cracking good example of what was made in Frankland in this season. Minerally lemon pith and slightly slaty, wet-pebble characters. The palate then has a degree of tension but carries good weight and focused intensity. Lovely slippery...

Frankland River

Shiraz

Sourced from Frankland River in a season that produced fruit of tremendous generosity and balance. Beautiful plummy, dark chocolate and slightly spicy aromas, with just a faint trace of ironstone minerality. The palate is seamlessly integrated and soft, but there is excellent tannin influence here and, with the oak, it's perfectly balanced and composed. A beautiful example of Frankland River...

Frankland River

Shiraz

This is an exceptional example both of the region and the vintage. So, Frankland in '23, like the rest of the state, was mighty good and here is a wine that makes a statement. Bursting with aromas of dark plum spices, some slightly dried herb sage-like characters and beautiful florals. The palate is seamlessly integrated with dark fruits, a slightly...

Frankland River

Red Blend

Scrumptious. Absolutely scrumptious. That’s what I’ve got to say about this beautiful blend of shiraz and malbec from Frankland River. It seems everything has been designed to preserve the abundant natural fruit characters of these varieties from Frankland River. So it’s bursting with plums, red berry, and even a little dark chocolate. It’s had a mix of new and older...

Frankland River

White Blend

The dominant aromatics of traminer are well to the fore in this crisp and delightfully fragrant Frankland River-sourced blend. Nice floral notes, touch of lychee and peach, and then a crisp, piercing acidity which sustains the long finish. This is an immediately appealing current drinking wine with lots to offer.

Frankland River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Griffiths has moved outside the Swan Valley, as he sometimes does, to source fruit for this cabernet sauvignon. It's a beautifully expressive wine that captures the region perfectly with the medium weight of the fruit and that subtle, very slight graphite and ironstone character. The aromas are bright, blackberry with a little even blue fruit influence. Seamlessly structured and integrated...

Frankland River

Riesling

This is a real crunchy, lively, fruity riesling sourced out of Frankland River in this warm year. The nose displays a slightly bath salty sherbet like character with liberal spices and lemony notes. The palate is zingy with a minerally edge and plenty of citrus notes. Drinking quite beautifully now, but as you would expect, it has cellaring potential.