Alkoomi Wines, FRANKLAND RIVER, GREAT SOUTHERN REGION Alkoomi is owned by Merv and Judy Lange who are helped their son and daughter, Wayne and Sandy, and their respective partners. The Langes were pioneers in the Frankland River region, having planted their first vineyards way back in 1971, with the first wines being made in 1976. The Alkoomi vineyards (82 hectares) are located only 50 miles inland from the Southern Ocean where there are ideal winter rains and dry ripening months. The hot summer days are cooled by fresh sea breezes, enabling the grapes to ripen slowly. The cool climate of Frankland River is ideally suited to the production of Sauvignon Blanc and this is a wine with lovely herbal, guava and citrus aromas and flavours, with a fresh juicy palate which finishes crisp and dry. It is one of Australia's finest Sauvignons.
Moss Wood, MARGARET RIVER Current owners Keith and Clare Mogford bought the vineyard off its creator, Bill Parnell, in 1985, Keith having run the winery since 1978. The vineyards are run on a strict 'eco-friendly' basis using advanced soil conservation technology, deep cultivation, the use of cover crops, minimum tillage and maximum mulching, the latter reducing vine stress in the dry summer months. We have always been fans of the delicious Moss Wood Semillon and the style of this wonderful wine has evolved since the first 1980 vintage, with the emphasis now on excellent fruit extract. The grapes are picked in three stages-green, medium and maximum ripeness which gives the wine a further level of complexity. The nose has an intense granny smith apple, figs and citrus aromas whilst the palate is more melon and figs. Its pure, concentrated fruit and creamy texture support the wine's lingering, zesty finish.
Vasse Felix, MARGARET RIVER Originally started by Tom Cullity in 1967,Vasse Felix has always been a highly regarded estate, at the top of the tree in the Western Australian producers 'league', and this trend has been continued by the current owners, the Holmes à Court family, who have recently opened a 2000 tonne state-of-the art winery and have also just brought into production their new 140-hectare Joindong vineyard in the Margaret River. The Adams Road Sauvignon/ Semillon is a very successful blend that has considerable weight and complexity. The Heytesbury Chardonnay is a 65/35 Margaret River and Great Southern blend and is immensely refined and yet, concentrated. The four reds are all class acts and reflect some very precise wine-making, emphasising a great purity of fruit and subdued oak-ageing. The Heytesbury Red is predominantly red (91%) with a touche of Shiraz, Merlot & Malbec. It is a very fine wine with great depth.
Ironstone Vineyards is a subsidiary label of Cape Mentelle, owned by multi-national LVMH (Veuve Clicquot) and has somewhat of a reputation of producing some fine, more affordable Western Australia varietals. We were immensely impressed by our recent tasting of the 2001 Special Late Harvested Zinfandel, a variety that Cape Mentelle and Ironstone have made somewhat of a speciality of theirs in recent years. The fruit is grown on their Donnybrook Vineyard in Geographe. It is a robust Zinfandel full of ripe berry fruits, briar and spice. Being late-harvested, the fruit is ultra-ripe and has resulted in a wine that touches on 16.5% alcohol by volume!
Established in 1993 in the Pemberton region by the Pannell family (who had originally established the Moss Wood vineyard in the Margaret River), Picardy vineyard has made a name for itself for some very fine Pinot Noir wines. The vineyards are at a high altitude and are planted on well-drained loam and gravel soils with Burgundy clones, ensuring limited yields and greater concentration. Infact, the whole ethos of Bill Pannell is to produce a Pinot Noir that does not have the up-front fruity charms of so many Australian Pinots but more towards the tradition of Burgundy where complexity and longevity are key factors. In a recent review of this wine, Matthew Jukes described it as having a "delightful Pommard-style, stuffed with ripe, fleshy Pinot and a stylish cherry and plum core." We totally agree.
Cape Mentelle Vineyards, established by David and Mark Hohnen and now part of the Moët Hennessy Wine Estates, is a specialist producer of premium wines in Margaret River in the south west corner of Western Australia. One of the country's finest wine regions, Margaret River enjoys a maritime location, with the added advantage of a long dry growing season. Cape Mentelle was one of the first vineyards established in the Margaret River region. First planted in 1970, there are today over 180 hectares under vine and the winery, constructed in 1977, crushes about 1,500 tonnes of fruit from estate vineyards and contract grown fruit sourced from within the region. Primary plantings are of Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc with smaller amounts of Shiraz, Zinfandel, Merlot and Chardonnay. The winery and original vineyard lie between the town of Margaret River and the Cape from which it takes its name. The original Mentelles were Frenchmen, geographer Edmunde and his cartographer brother Francois-Simon, who lived in Paris in the early 1700's. Cape Mentelle Vineyards, is committed to the concept of true regional styles and will continue to expand its operations to produce quality wines. The company believes that the role of specialist wineries lies in the production of premium wines from varieties best suited to specific regions. Emphasis is placed on individual fruit character and the development of a recognisable estate wine style.
The beautiful Amberley property is considered to be one of the finest in the Margaret River region. Established in 1986, it has remained true to its original philosophy of making premium wines from fruit grown exclusively in the Margaret River region. Such a promise has ensured their wines capture the richness and character of this world-class appellation.
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