THE PRODUCER

Buried deep in the heart of Western Australia's most isolated wine region (250km east of Margaret River and inland from the wild and picturesque Great Southern coastline), Frankland Estate is as much a part of its natural landscape as it is a winery.

Barrie Smith and Judi Cullam co-founded Frankland Estate in 1988, after deciding to diversify their long-established wool-growing interests in the Frankland River region. Barrie's unparalleled experience in production is owed to having been raised among vineyards, as well as to over 30 years of farming. He is renowned for his intimate knowledge and deep respect for the land, and for his firm belief in the winemaking potential of the Isolation Ridge vineyard.

Very much a tight-knit family affair, their children, Hunter and Elizabeth Smith, and their families live on the estate, too. The family have invested a lot of time and energy into minimising their impact on the ecological balance of the region, nurturing the micro-biology of the soils and supporting causes to improve the health and future prosperity of the local fauna and flora. It is their commitment to sustainable farming that informs their winemaking practices.
 
THE WINE
 
Organically grown fruit for this wine was sourced from three different locations in Frankland’s Isolation Ridge vineyard at the Frankland Estate. The vineyard is planted on undulating northern and eastern facing slopes and are all from the low yielding (Mendoza) clone renowned for its “hen and chicken’ combination of large and small berries in the same bunch. This results in highly concentrated fruit flavours.
 
This Chardonnay has had some oak treatment, but it’s exceptionally well judged and balanced.  When pressed, the juice goes first to stainless steel tanks and allowed to settle for 24 hours, before heading onto 500 litre French puncheons (25% new oak) for wild yeast fermentation. Some barrel stirring through fermentation and post fermentation occurs resulting in a wine with complexity and individuality. The wine was transferred out of barrel after 10 months on lees before being bottled.  All this means body and complexity without masking the overall fruit concentration from those lovely vineyard sites.
 
The nose gives a concentrated and complex array of nectarine, spice, subtle almond and light toasty nuances layered with yellow floral blossom.  On the palate it’s warm and round and textured, but balanced by a mouth-watering playful acidity. Notes of lemon, mandarin and nectarines give some beautiful fruit sweetness and weight, with the hint of new oak that adds a lovely length and refined focus.