Harold Olmo was a believer in Frankland River. He was the viticulturist who, back in 1955, declared that this place was at least the equal of any place in Australia or California when it came to the potential for Bordeaux-beating Cabernet blends.
The Smith Cullam family were believers in Olmo. Judi Cullam and Barrie Smith named their ambitious flagship blend after him when they started producing it back in the ‘90s. As the records show, they honoured him with an elegant wine of distinction.
And their children, Hunter and Lizzy Smith, are believers in Olmo’s Reward. Along with Lizzy’s husband Brian Kent, who joined the team in 2010, they’ve worked tirelessly to guide this wine to greatness. As with all these things, it has evolved to sit at the top echelon of Australia’s single-site red blends thanks to a series of one-percenters: Organic viticulture; lower production; hero status for Cabernet Franc; gentler extraction; older, larger oak; shorter maturation; and greater confidence in the wine’s singularity.
“The consistency across vintages highlights a thoughtful, empathetic and precise approach to winemaking,” wrote Andrew Caillard MW following a recent 14-wine vertical dating back to 1994. “Red fruit characters and a strong tannin presence are found in almost all vintages. This is generally offset by good density and maturation complexity. A firm bittersweet finish lengthens the palate. The elegance, energy, rusty/sturdy textures and vinosity are standout features of the style.”
It is all credit to this humble family that they articulated their ambition for these wonderful grape varieties when grown with care in their Isolation Ridge soil, and raised with love and skill in their cellar. 2019 Olmo’s Reward is another shining example of their faith in, and affinity with, this land.
2019 Frankland Estate Olmo’s Reward RRP $81
The 2019 Frankland Estate Olmo’s Reward is 67% Cabernet Franc, 17% Malbec, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot. All varieties used in the blend were dry-grown on mature vines in the Isolation Ridge Vineyard at Frankland Estate. The vineyard sits on an undulating northern and eastern facing slope on ancient duplex soils of gravel and loam over a clay sub-soil. It is farmed using organic viticultural practices (certified organic in 2009) and this is reflected in the depth and concentration of fruit flavours. Cabernet Franc is the hero of this blend, we find it suits our vineyard the best out of the Bordeaux varieties, over the years this has gone from being a Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon dominate wine to now a Cabernet Franc/Malbec dominant wine.
Each variety was fermented separately as slowly as possible at temperatures not exceeding 27°C. Open fermentation tanks facilitated working the cap with gentle plunging taking care to minimise tannin extraction. After fermentation, an extended maceration period allowed desired flavour and tannin resolution. The component wines were blended on completion of the malolactic fermentation and then aged in 500-litre French oak puncheons for 15 months.
This is a complex and distinguished wine of its own kind. Plum red colour, lifted fresh red berries interlaced with hints of vanilla and cedar, dried Italian herbs, brambles, plum and dense alluring, mouth-watering aromas. The palate is soft and juicy and it bursts into blue fruits across the palate supported by mouthcoating textural tannins that add weight and complexity. There are subtle nuances of saline, tobacco leaf, earthy, anise and savoury elements. Its beautifully layered and complex. Well balanced acidity draws this complexity of flavours across the palate for a long, seamless finish. – Hunter Smith
Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. It took me a number of years to understand this wine, and it wasn’t until I understood the Frankland River regional DNA that the flavours, but most specifically, the textures here, made sense to me. This is concentrated and supple to start, but the flow of tannins doesn’t tread the same path of say, a Margaret River Cabernet blend (nor should it). Here, the tannins are gravelly and leaning towards rustic, speaking of ferrous and ironstone. They lend a graphite quality and are the key to this wine. The fruit is abundant within the framework of the phenolics; a snow dome of cassis, blackberry, nori, iodine, blood plum and licorice. It’s a beautiful wine with longevity and patience in equal measure. 96 points. Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion 2023
Very youthful and bright in the glass. Cedar, blue fruits, graphite, leafy brambles, menthol and spice on the nose, plenty going on. Plenty of dark-fruited goodness on the palate, mulberry, blackberry, briary, woodsy and layered. The tannins are firm, structured and savoury and the acidity brings life and freshness. Complex, layered and long. 95 points. Aaron Brasher, The Real Review March 2022
Savoury and age-worthy style, as per usual. Blackberry, baked plum, tobacco, mint and aniseed, iodine. It’s firm and offers plenty of tobacco and seaweed flavour, raspberry and mint, loads of rusty/ferrous/sticky tannin, quite grainy and dry in texture, with a long finish offering intense mixed berry flavour. Firm. Good. Very typical of Frankland. 94 points. Gary Walsh, The Wine Front August 2022
2021 Frankland Estate SmithCullam Riesling RRP $70
This wine continues our drive to explore Riesling’s different dimensions even when working with one site. When it comes to the SmithCullam Riesling, it’s all about making the most of the 1988-planted Geisenheim clone’s delicacy and brightness. Thanks to its elevated natural acidity we simply ferment in large-format oak (1,000 litres) to a point where the delicacy and undisputed integrity of the wine reach their zenith. The ferment is arrested when we see lovely balance. The wine remains on lees in barrel for nine months to gain additional complexity and texture. These wines are designed to evolve, building in complexity and weight as they age. But they must also be delicious from the start.
The SmithCullam Riesling is not made every year and the conditions have to be right to achieve this “Kabinett” style. While we need cool conditions, we look to pick this only a day or two prior to the Isolation Ridge Riesling. In essence both wines celebrate the weight and underlying power of this special vineyard. – Hunter Smith, Frankland Estate
Supreme balance. This wine is silky and lush (thanks to the residual sugar, as this is the off-dry style for the house), but it is carried on linear tracks of steel-like acidity … they crest the horizon, which seems never-ending. Such is the length of flavour and zen focus of this wine. White flowers, black tea, nashi pear skin, mandarin pith, lemon zest, nutmeg, even oud… tea tree… it’s a seriously good wine. And if you’ve had the pleasure of an older bottle, this wonderful melange of characters makes even more sense. Spectacular. In terms of vintage context, this cool (and sometimes wet!) year has imbued this with detail and poise. 97 points. Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion 2023
2020 Frankland Estate SmithCullam Syrah RRP $118
Our SmithCullam Syrah comes from the original “Winery Block” of Syrah planted in 1988. The wine homes in on the powerful, grainy ferrous tones from the ironstone soils, offset by the elegance achieved from organic farming and shading afforded these bunches by the east-west orientation of the rows.
The wine is matured in large-format (3,500-litre) oak, which contributes to its freshness and juiciness. There’s a beautiful interplay between the earthiness and iodine notes of the Mourvèdre and the generosity and aromatics of the Viognier.
Certified organic. Fruit from the Isolation Ridge vineyard on the estate property. The nose is so fragrant that it takes some time to unpick it all. Winter mandarin, pink peppercorn, citrus blossom, blackberry, plum, licorice, clove, star anise, lavender and fennel flower. In the mouth, the graphite and black-tea tannins are a masterclass in svelte. They weave and thread through all aspects of the experience, becoming briefly savoury, before trailing out over a long finish. It is the tannins that reveal to us how inchoate this wine truly is. It needs time. It will be superlative. For now, it is tightly wound, coiled even and needs time to unfurl and show its potential. What a profound wine. Wow. Owns the Syrah moniker. 97 points. Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion 2023
The intensity and grainy nature of this wine sets it apart through extra length and persistence.
The colour has remarkable depth and youthful purpliness, with aromas that leap out of the glass and smack of blackberry, cassis and raspberry, floral and with the subtlest suggestion of jam. In the mouth, it’s soft and round, supple and medium to full-bodied, with a fruit sweetness that really charms. It tastes like a blend rather than a pure Shiraz (Viognier?). The tannins are mild and svelte. A lovely wine with a big future in front of it. 95 points. Huon Hooke, The Real Review February 2022