Frankland Estate
2018 was one of the great vintages in the last 30 years, particularly for Shiraz. A wet spring provided good early vine growth followed by a cooler than average January and February. Some rain in January set the vines up nicely for the ideal dry finish. The summer cooled considerably in early March slowing ripening of the Shiraz and providing fruit clarity and depth of flavour.
This wine was fermented as long and slowly as possible, at temperatures not exceeding 28˚C in open fermentation tanks that allowed the cap to be worked by gentle plunging. An extended maceration period followed completion of the ferment to allow optimal texture and flavour extraction. It was aged for 14 months in 500-litre French oak puncheons and stainless steel tanks.
The complexity of this wine no doubt comes from the three clones of Shiraz now grown in the estate vineyards and the seven small parcels used for this Shiraz (making up 93.4% of the wine), supported by the use of small additions of Touriga Nacional (3.7%), Mourvèdre (1.3%), Marsanne (1.2%) and Malbec (0.4%).
Floral notes and spice rise from the glass alluding to a Shiraz of elegance and depth. The nose leads to a Shiraz with medium weight and delicacy on the palate yet with substantial depth of flavour and complexity. Spice and ironstone earthiness sit well along the bright fruits of plum and red currant that give the wine a juiciness and approachability while having great length and freshness.
June, 2021
The Australian
95 points.
Open-fermented, extended maceration, 14 months' maturation in French puncheons. The deep purple colour sets the scene for a powerful, fragrant wine with poached spiced plum and ripe tannins, the French oak beating a delicate tattoo on the finish.
July, 2021
Gourmet Traveller WINE
The team at Frankland Estate are really on a roll. Winemaker Brian Kent has been honing his Shiraz style with the 2017 Isolation Ridge wining three trophies at the 2019 Melbourne Wine Show. 2018 was a great vintage for Shiraz with SmithCullam Syrah, Isolation Ridge Vineyard Syrah and the Estate Shiraz all shining. Redcurrant and star anise perfumes morph seamlessly to a savoury spiced palate with Damson plum and red cherry flavours and ironstone tannins defining to finish.
December, 2020
The Wine Front
93 points.
Lovely Shiraz, bit of a treat. Graphite, clove, dark chocolate and ripe black cherry. Both dry and generous at once. Sweet-fruited and savoury. Nuanced. Flows effortlessly but there’s tannin here too. Medium-weight in a good way. All those things.
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