Fraser Gallop Estate Wines

Fraser Gallop Estate 2010 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

When making the Fraser Gallop Estate Semillon Sauvignon Blanc we focus on a number of aspects to create the best possible wine, and for us this means creating a wine which is more than just simple fruit flavours. We aim to make a wine which has elegance, texture and complexity as well as lively, fresh fruit. To do this we source the fruit from the areas we believe it is best suited to, the Semillon from Wilyabrup where it can mature past the green, herbal notes to the riper spectrum of fruit flavours such as lemongrass and quince. The Sauvignon Blanc we source from the cooler sub-region of Karridale, an area which we believe produces finer, more elegant Sauvignon Blanc with fresh fruit flavours. In the winery we then employ a number of techniques to preserve the vibrant fruit characters while building complexity into the wine. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks retains brightness and provides some estery notes, while texture and length come from fermentation and maturation in small stainless steel barrels and oak barrels. By making our Semillon Sauvignon Blanc this way we have created a wine that in not just eminently drinkable now but will also age surprisingly well over the short to medium term.

Fraser Gallop Estate 2009 Chardonnay

This focus of this wine is to emphasise secondary characters over primary fruit flavours through the use techniques such as barrel fermentation, wild yeast, time on lees and battonage. The dry-grown fruit has the concentration of flavours to carry the complex characteristics while maintaining restraint and elegance. It is a wine that is made to drink with food and has the complexity and structure to match a number of different cuisines.

Fraser Gallop Estate 2009 Parterre (6 bottle case)

The Fraser Gallop Estate Parterre is very different to the usual fruit-driven, drink now style Margaret River Semillon Sauvignon Blancs. It has been inspired by the white wines of Bordeaux, wines which do not rely on primary fruit flavours but have layers of complexity and interest from the use of techniques such as barrel fermentation, wild yeast and time on lees. In November 2008, we held a tasting looking at seven of Bordeaux’s best white wines alongside seven Australian Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends made in the more complex style. Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier travelled from France for the event and bought with him a vertical of his Bordeaux Blancs going back to 1979. This tasting demonstrated to us a number of things, firstly just how intriguing, complex and well structured these wine can be, secondly that this style makes a much better food wine than the more simple fruit driven styles of SSB, and finally the outstanding ageing ability of these wines. It is these factors which have inspired us to make the Fraser Gallop Estate Parterre.

Fraser Gallop Estate 2009 Cabernet Merlot

The style of Cabernet Merlot we are making at Fraser Gallop Estate is a wine that has greater freshness from a short barrel maturation and good concentration of flavour that comes naturally from dry grown Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. The result is a sumptuous blend that drinks well early however can be cellared for a short period of 4-6 years. The blending of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot has been proven in Margaret River’s short history and elsewhere, such as Bordeaux where the blend originated. The varieties work so well because structural tannins of Cabernet are tamed by the inherent mid-palate richness and softness of the Merlot grape.

Fraser Gallop Estate 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

The inspiration for the Fraser Gallop Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is taken from some of the great wines of Bordeaux. The aim is to use a number of techniques to emphasise complexity in a single vineyard wine and to make a wine that allows the fruit to shine, complemented by premium oak, while maintaining great structure and finesse. This is done by the addition of small amounts of Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec and the use of a number of different techniques during fermentation of the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vintage Archive »

All our wines that are not from the current vintage can be found in the Vintage Archive »