Each year, Ray Jordan’s WA Wine Review offers one of the most thorough surveys of the wines of Western Australia. In the 2027 edition, Ray Jordan has recognised six Fraser Gallop Estate wines, led by the 2023 Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon at 98 points.
It is a set of results that speaks to the 2023 vintage, to our single vineyard in Wilyabrup, and to the care our team gives every wine on its way from vine to bottle.
Ray Jordan’s 2027 scores for Fraser Gallop Estate
- 2023 Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon – 98 points
- 2023 Palladian Chardonnay – 97 points
- 2023 Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon – 96 points
- 2024 Parterre Chardonnay – 95 points
- 2024 Parterre Semillon Sauvignon Blanc – 94 points
- 2026 Estate Rosé – 92 points
Palladian: the pinnacle
2023 Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon – 98 points. Ray Jordan describes our flagship cabernet as “superbly balanced, sleek and supple”. He finds cassis, plum and blackberry layered with cigar box, dark chocolate, tobacco and graphite, with seamless oak, very fine tannins and a long finish. A wine to watch unfold over the next two decades and beyond.
2023 Palladian Chardonnay – 97 points. Nectarine, citrus, white florals, beeswax and a touch of struck match on the nose, with the oak barely noticeable beyond a gentle toastiness. Ray Jordan notes a creamy, focused and beautifully balanced palate, finishing long with a fresh lemon edge, and suggests enjoying it over the next fifteen years.
Parterre: the heart of the estate
2023 Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon – 96 points. A blend of 85% cabernet sauvignon with petit verdot, merlot, malbec and cabernet franc, all from the estate. Ray Jordan points to intense black fruit, a fine mineral thread and a poised, tightly wound core that will keep evolving in the cellar.
2024 Parterre Chardonnay – 95 points. Whole-bunch pressed, wild-fermented and aged six months in French oak. Ray Jordan finds sea spray and citrus on the nose, white peach and nectarine on the palate, and a crunchy, chalky acidity that gives the wine its line and its cellaring potential.
2024 Parterre Semillon Sauvignon Blanc – 94 points. Our Parterre SSB rounds out a strong showing for the range, a reminder of how well these two varieties sit together in Wilyabrup.
2026 Estate Rosé – 92 points. Fresh, bright and made for summer by the lake, our Estate Rosé completes the set.
The 2023 vintage at Fraser Gallop Estate
Our vineyard sits at the heart of Wilyabrup, six kilometres from the coast, where the vines were planted without irrigation in 1999 and sent their roots deep into the clay subsoil in search of water. More than two decades on, those roots give the wines a sense of place that comes through year after year.
In 2023 the season allowed the fruit to ripen slowly and evenly, and Ellin and the team were able to pick each block at the moment it was ready. The wines were wild-fermented and matured in French oak coopered for the estate, with as little intervention as possible, so the vineyard could speak clearly.
That clarity is what Ray Jordan and other critics have responded to: cabernet with depth and fine tannin, and chardonnay with focus, texture and length. It is the same thread that runs from our first vintage in 2002 to today.
These results sit alongside Erin Larkin’s 97+ points from The Wine Advocate for both the 2023 Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2023 Palladian Chardonnay. The 2023 Palladian Chardonnay has also been recognised internationally, with 97 points in The World of Fine Wine. Read more about the 2023 Margaret River vintage.
For more on how the vintage has been received, see our earlier posts on the 2023 wines ahead of release and Decanter’s Margaret River vintage report.
Both Palladian wines are made with the long term in mind. Ray Jordan suggests the 2023 Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon will give two decades or more of enjoyment, and the 2023 Palladian Chardonnay around fifteen years. The 2023 Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon will also reward patience, continuing to build in the cellar over the medium to long term.
If you are building a collection, these are wines to lay down in a cool, dark, steady place and open over the years, watching how each one unfolds. If you would rather taste them now, decant the cabernets an hour or so before serving and pour the chardonnays lightly chilled rather than cold.
From vineyard to bottle
Results like these are never the work of one person. They reflect a dry-farmed vineyard planted in 1999, a winemaking approach built on wild ferments and minimal intervention, and a team who look after every detail along the way.
Our thanks go to Ellin and the winery team, Mike and our vineyard crew, and everyone at the estate who helps bring these wines to the table. We are grateful to Ray Jordan for his time with the wines, and to everyone who has shared in them.
Our cellar door in Wilyabrup is open daily from 11am to 4pm, with the tasting fee redeemable on purchase. It is the best place to taste the current releases side by side and talk through the wines with our team.
Wine Club members receive member pricing on every wine and experience, first access to limited releases, and invitations to members’ events throughout the year. It is the simplest way to make sure the Palladian and Parterre wines find their way to your cellar each year.
One vigneron, one vineyard, one vision.
