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Margaret River Vintage Report 2024
THAT WAS THEN
THIS IS NOW
February 1999 was long, hot, dry and windy.
A scorching summer that seared grapes and stressed dry-grown vines.
A betting man planting a vineyard in that parched earth would have played it safe and laid down irrigation. Not Nigel Gallop. From the outset Nigel was determined his vines would be dry-grown, allowing them to thrive on their own, confident in his chosen site and its ability to sustain old-world viticultural practices and still produce outstanding wines.
Fast forward twenty five years and we find ourselves on the other side of the earliest vintage on record in this region. But did it make a difference?
According to Viticulturist Mike Bolas “It really didn't make a difference to us at all. The crucial fruit development window that takes place between flowering and harvest was actually on par with previous years. Our fruit enjoyed its normal physiological and flavour development. The warm, dry spring followed by the hot, dry summer simply brought the entire vintage forward by about 3.5 weeks.”
Now, with all our grapes harvested and safe in the winery, the team is reflecting on those decisions made in the long hot summer of ‘99.
“Our vines were challenged to develop deep, wide roots capable of sourcing water from the clay subsoils to cope with variable conditions over the past 25 years. As a result we’re very pleased to have enjoyed a normal outcome in an abnormal year, ” says Nigel from behind the wheel of his trusty John Deere. “Dry-growing was a big risk and plenty advised against it, but we believed in this site. This year has tested us but the vineyard has passed with flying colours”.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM VINTAGE 2024
Winemaker Ellin Tritt is cautiously optimistic. “The fruit is as precise as ever, with acidity being surprisingly balanced (given the hot year)” she says, “We are excited about the fruit and the resulting wines. Our wines will never be really high in alcohol, as this is part of the “precision” we pride ourselves on in picking these grapes at the right time.”
With his eye on the cabernet, Winemaker Clive Otto is observing "It is a bit early to get a good grip on how the cabernet will turn out as the fermentations are only half way through. The heat meant there were a few raisined grapes on the vine, however our new destemmer enabled us to keep most of the raisined berries on the stalks. Eliminating the raisins gives us more freshness in the cabernet this year and lower alcohol as a result. Without this new equipment we would have made a more “Barossa Style “ cabernet high in alcohol. So we are really pleased to have it."
Otto is predicting the wines will be “powerful, with richer, darker fruit characters that will be singing well into the future. Although it has been a warmer vintage, there is a lovely line and length to these wines. Robust and muscular, they will continue to develop luscious flavours as it ages” .
Meanwhile, Ellin is looking at our chardonnay and anticipating they will be similarly luscious “fuller-bodied and opulent, yet precise. With a spectrum of flavours ranging from white stone-fruits to yellow peach and nectarine. The Gin-gin chardonnay clone lets us create wines that have a purity and length, forging their way with crystalline acidity, this vintage being no exception.”
29/02/2024 at 9:10 AM
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Fraser Gallop Estate shines at James Suckling Great Wines of the World in Hong Kong
At the recent Great Wines of the World Grand Tasting 2023, James Suckling declared “The latest wines from Australia’s Fraser Gallop Estate were this week’s highlights of our tastings in Hong Kong.” where 1,200 trade and consumers gathered to taste more than 240 wines from 13 countries around the globe.
The Fraser Gallop Estate line up at the Great Wines of the World
“We were most impressed by the Fraser Gallop Estate Chardonnay Margaret River Palladian 2022, a selection of their best rows. It’s full of complexity, from baked apples to toasted brioche and salted caramel aromas, full-bodied but with the region’s distinct bright acidity.
The Fraser Gallop Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Palladian 2020 also shined with its fragrance and elegance.”
- Stuart Pigott, Ned Goodwin MW and Claire Nesbitt contributed reporting.
This is not the first time jamessuckling.com has been impressed by Fraser Gallop Estate’s chardonnay and cabernet wines. In 2020 and 2019 the publication also recognised the excellence our wines awarding them scores in the mid to high 90s.
At that time vigneron Nigel Gallop predicted the judges would be even more taken with the 2020 releases stating: “This is Fraser Gallop Estate’s 21st year of operation and we have just completed our 18th vintage. If Nick Stock and Jamessuckling.com are so impressed by these soon-to-be-released vintages I can’t wait to see how they respond to the 2020 vintage when it is released. The quality of the harvest has been outstanding.”
Commenting on the results today, Nigel said, “Twenty five years ago when the first vines were planted, we had a vision for Fraser Gallop Estate to be known and respected for making Australia’s best cabernet and chardonnay. Recognition like this takes us one step closer to realising that ambition. It’s gratifying to literally be tasting the fruits of our labours and being rewarded with such wonderful wines."
Palladian Chardonnay 2022 – 96 points
So much going on here, from hazelnuts, lemon curd, salted caramel and baked apples to toasted brioche on the nose. It’s full-bodied, buttery and delicious, with lively, bright acidity. Intense. I like the salty caramel undertones on the long and sophisticated finish. Not yet released.
Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 – 95 points
Fragrant nose of cedar, mulberries, cherries, blueberries, vanilla and mint leaves. Medium- to full-bodied and well-framed, with tight-knit tannins giving it a firm and focused backbone behind the dark berry fruit. Composed and elegant.
Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 – 94 points
Beautifully fragrant red showing aromas of currants, plums, wild cherries, chocolate, hazelnuts and rosemary. Soft and creamy, with polished, very fine tannins and a medium to full body. Long and elegant. Not yet released.
Parterre Chardonnay 2022 - 94 points
This is an elegant chardonnay with layers of roasted almonds, white sesame, apricots, pie crust and peach pits. Full-bodied, nutty and delicious, with a fresh minerality and a creamy and seamless finish.
Parterre Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2022 – 95 points
A bright, gently flinty and nutty white showing complex notes of flint, grapefruit, hazelnuts and lemongrass on the nose. Medium-bodied, compact and full of flavor and tension. Not yet released.
15/11/2023 at 8:15 AM
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Matthew Jukes visits Margaret River
“…Margaret River makes some of the greatest Chardonnays on earth …”
Matthew Jukes, arguably the world’s leading non-Australian critic of the country’s wines, recently visited Margaret River as a guest of the WA Good Food Guide Wine Awards.
Jukes’ visit was a whirlwind week of chardonnay and cabernet tastings, judging and events. The full report is detailed in respected publication “The Buyer”.
Here we have extracted some of the highlights.
"Margaret River makes some of the greatest Chardonnays on earth and that single vineyard wines were a vital element in each winery’s offering. Every wine tasted entirely different from the next, and even those wines made 50m apart showed the kind of diversity we have come to expect from the feted wines of Burgundy.
"It is clear that the future is very bright for Margaret River Chardonnay.", says Jukes, "It is incumbent on the wineries in this unique part of the world to tell their story and pour their wine. I, for one, think that they cannot fail to attract consumers worldwide with their superbly well-made and entirely unforgettable wines."
On the 2020 Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon…
"Fresh and bright, tightly wound and succulent, this is a hedonistic red of elegance and refinement that delivers strong and worthy regional character. Displaying characters of red and blue fruits, sage and bay leaf notes along with woody spice, there’s an overriding feeling of freshness, supported by beautiful tension and a great extension of flavour. A wonderful expression."
On the 2022 Parterre Chardonnay…
”…vivacious…tightly wound, mineral-driven and really charming, almost thirst-quenching with flinty elements, spice, just-ripe stone fruits and almonds going on. There’s exceptional length, and it feels really precise and zesty at the same time. Beautifully drawn, and fine-boned
13/11/2023 at 8:06 AM
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New Release 2020 Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon
The product of the shortest and most intense vintage recorded in 25 years of Fraser Gallop Estate’s history, the latest release Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon will be a coveted addition to your cellar collection.
“The cabernet sauvignon looked incredible with the darkest most intense colours we’ve seen ever all thanks to the smallest berries we’ve seen. The tannin levels were high due to the thicker skins. The reds looked fresh and vibrant as we didn’t allow the grapes to desiccate to raisins in the hotter-than-normal vintage and picked them earlier to retain freshness and the wines looked better for it. These will be incredibly long-term cellaring wines.”
- Clive Otto, Winemaker
TASTING NOTES
Fragrant nose of cedar, mulberries, cherries, blueberries, vanilla and mint leaves. Lifted dark cherry notes and some dark plum, too. A solid dense mouthfeel but still in the elegant frame, more tannin and body this year, a more structured wine. Mid-palate juiciness will develop in time. Black and red fruits are dominant with nougat and tobacco. Some oak spice on the finish.
Medium- to full-bodied and well-framed, with tight-knit tannins giving it a firm and focused backbone behind the dark berry fruit. Composed and elegant.
RRP: $140 Members: $112
“Fragrant nose of cedar, mulberries, cherries, blueberries, vanilla and mint leaves. Medium- to full-bodied and well-framed, with tight-knit tannins giving it a firm and focused backbone behind the dark berry fruit. Composed and elegant.”
95 points, James Suckling
Secure your new release here
07/11/2023 at 8:29 AM
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Clive Otto wins Winemaker of the Year!
10/10/2023 at 10:06 PM
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Parterre SSB "Rewriting the rules"
We West Australians like to think we know what SSB stands for but The West Australian’s wine writer Paul Edwards came up with a different take on SSB recently: ”Stash Several Bottles".
"Typically, Margaret River SSB is considered and early-drinking, dry white that shouldn't be compared with the world-class wines made from chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon..." he says, "Every rule, however, must have an exception to prove it, or perhaps in this case an exceptional exemplar to rewrite the rules".
Mr Edwards put this outstanding wine into the context of a vertical tasting comparing the characteristics of the 2010, 2016 and 2020 Parterre SSB vintages. Explaining the history of this wine, the viticultural background and the winemaking techniques employed by chief winemaker Clive Otto, Paul found much to like.
We think he summarised it rather nicely. “The resulting wines are delicious in their youth, yet even more exceptional after ageing, which is staggering when you consider this wine retails for around $35.”
Our advice is to enjoy the 2020 Parterre SSB this summer as a chilled aperitif at the end of a long day and with some of your favourite fresh W.A. seafood. But as the expert Mr Edwards says, SSB: "stash some bottles.”
Read more about what Paul Edwards has to say in The West Australian (paywall)
Want to find out more? Why not try our Parterre SSB for yourself?
02/10/2023 at 1:28 PM
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Robert Parker The Wine Advocate reviews a vertical of Palladian Chardonnay
Here at FGE we value everyone who takes an interest in our wine, especially those who share their views via the media, and we are particularly proud of the commentary coming out of the prestigious Robert Parker Wine Advocate in August 2023 around our premier-tier Palladian Chardonnay. In short, The Wine Advocate has, in a vertical assessment of the past six Palladian Chardonnay vintages, provided a ringing endorsement of everything we strive for here, both in the vineyard and the winery.
TWA’s only Australian reviewer, Erin Larkin, knows our wines, our history and our vineyard, which makes the observations she shared with The Advocate’s international audience particularly gratifying. Rating five of the past six vintages in the 96-100 points bracket (“Extraordinary”) and the sixth - 2022 - at 95 points (“Outstanding”) Larkin summarised the wine thus: “The Palladian Chardonnay is a singularly classy, sleek, refined Chardonnay from Wilyabrup, and the vertical proved this stance. It's a lovely lens for the seasons and is aging gracefully. Very smart wines.”
More broadly, Larkin states: “Under the winemaking direction of Clive Otto, Fraser Gallop has built their reputation on the quality of their Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons. I would say the house style is refined and elegant across all varieties. The 2021 Palladian Chardonnay was an astoundingly pure, crystalline, sleek example of Margaret River Chardonnay. It took my breath away.”
Robert Parker Wine Advocate describes itself as the world’s premier independent wine buyer’s website with a database of more than 450,000 tasting notes, scores and reviews from professional critics around the world. For over 40 years, Robert Parker Wine Advocate (a part of the MICHELIN Group of companies) has been the global leader and independent consumer’s guide to fine wine, with its 100-point rating system and in-depth coverage of major wine regions. Needless to say we are delighted by the recognition of such as prestigious arbiter in the world of fine wine. Erin Larkin joined TWA as “Australian reviewer” in 2022.
We make only 3 puncheon barrels of Palladian Chardonnay each year. It’s a rare bird. Palladian wines are a pure expression of the finest grapes selected from the best performing rows of our single vineyard.
The reviews:
Palladian Chardonnay 2022
The Palladian style of Chardonnay is glassy, pristine and eminently classy. They are sleek in their exposition of phenolics in the mouth, streamlined in the outlay of fruit flavor and threaded together with invisible acidity in the mouth—juicy and fine. So, the 2022 vintage in Margaret River was warm, flooded with sunshine and punctuated by several heat events through December and January. As a result, we are likely to see many Chardonnays, in particular, that feature alcohols on par with 2021 (a cool season—i.e., 2022 was in many cases picked earlier to mitigate the warmth of the season and to preserve the natural acidity that was undoubtedly softer this season than in many, due to the warmer overnight temperatures) and typified by powerful, generous fruit. Here, the 2022 Palladian Chardonnay is everything we expect from the house style and the vintage in combination. It has powerful, fluffy, enveloping fruit encased in very fine (soft!) acidity, shaped by sleek phenolics. So good! A time capsule. This was made with 100% Gin Gin fruit and 100% new French oak and is 100% delicious. 13.% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
95 points
Palladian Chardonnay 2021
The 2021 Palladian Chardonnay is a svelte, sapid iteration of Chardonnay from this region, showing us a peacock-tail splay of acid, fruit and phenolics—each in perfect tension with the others. There are notes of crushed nuts, white peach, layers of brine, sandalwood, saffron curls and orange blossom. What a wine! This is only getting better with age. Superb. The 2021 season was cool, and the Chardonnay wines are precise and focused. Here, so intense! Achingly so. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
Under the winemaking direction of Clive Otto, Fraser Gallop has built their reputation on the quality of their Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons. I would say the house style is refined and elegant across all varieties. The 2021 Palladian Chardonnay was an astoundingly pure, crystalline, sleep example of Margaret River Chardonnay. It took my breath away.
97+ points
Palladian Chardonnay 2020
In this six-vintage vertical (2022 - 2017), the 2020 Palladian Chardonnay stands apart aromatically, with hints of dried straw, lemongrass, layers of preserved citrus and even turmeric. Smoked almonds and sandalwood emerge in the mouth along with fleshy yellow peach. It is complex and ripe, and the palate shows a superb phenolic richness and sapid fruit core. Superstar. While I think the 2021 is a slightly better wine (reflected in my score), if you asked me which wine I'd prefer to drink, right now, I'd say this without question. Totally seductive and succulent. A beauty. Getting better, too. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
96+ points
Palladian Chardonnay 2019
The 2019 vintage in Margaret was a lovely one! It was cool and wet but generally well-handled in the vineyards and responsible for wines that are poised, detailed and aromatic. I love the 2019s, on the whole. The 2019 Palladian Chardonnay leads with preserved citrus, blueberry, white peach, green apple, layers of exotic spice and brine, sandalwood, turmeric and saffron. The fruit is intense in the mouth and spicy too. There is a hint of guava through the finish. This is another lovely wine. 12% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
96 points
Palladian Chardonnay 2018
The 2018 vintage in Margaret River will go down as one of the greats. It has met veiled criticism in the years since its release, for being too ripe, too powerful, etc. That is a stylistic call that you are free to make for yourself, however it is important to note that out in the vineyards during the growing season, the weather could hardly have been more favorable. On top of a complete lack of weather events that can lead to viticultural pressure, the surrounding marri trees were loaded with blossoms, reducing bird pressure as well. All told, it was a pretty sensational season. The wines have showed that in bottle, in their power, grace and balance. So, this 2018 Palladian Chardonnay shows all of the ripe plushness of the season, in its exotic and opulent outlay of fruit in the mouth. There is star anise and cut fennel, crushed nuts and brine, layers of ripe stone fruit and even a hint of loquat and lemongrass through the finish. The lingering impression is of Indian spices—cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon. The most impressive part about this wine is the length of flavor that dominates the mouth long after the wine is gone. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
97 points
Palladian Chardonnay 2017
The 2017 season in Margaret River was cool and wet, and it threw up many viticultural challenges for producers. On the whole, I far prefer the Chardonnays from this year than the Cabernets, although that is of course a generalization and prone to exception. The 2017 Palladian Chardonnay is toasty and rich, with notes of buttered toast, custard powder, fresh pretzel, crushed nuts (toasted cashews, predominantly), yellow peach and nashi pear. In the mouth, the exotic Indian spice comes to the fore, with saffron, turmeric, fennel and sea salt among the front runners. There is so much going on here: a testament to the agile negotiation required by the season.
96 points
23/08/2023 at 12:49 PM
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Halliday Wine Companion 2024 Reviews
Once again Fraser Gallop Estate received the highest 5 red star rating in the Halliday Wine Companion describing our house style as “very much on the precise, pure end of the spectrum”.
The Parterre range was singled out once more as offering “consistent, indelible, compelling value for money.”
The wines reviewed in the 2024 Halliday Wine Companion are:
Palladian Chardonnay 2021
“A wine that commands respect, yet it is a wonderful drink. It’s complex and detailed with excellent fruit at its heart, a pulse of refreshing acidity, fabulous smoky oak and hints of funky sulphides rendering this savoury. It lingers long, It’s persuasive. Classy with a capital C.” - Jane Faulkner
Parterre Chardonnay 2021
"One taste and a laser lightshow starts up. This is so racy, juicy and succulent it speeds across the palate. Stop. Reflect. Grapefruit and Meyer lemon, a smidge of creamy lees and lemon curd texture, plus wood spices with the oak seamless. Mostly, it’s mouth-watering, flinty, fine and exceptionally long. Wonderful wine.” - Jane Faulkner
Parterre Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2020
"Even if appealing in youth such an oak-aged style generally needs time to settle and chill out. And this will follow such a route. In the meantime, it’s fragrant with finger lime and snow peas with a snip of fresh herbs and lots of nutty, toasty oak. There’s also a waxy/lanolin character and no shortage of acidity to keep this alive for another 10 years” - Jane Faulkner
Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
As usual, a tiptop Parterre with enticing florals giving way to mulberries and boysenberries, dried herbs, choc-mint and more besides. It’s medium bodied and wonderfully savoury with powdery tannins and great length. And it will age gracefully.” - Jane Faulkner
Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
"There’s plenty of flavour packed into this from ripe fruit and cedary oak, yet it remains just shy of full bodied and the palate is far from unwieldy. Blackberries, dark cherries coated in all manner of spices with wafts of tobacco and choc-mint. It seems a tad forward but there’s depth and structure, too, with hazelnut skin tannins adding more shape” - Jane Faulkner
15/08/2023 at 5:25 PM
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Vintage Report 2023
“Well I guess you could say the conditions were so rare it was a unicorn vintage”, smiles viticulturist Mike Bolas, “the long, dry and cool season gave us slow, even ripening across the fruit. After 25 years our vines are at an age where very little intervention is required so we had the luxury of picking at the optimum time to allow flavour intensity, tannins and sugars to develop with balance and harmony.
Winemaker Clive Otto is already excited about the wines, “The chardonnay are elegant and fresh with lovely natural acidity.”, he says, “The cabernets are inky and dense, wonderfully intense but with very fine tannin structure. 2023 vintage could easily rival 2018 for top honours. The proof is in the barrel.”
We look forward to sharing the fruits of our labours with you in the future.
15/08/2023 at 5:20 PM
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GOLD at Decanter World Wine Awards 2023
13/06/2023 at 1:39 PM
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