Vintage 2020 - Update from our winemaker Clive Otto

Sometimes if feels hard to imagine that outside the Covid-19 world there are good news stories, that nature continues to work its magic, and work carries on in the fresh air of the vineyard. But it does, and our winemaking team are reporting this year's vintage will produce wines that "give Bordeaux a run for its money."

"In the fourteen years I've been making wine for Fraser Gallop Estate, I've only seen fruit of this quality once," says winemaker Clive Otto, "and that went into the 2007 Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon. And that won the Decanter World Wine Awards for best Bordeaux blend."

This year's vintage was completed on March 9, just five busy weeks. "In most years our harvest period spans eight weeks so this was a short and sweet vintage to say the least" says Clive.

"The quality of the wines is extraordinary across the range. The conditions in the lead up to the harvest led to a small vintage for sure be we are so happy with the quality of the fruit. A spring jail storm combined with strong winds caused considerable damage to the young canes followed by an early bud burst due to the warm dry winter. The hot dry summer resulted in considerably smaller than average berry size. Overall yields are down by a third however we can say quality on the other hand is UP by a third."

"The Chardonnays are sensational with vibrant acidities, immense intensity of citrus, white stone fruit and pear flavours and  great balance. The Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends look great with more lemon -citrus notes and riper flavour profiles than we saw in 2019.

"The ultra-pale Rose is looking amazing like last year’s and eminently drinkable. Likewise, says Otto, the Ice Pressed Chardonnay is "right up there" with the best the Estate has produced.

"The Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends look incredible with the darkest most intense colours we’ve seen ever all thanks to the smallest berries we’ve seen. The tannin levels are high this year due to the thicker skins. The reds are looking 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 look better for it.

These will be incredibly long term cellaring wines that will give Bordeaux a run for its money."

The next few weeks will be spent plunging, pumping over, pressing and putting these wines to bed in high quality French Oak barriques for an 18 month maturation period in our cool barrel hall and the magnificence of these incredible 2020 Red wines will be then revealed to all.

John Lethlean writes about Fraser Gallop Estate in The Australian

John Lethlean, The Weekend Australian Magazine

March 21, 2020

By 6.30am the nets are off, the buckets are out and the lingua franca of the vineyard is softly spoken French, filtering through the trellised rows of vines like dappled sunlight. With a smattering of English, Spanish, Italian and German.

All over the district, on hundreds of vineyards large and small, the picking teams – travellers, mostly, from the northern hemisphere or Latin America – are out among the rows. The viticulturists are on hand making sure the fruit they’ve worked hard all year to nurture is handled properly. The vineyard hands buzz around in little banana buggies distributing empty buckets, collecting filled ones. In some cases, even the managing directors are driving the tractors that ferry the picked fruit back to the winery.

In the winery, harvest is an exciting, more-balls-in-the-air-thanusual time of year for winemakers. On top of everything else they must get that fruit into tanks, or pressed, now. There’s very little romance about forklifting palettes of cabernet sauvignon into a destemming machine, which in turn pumps whole berries off to cooled tanks for the slow process of fermentation to begin. It’s hard, urgent work. And it’s all happening at my back door. Within 10 minutes’ drive from home are probably 10 wineries; within 20, about 100. It’s a significant part of the local economy but you can wake up in a wine-growing region and not be aware of it. The estate agent next door takes his kids to school; the builder three doors down has already left for a job. But just out of town, on hundreds of properties that employ thousands of people – from crews of pickers to managing directors, with viticulturists and winemakers somewhere in between – it is the most important time of year.

Vintage. Eight weeks of the year, give or take, when super-important decisions are made about when to pick the various plots of fruit and get them into the winery, the vineyards come alive. At Fraser Gallop Estate, where my wife works, you can see the classic Australian wine business at work. It’s difficult to think of any other Australian agricultural model where something is grown, processed and valueadded on site, marketed and distributed, all on the one property.
The typical Australian wine brand, built around an estate, represents a cluster of diverse talents within  usually, a fairly small business by most standards.

Vintage is the business cycle’s apotheosis, the money shot. For a lot of poor souls along the eastern seaboard, the summer bushfire crisis has wrought varying degrees of havoc on their fruit and/or vines. Margaret River hasn’t had the same issues, although yields are down and the vintage itself earlier than many in the industry remember.

By 11am, the cabernet picking is over. It’s harder than it looks if you want to make a few bucks. In the
winery, that fresh-picked fruit is the first priority, but it doesn’t mean constant technical evaluation of
previous days’ work stops. Or the  plunging, the pumping, the liaison with clients (if your winery contracts
to others); the cleaning up; the readying of everything for tomorrow’s 6am start when the Frenchies return. There’s a methodical sense of purpose to it all. And winemaker Clive Otto is smiling. “The yield is down,” he says “but the fruit is brilliant. It’s a great time of year.”

Winemakers Predict high Quality

Winemakers predict high quality, but not quantity

by Jackson Lavell-Lee 

Augusta Margaret River TimesThursday, 13 February 2020

A warmer than average year has resulted in a mad rush for grape pickers in the Margaret River wine region, with some vineyards so desperate they will offer extra pay for employee referrals.

The hotter weather has put pressure on wineries for more pickers and harvesting machines, while space to store ageing wines is premium.

Despite this challenge, experts have predicted exceptional quality, with Fraser Gallop Estate winemaker Clive Otto likening his grapes to the global award-winning 2007 vintage.

“In my 30 years in Margaret River, this is even earlier than 2007, which was a short turnaround, so I would say the cabernets will be greater than the chardonnays this year,” he said.

“We have very high acids and high sugars this year and that combination is about getting the balance right and getting it picked quickly.

“We can see the colouring up evening of the cabernet, which is going to be fantastic, and the chardonnays have a lovely bright acidity, which is a good thing for long life.”

Fraser Gallop Estate Managing Director Nigel Gallop (left) and Winemaker Clive Otto (right). Photo: Jackson Lavell-Lee

Wineries across the region are reporting quantity is down but quality is up, with no disease. Margaret River Wine Association chief executive Amanda Whitehead said early reports were positive.

“For most vineyards in Margaret River, the 2020 vintage began one to two weeks earlier than an average year, and two to three weeks earlier than last year across the region due to the early season temperatures and heat accumulation,” she said. “The abundant marri blossom, little to no bird pressure and lower yields are all contributing to the quality looking exceptionally good.”

Harvesting is usually a six-week process, yet the 2020 vintage will mostly be picked over a two or three-week period.

Blind Corner director and winemaker Ben Gould said the promising vintage was “possibly the earliest we’ve picked”.

“Early reports are showing yields could be a little lower on average, so far about 20-40 per cent less,” he said.

“In January we had the grapes change colour quickly with a high sugar accumulation and flavour development. There are always challenges but this year has been good with lots of flowering and no damaged bunches.”

Mr Gould said the organic and biodynamic practices he employed, which were widespread in the Margaret River region, had ensured a sustainable and consistent quality.

Reasons to Celebrate

Plenty to celebrate at Fraser Gallop Estate
by Emma Kirk, Busselton-Dunsborough Mail 

Fraser Gallop Estate have plenty to celebrate in 2020 - it marks 21 years since the Wilyabrup winery planted its first vineyard and 18 years since their first vintage.

Fraser Gallop Estate Managing Director Nigel Gallop (left) and Winemaker Clive Otto (right)

Owner Nigel Gallop said they were big milestones and he could not believe they were celebrating 21 years.

"To quote Winston Churchill, it is not the end of things and it is not the beginning of things, but it is the end of the beginning," he said.

"It is the end of the first stage of being a major wine producer of Margaret River.

"It has taken 21 years to really establish ourselves with a reputation for wines of great quality and reasonable prices.

"To me that has been achieved to a large extent and it is now the end of that stage and now we are entering into a phase of continual improvement.

"Perhaps not quite as dramatic, it is time for us to really look for the small things where we might improve.

"We have an innovative winemaker who is not afraid to try new things and and an owner, who might get a bit nervous about a few things at times, is happy to let Clive do these things."

Mr Gallop said it was extremely satisfying to reach these milestones and he was certain choices he made 21 years ago were the right choices.

"It has really taken all of this time to prove the choices we made were all good ones," he said.

"The vineyard today and the wines we produce are evidence I picked the right: location; varieties; clones; methods of non-irrigation; cane pruning and all the other things that lead to great quality in wine.

"They are all small but they are incremental, over 21 years we can now see all those things we chose to do are now paying dividends in the wine."

Mr Gallop was formerly in the software industry and spent a lot of time in California's wine region where he became interested in the industry.

"It always appealed to me as a way to live and something that would give great satisfaction, and of course I had always been a very enthusiastic consumer.

"I do not hold myself up to be a great expert of wine at all but I have always been a builder of things.

"When I was in the software industry, the company I had was founded upon code I personally wrote then wound up manufacturing and selling those systems in the US and Australia.

"I have always been someone who likes doing things from the beginning, the wine industry appealed to me from that point of view as well, it was something I could start from scratch.

"For all those reasons when I came back to WA, going to Margaret River and doing all those things was very appealing to me and I certainly have no regrets."

Mr Gallop said one of their greatest milestones was the year they won the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2009.

"It was for our 2007 Cabernet, it was said by Decanter to be the best Cabernet or Bordeaux blend in the world," he said.

"It was the first vintage our winemaker Clive had made here at Fraser Gallop Estate.

"I thought then in 2009 when we one that award, gee maybe this is going to work - where can we go from here? That was a great moment and there have been a lot of other great moments and lunches here."

Fraser Gallop Estate chief winemaker Clive Otto said when he started working at Fraser Gallop it was on a different scale to other wineries where he had worked.

"It was very much hands on and everything was done without any shortcuts," he said.

"At Fraser Gallop there was much more of a focus on quality."

Mr Otto said winning the 2009 Decanter Award was a significant milestone for him, along with winning best red wine at the Margaret River Show.

"We have also introduced new styles of wine that have never been done before in Australia, things which have actually worked out for us, such as the Iced Pressed Chardonnay and the Palladian Cabernet.

"I try to think outside the square and don't follow the herd.

"I especially like wines with elegance, I don't like big, over extracted, concentrated wines.

"I like wines people can drink more than one glass of, I prefer to make a wine people can drink a bottle of, with a meal."

To celebrate the winery's milestones, Fraser Gallop Estate is hosting a sundowner on the terrace of its house from 4.30pm to 7pm on Saturday, February 22.

Tickets to the event are $120 per person and includes Parterre wine, canapes and live jazz music by The Riverbugs, and can be purchased online at frasergallopestate.com.au/product/Parterre-Sundowner-2020.

Mr Gallop said they only opened their home for events a few times a year, which in the past had included Gourmet Escape and a palladian dinner overlooking the gardens.

"It is an uncommon event and quite a unique opportunity for people to enjoy the environment of the house and being on the terrace," he said.

Palladian Chardonnay 2017 ranks in top eight of Australia's finest chardonnays

The sold-out Palladian Chardonnay 2017 was ranked among Australia's very best Chardonnay in The Wine Front's Chardonnay in 2019 - The Year in Review article (paywall).

Each year they gather the highest rating Chardonnays and a panel of wine lovers assess them once again. Our Palladian ranked in the top eight of the 34 finest Australian Chardonnays tasted.

Initially rated 95+ by Gary Walsh, the panel awarded our 2017 Palladian Chardonnay 96+ points. This placed it amongst the ranks of Margaret River's and Australia's most iconic and esteemed Chardonnays, and it was our very first vintage.

Those of you with Palladian Chardonnay 2017 in the cellar - we hope you thoroughly enjoy it. And if you're yet to buy the Palladian Chardonnay 2018, perhaps Gary Walsh can convince you (paywall); "Intensity. Focus. Length....Perhaps slightly more generous than the 2017, and none the worse for that. 96 points"

 

Exceptional Reviews for Newly Released Palladian

Palladian is the purest expression of place, and the result of our absolute focus on quality. Over twenty years we've learnt exactly which vineyard rows produce the finest grapes, and these are handpicked for the Palladian wines. 

For five years Clive Otto made just three barrels of Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon, and in 2017 he began crafting the first ever Palladian Chardonnay. Both the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are wild (natural) yeast fermented in small batches.

Fantastic reviews for the 2018 Palladian Chardonnay and 2016 Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon are rolling in. Both debuted at the recent Gourmet Escape with a fantastic response from critics, chefs and our loyal clientele.

Palladian Chardonnay​ 2018
"A textbook chardonnay of great class" 96 points, Huon Hooke

Released in November 2019 and following the highly acclaimed inaugural vintage, the 2018 Palladian Chardonnay comes from select rows of our very best low yielding Gin Gin vines. The juice is run cloudy into a mixture of puncheons and barriques, and only 1000 litres is made.

Gary Walsh of Winefront praised its intensity;

"Intensity. Focus. Length. I could likely stop the review there, though I’ll add a green apple sorbet, juicy lemon and lime, a cashew richness and gloss to mitigate, flinty/chalky texture, a certain citrus zest, grapefruit and green melon through the finish, plus a dash of cinnamon spice and toast. Perhaps slightly more generous than the 2017, and none the worse for that." 96 points - Gary Walsh

Gourmet Traveller WINE awarded it 96 points;

"The restrained bouquet recalls almonds and cashews, and there is sweet juicy lemon flavour in abundance. The structure is tight, intense and focused, with impressive length and refinement. It’s lovely now and would take some age well."

"Very light-yellow hue. Restrained and faintly nutty aromas recalling almond and cashew. There is juicy sweet lemon flavor in spadesful, tight and intense and focused, with impressive length and at the same time terrific refinement. An excellent wine. A textbook chardonnay of great class." - Huon Hooke, 96 points

"Another delightful Margaret River chardonnay. This one reveals freshly squeezed lemons, acacia, chamomile and Granny Smith apples with the faintest touch of spices. The acidity is very, very intense, so beware, but if you can hold on for the ride, it’s a real roller-coaster, as tons of citrus and herbs seep through." - James Suckling, 94 points

Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
"A very attractive wine with a future" - Huon Hooke

The Cabernet is fermented in new 500 litre vinification puncheons as whole berries. The 2015 vintage won Gold and was rated 97 points by James Halliday. We eagerly await Halliday's review of the 2016 after the praise he gave it at the Gourmet Escape Long Lunch event. In the meantime, excellent reviews are coming in from leading wine writers in Australia and internationally.

"Dried red berries, plums, herbs and blackcurrants. Quite hearty but complex on the full-bodied palate, where vibrant layers of soft red fruit intermingle with spicy acidity. Very fruity on the finish, but this also shows concentration and serious depth. Drink in 2021." - James Suckling, 94 points

"Fraser Gallop's flagship 2016 Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent wine and, unfortunately for consumers, priced accordingly. Layers of classy French oak are seamlessly integrated with smooth berry fruit in this medium to full-bodied offering from the Wilyabrup subregion. The tannins are smooth and silky, harnessing the ripeness of the fruit into a streamlined shape on the palate and lingering on the long, mouthwatering finish. It should drink well for at least a decade." - Joe Czerwinski, 93 points

"Deepish red colour with purple tints and a strongly oaky bouquet. Dark chocolate and mocha. It's full-bodied and rich with density, flesh and grip. Violets and blue fruits as well. There is soft but pervasive tannin balanced by concentrated sweet fruit and fleshy texture. A very attractive wine with a future. Oak is a tad dominant at this time, but is not out of balance." Huon Hooke, 93 points

The World of Fine Wine

Finally, Ken Gargett raved about our Palladian wines after visiting the winery for a barrel tasting. The following excerpt comes from his article How The West was won (and keeps winning) in The World of Fine Wine magazine.

"When it comes to Fraser Gallop, one of the matters that always arises for discussion is value. Not that it makes Nigel Gallop happy—he’d rather just focus on quality. It is not easy to escape, though, when you have a series of cracking wines drinking well above their prices. In deference to Nigel, we will not mention value again.

"Winemaker Clive Otto has been there since 2006, after a long stint with Vasse Felix, beginning in 1989. The range encompasses Estate wines, Parterre, and finally a series called Palladian, which will sit at the top (and finally be priced somewhere near what the wines deserve). I was blown away by the quality of the 2017 Palladian Chardonnay, but the 2015 Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon (A$110) might be even better (and a barrel tasting of the 2018 suggests it will be among the greatest wines this region has ever made). It was cold-soaked for ten days at 46°F (8°C), fermented with 100 percent indigenous yeast, and spent 40 days on skins. Aromas and flavors roam through spices, tobacco leaves, coffee grinds, truffley notes, cherries, blueberries, and dried herbs; beautifully balanced, supple and seamless, with at least 20 years of joy ahead of it. Bended-knee stuff (98)."

 

Magnum Masterclass - a resounding success

Magnum Masterclass - a resounding success

Thank you to all who joined us for a wonderful tasting of Parterre magnums from the cellar. We were honoured to have Dr John Gladstones attend. His now-famous paper, published in the 1960s, identified Margaret River as the perfect place for wine growing; “I believe Margaret River will with time become one of the world’s great wine regions."

If you missed it, we still have just ten magnums each of 2012 Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon and 2014 Parterre Chardonnay. Perfect with Christmas lunch!

Buy Magnums

2020 Halliday Wine Companion: Fraser Gallop Estate scoops 4 wines in "The Best of the Best" Varietals Lists

We're humbled with the excellent results of the 2020 Halliday Wine Companion Awards. Four of our wines were included in The Best of the Best: 2020 Varietal Winners lists. These lists contain the crème de la crème of Australian wine, and reinforce our dedication to creating outstanding wines.

Making the 2020 Top Rated Chardonnay list; our inaugural 2017 Palladian Chardonnay.

"Estate-grown, matured for 9 months in Burgundian special toast puncheons. The bouquet has some smoky nuances, but wow, it gives no warning of the incredibly pure, intense and long palate, grapefruit and white peach locked in an eternal embrace."

98 points - James Halliday

Sold Out - Join our Wine Club to get pre-release access to the 2018 Palladian Chardonnay. This vintage will also be in limited supply.

 

On the 2020 Top Rated Cabernet Sauvignon list, is the 2015 Palladian Cabernet.

"This has an extraordinarily long finish and aftertaste, built on varietal purity. It's ethereal, a word I cannot remember often using for a cabernet. The texture, too, is exceptional, the oak absorbed into the essence of the wine."

97 points - James Halliday

BUY NOW
$110 RRP. 10% off mixed dozens. 20% off for Wine Club members

 

Making the 2020 Top Semillon Sauvignon Blends list, both the sold out 2017 and 2018 Estate Semillon Sauvignon Blanc.

On the 2017 vintage, Halliday says;

"The style and quality of this wine has been respected (and protected) for upwards of two decades. Partial barrel ferment is subtle, but important in providing an extra degree of complexity and texture, but leaving the coast clear for the semillon to fly its lemon allsorts flag, the sauvignon blanc to float over the top with its tropical/green pea duo."

96 points - James Halliday.
Limited stock of the 2017 Estate Semillon Sauvignon Blanc is available to wine club members.

The 2018 Estate Semillon Sauvignon Blanc -

"Both varieties were partially barrel-fermented, increasing the texture and complexity, but leaving the varietal character of each razor-sharp prior to blending. A zesty, lively, tangy wine is the result, with grapefruit, green apple and hints of passionfruit and guava on the aftertaste."

96 points - James Halliday

$24 RRP. 10% off mixed dozens. 20% off for Wine Club members.

Wow Factor White: 96 point 2018 Parterre Chardonnay

James Halliday awarded 96 points to the 2018 Parterre Chardonnay and included it in the "wow-factor whites" in the latest Halliday magazine published today.

It follows an immensely successful, multi-award winning 2017 Parterre Chardonnay, and winemaker Clive Otto is confident this new vintage will be just as well received by critics and wine appreciators alike. 

Huon Hooke awarded it 95 points, calling it "a ripping chardonnay and great value at the price."

Limited stocks of the 2017 Parterre Chardonnay are still available and the 2018 Parterre Chardonnay is available on pre-release, with the official release due in a matter of weeks.

A fresh fruit-driven bouquet introduces a palate that flows without interruption to the finish and aftertaste. 
- James Halliday, Wine Companion magazine

Very light yellow hue with a shy, restrained, faintly nutty aroma, which seems a little muffled or unready. The palate is intense and fine, restrained and a tad unready. It’s still emerging but has intensity and very attractive flavour. Long, lingering finish with frisky acidity and real tension.
- Huon Hooke, The Real Review

During winter months, the 2018 Parterre Chardonnay would be best paired with roast chicken dishes or freshly caught abalone from Margaret River. Also with the Manjimup truffle season at the moment, pairing this wine with homemade truffle pasta is another good way to match.

 

 

A marvellous Palladian celebration

A truly magnificent evening was had by all at the inaugural Palladian Dinner. Chef Hadleigh Troy cooked the most sublime five course meal, and the Palladian and Parterre wines complemented each dish beautifully. Hadleigh won Chef of the Year and Best Fine Dining at his Restaurant Amuse in East Perth.

It was a pleasure and a privilege to share such a special experience with Palladian Wine Club members in our home.

Plans are already underway for another magical evening to share with our Wine Club members in 2020.

Le Menu

Sichuan cured kingfish, avocado salsa and burnt vegetable rice cracker
Billecart Blanc de Blancs

Squid spaghetti, black garlic, dashi broth and garlic chives
2016 and 2013 Parterre Sémillon Sauvignon Blanc

Marron cooked in carrot juice with Geraldton Wax salsa verde and roast carrots
2015 Parterre and 2017 Palladian Chardonnay

Amelia Park lamb with crushed macadamia nuts, charred capsicums, capers and romesco
2013 and 2008 Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon

Roast duck breast with a confit leg cromesquis and blood orange jus finished with gremolata
2015 Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon

Chocolate marquise with rosemary ice cream and passionfruit curd
2018 Ice Pressed Chardonnay