Barrel Hall Pop Up - Back This Weekend

A once-a-year opportunity to taste and purchase museum wines, including the trophy winning 2014 Parterre Chardonnay, the very last of the Decanter 'Best Bordeaux Blend' 2007 Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon (in 3 and 6 litre bottles), the multi award winning 2009 (1.5, 3 and 6 litre bottles) and the 2008 Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon which is drinking beautifully.

Also available to taste, Huon Hooke's Wine of the Week, the 95-point 2018 Parterre Semillon Sauvignon Blanc. ("It’s excellent now and promises more for the future" says Huon.)

Tastings are free, and this is the only place in the region where you can sample award winning museum wines without a fee. 

If you can't make the event, but you'd like to take advantage of the last remaining vintages, then download the Australian Order Form or International Order Form.

We look forward to seeing you!

Date: Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd June
Time 11am to 4pm
Venue: Barrel Hall - Fraser Gallop Estate

31/05/2019 at 1:36 PM Permalink

"Wine of the Week" Parterre Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2018

What an honour it is to have our Parterre Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2018 named Wine of the Week by brilliant wine critic Huon Hooke.

He wrote "It’s excellent now and promises more for the future," and noted the fresh bouquet and lightly toasty barrel-fermented nuances - this wine is inspired by the “Graves” style of wine from Pessac-Leognan in Bordeaux. It's a style that offer far more complexity and interest and make better food wines than the usual stainless steel tank fermented SSB blends.  

Read the full review at The Real Review;

This is a cracking wine, which will be even better in a year or so. The bouquet currently shows fresh snow-pea fruit and nutty, lightly toasty barrel-fermented nuances. It tastes youthful and tight, clean and crisp with a dry finish. Good concentration. It’s excellent now and promises more for the future.

This wine is available to purchase. 

29/04/2019 at 1:45 PM Permalink

"Ethereal" 98 point Palladian

"Ethereal" 98 point Palladian

"Could he produce a wine better than (and distinct from) Parterre?" asked renowned critic James Halliday in The Australian. We'd love you to be the judge, and both the 98 point Palladian Chardonnay and 97 point "ethereal" Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon are available to purchase and taste in our cellar door every weekend while stocks last.

Buy Palladian Wines

Read below Halliday's full article from The Australian, published 2 February 2019:

Fraser Gallop Estate

From time to time, Clive Otto must pinch himself in wonder at how he came to be chief winemaker of Fraser Gallop Estate. He presides over a 300 tonne capacity winery built in 2008 specifically to handle the production of chardonnay, cabernet and semillon sauvignon blanc blends. There is no intention to increase the throughput of the estate’s vineyards, or to undertake contract winemaking. And one look at the immaculately groomed vines in summer will tell you this is a special place, the vines surrounded by acres of mowed grass.

Otto is the first to admit he loves tinkering around the edges of making the wines of the estate. He hit the ground running when he made the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (his first vintage), which in 2009 won the Decanter World Wine Awards for Best Cabernet Sauvignon in the World.

And then there are founding owners Nigel and Dorothy Gallop. Nigel, whose investments outside wine allow him to fund whatever his pride and joy needs, began tinkering with the Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon. Could he produce a wine better than (and distinct from) Parterre? The first decision was to carry out all the fermentation in new, custom built 500l French oak puncheons.

But how? The answer was a very large aperture that would allow conventional plunging. Bunches were destemmed, and at the end of 40 days on skins each puncheon was rolled with the aperture open, the marc taken direct to the press, the free run juice returned to the barrels for 22 months’ maturation. And so Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon was born, its first vintage 2013.

Palladian Chardonnay’s first vintage was in 2017. Vinification was similar to that of other top end versions, the answer in the vineyard where multiple passes through the growing season reduced the yield to 6.3 tonnes per hectare and the alcohol to 13 per cent.

2017 Fraser Gallop Estate Palladian Wilyabrup Margaret River
Chardonnay

Whole-bunch pressed straight to new 500l puncheons in a cool room at 12°C for a long, slow, wild yeast ferment. It has an incredibly pure, intense and long palate, grapefruit and white peach locked in an eternal embrace. 13 per cent alc, screwcap 98 points, drink to 2030, $110

2015 Fraser Gallop Estate Palladian Wilyabrup Margaret River
Cabernet Sauvignon

This has an extraordinarily long finish and aftertaste, built on varietal purity. It’s ethereal, a word I cannot remember using for a cabernet. The texture, too, is exceptional, the oak absorbed into the wine’s essence. 14.5% alc, screwcap 97 points, drink to 2045, $110

2018 Fraser Gallop Estate Wilyabrup Margaret River Ice Pressed
Chardonnay

The grapes were frozen for five days then whole-bunch pressed, the skins and ice discarded, the juice coldsettled
for another five days, then transferred to barrel for a slow fermentation with 155.6g/l residual sugar retained before fermentation was stopped. 375ml. 12.5 per cent alc, screwcap 95 points, drink to 2021, $34

07/02/2019 at 6:33 PM Permalink

Palladian's Critical Acclaim

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. 

Critical acclaim for the inaugural Palladian Chardonnay is rolling in, as is praise for the latest Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon. Both debuted at the recent Gourmet Escape with a fantastic response from critics, chefs and our loyal clientele.

Palladian Chardonnay​ 2017
"A fine modern Chardonnay" Huon Hooke

Released in November 2018, the 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.

Huon Hooke called it the #1 2017 Chardonnay from Margaret River;

"Fraser Gallop wines are among the best value in the region, and this one is typical. The youthfully subtle bouquet has elements of cashew, almond, honey and butter while the palate is lively with mouth-watering acidity and is tense, refreshing and invigorating. A fine modern chardonnay."

Gary Walsh of Winefront awarded it 95+ points;

"Spicy biscuit oak, zesty lime and grapefruit, kaffir lime leaf, touch of nougat, whisper of struck match. Medium-bodied, intense fruit backed with tasteful spicy oak, gently chalky texture, a bit of sunshine pineapple and vanilla on a long crisp finish. Savoury elements in play, but not thick with winemaker influence, more into purity here. A spicy little unit. Shy as a youngster, and more open coming back to it having been open for a day." 

"Big and rich and gorgeous with masses of acidity. Exotically floral." 18/20 - Jancis Robinson, tasted unfinished in November 2017.

Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
A 96 point "Beauty"

The Cabernet is fermented in new 500 litre vinification puncheons as whole berries. Both Huon Hooke and Gary Walsh scored it 96 points.

"Deep red/purple colour, with a superbly intense bouquet of violets and blackcurrants. Oak has been sensitively handled. The tannins are fine-grained and soft, the concentration outstanding without sacrificing the elegance and finesse of the wine." - Huon Hooke

"Beautiful smelling wine. All the violets, sweet dark fruit, tobacco and cigar box, spice, nougat. Full-bodied, thick with fine tannin, fresh, savoury, intense, great line through the mouth, big finish, baking spices and sweet tannin. Settled acidity. Napa-like, in a sense. Red fruits and creamy cassis linger. Beauty." - Gary Walsh

"Subtle, layered, deep ruby. Tight and youthful and shows what Clive Otto can do." 17+ - Jancis Robinson, previewed in November 2017

30/01/2019 at 4:26 PM Permalink

Parterre Semillon Sauvignon Blanc makes Halliday's Top 100

Halliday's Top 100 

Margaret River claimed more places in James Halliday's Top 100 Wines than any other region in Australia, such is the premium quality of our wine.

Our 2017 Parterre Semillon Sauvignon Blanc made the cut, scoring 96 points.

"It has precision, drive and elegance, with juicy minerality," said Halliday.

Other recent acclaim for the Parterre wines

Parterre Chardonnay 2017 "a first class Margaret River chardonnay with a proven track record." - James Halliday. Gold at the Halliday Chardonnay Challenge and Six Nations Wine Challenge

Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 "beautifully flavoured and intense in the mouth, poised and elegant" - Huon Hooke. Gold at the 2017 Margaret River Wine Show.

13/11/2018 at 12:51 AM Permalink

Gold medals for the Parterre Chardonnay

Exciting news just in - the newly released 2017 Parterre Chardonnay won GOLD at both the Langton's James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge and the Six Nations Wine Challenge.

"This is a first class Margaret River Chardonnay with a proven track record... 96 points" says James Halliday in his latest Australian Wine Companion.

It's an honour to be amongst the crème de la crème in both competitions.

The 2017 Parterre Chardonnay is available to buy online here.

18/10/2018 at 2:04 PM Permalink

A Successful Open Garden Fundraiser

What a splendid day for the Open Garden Fundraiser, and thanks to everyone who attended.

Together we raised $1530 which helped Lily and Jessica attend the national equestrian championships in Melbourne. The girls are very grateful.

Thank you to Dorothy and her friends for the delicious sandwiches, sausage rolls and raspberry friands.

Special thanks to Chris Spiker, a guest who took these delightful photos. Chris is also a talented artist who creates the most exquisite paintings of birds. He exhibits at Boranup Gallery and we recommend visiting his studio at Margaret River Region Open Studios next year!

09/10/2018 at 2:08 PM Permalink

Chic Chardonnay - Huon Hooke previews the 2017 Parterre

Fraser Gallop wines are among the best value in the region, and this one is typical. The youthfully subtle bouquet has elements of cashew, almond, honey and butter while the palate is lively with mouth-watering acidity and is tense, refreshing and invigorating. A fine modern chardonnay. (Screwcap)

Score: 94 ★★★★ – view Huon’s original tasting

Read the full review, food pairing and more of Huon Hooke's reviews

18/07/2018 at 2:59 PM Permalink

Think you hate chardonnay? Taste it blind.

Would the clarity and focus of the Margaret River wines stand out from the crowd?

Victoria Moore attended a series of wine tastings in November 2017 to celebrate the Margaret River wine region's 50th anniversary. The 32nd annual Cullen International Chardonnay Tasting was hosted by Vanya Cullen who had selected 22 chardonnays from Australia, France and the US. 

Below is an extract from Victoria Moore's column in The Daily Telegraph, July 2018.

"Every so often, an online commenter asks why anyone would be interested in chardonnay when sauvignon blanc (and other grapes) have all the verve and freshness you could ever want (especially, you might think, in this heatwave). This week’s column begins with a riposte to that from Cliff Royle at Flametree in Margaret River (you need to turn on your internal Australian accent as you read in order to do it full justice).

“People tell me ‘I’m ABC’ – anything but chardonnay – and I say, ‘You know what, you need to do yourself a favour and get over that quite quickly because chardonnay is the greatest white wine grape in the world and, yes, I’ve had some nice rieslings, and some nice other whites, but the greatest white wines I’ve had have all been chardonnay. Yes, I understand you fell out of love with it because a lot of wines were over-oaky and clunky, but that’s not where we are now.’”

Wines of the Week
 

Fraser Gallop Estate Parterre Chardonnay 2016 Margaret River, Australia (13.5%, winedirect.co.uk, £22.50)
An astonishingly good chardonnay, with great freshness, focus and clarity. It’s reminiscent of nectarines, lemon blossom, and lemon mousse, with a brush of roasted nuts. This estate makes superb cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon-sémillon as well.

18/07/2018 at 2:11 PM Permalink Comments (1)

95 Pts for the Parterre Cabernet

What a thrill - Huon Hooke awarded our 2014 Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon 95 points, and described it as "beautifully flavoured and intense in the mouth, poised and elegant with tight, refined structure and good persistence."

This is the same vintage that won Gold at the Margaret River Wine Show in 2017, as did the 2013 and 2015 vintages. We eagerly await another stellar review in the Australian Wine Companion next month, and urge you to stock your cellar before it runs out.

Meanwhile, Hooke rated the 2017 Parterre Chardonnay 94 points, and said it was "top value for money".

Huon Hooke's Tasting Notes

2014 Fraser Gallop Estate Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon

95/100

Medium to deep red/purple colour, bright and fresh, while also describes the nose, which is very aromatic and has charming floral violet overtones over raspberry and mulberry-like fruit. Hints of vanilla, briar and cedar as well. The wine is beautifully flavoured and instense in the mouth, poised and elegant with tight, refined structure and good persistence. It's tightly coiled and compact, and promises to richly reward cellaring.

2017 Fraser Gallop Estate Parterre Chardonnay

94/100

Light straw colour and a shy, faintly nutty savoury bouquet, which grew and grew as the wine aired. Complex cashew, almond, honey and butter nuances later. The palate is bright and enlivened by frisky acidity, which helps extend the finish. It's mouthwatering and tense, refreshing and invigorating. A lovely modern chardonnay, even better with fish or seafood. Top value for money.

29/05/2018 at 5:07 PM Permalink