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Wine and Chocolate
Wine and chocolate are two indulgences that are often enjoyed separately, but have you ever considered pairing them together?
Done right, the combination of wine and chocolate can create a symphony of flavours that tantalises the senses.
To create the perfect pairing, consider the characteristics of both the wine and the chocolate. Here are some tips to help you find the perfect match:
Consider the intensity of the chocolate. Dark chocolate has a higher percentage of cocoa and a more intense flavour, while milk chocolate and white chocolate are sweeter and milder. The intensity of the chocolate should be balanced with the intensity of the wine.
Match the sweetness levels. A general rule of thumb is to match the sweetness of the wine with the sweetness of the chocolate. A sweeter wine will complement a sweeter chocolate, while a drier wine will balance out a darker, more intense chocolate.
Think about the flavours. Certain wines and chocolates have complementary flavour profiles that work well together. For example, a rich, full-bodied red wine pairs well with dark chocolate with hints of cherry or raspberry, while a sweet white wine complements milk chocolate with notes of vanilla.
We've been having some fun with our guests at cellar door and we've found the most popular wine and chocolate pairings include:
- Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon with dark chocolate with cherry or raspberry notes
- Merlot with milk chocolate with hints of vanilla or caramel
- Our Ice Pressed Chardonnay with white chocolate with fruity or floral notes
When it comes to wine and chocolate pairings, there's no right or wrong answer. It's all about experimenting and finding the combination that works best for you. So, this Easter, grab a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, and start exploring the delicious world of wine and chocolate pairings. Cheers to a sweet and savoury adventure!
28/03/2023 at 1:06 PM
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Just released 2019 Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon
My goodness what a bumper release this is. The critics have had to raid the thesaurus to find even more superlatives than usual for these wines and we are delighted to be sharing them with you.
"The mention of Houghton clone in Wilyabrup is important, for the particular way that it expresses itself: supple, succulent, red fruited and powerful; it imbues the wines with grace and ease. So too, this release. This has all these attributes, layers of pomegranate, raspberry, red licorice, salt bush, cassis and peppercorn. A beautiful wine, with a proven track record for graceful ageing. This vintage will be no exception."
- Halliday Wine Companion, 96 points
"The 2019 Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon is juicy, bright and beautiful. The style at Fraser Gallop errs toward earlier picks, although the 14% alcohol on the label coupled with the ripe fruit in the mouth suggests that, in this cool year, picking was "when ripe." This is a delicious wine that routinely offers brilliant value-for-money drinking and a very elegant Cabernet experience."
- Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 95 point
15/11/2022 at 2:18 PM
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Just released 2021 Parterre Chardonnay
My goodness what a bumper release this is. The critics have had to raid the thesaurus to find even more superlatives than usual for these wines and we are delighted to be sharing them with you.
Winner - James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge GOLD
WA Good Food Guide Top 25 Wines of 2022
"Pristine, pure and very fine-boned house style of Chardonnay coupled with the cooler year that was 2021, and we are met by a wine with poise, precision and finesse in spades. What a beauty the 2021 Parterre Chardonnay is. Juicy, glass-shard acidity is couched in very soft, enveloping orchard fruit, and spooling out through the finish is a string of briney acidity. This is a gorgeous wine, perhaps shorter lived than some of its predecessors, but it will never hang around long enough for us to find out."
- Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 95 points
"Plenty of perfume, a sort of thyme and lavender thing, cashew and almond, a little spicy oak. It’s tight and zesty, lime and pink grapefruit, maybe some green apple, intense acidity, a fine powdery/flinty texture, and a tight and racy grapefruit finish of excellent length. A lot of energy and vigour, and best with a year or so more in bottle to settle."
- The Wine Front, 94+ points
15/11/2022 at 2:09 PM
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New release Palladian wines
We are very pleased to announce the release of our 2021 Palladian Chardonnay and our 2019 Palladian Cabernet. Both wines have been exciting wine judges and critics alike with their unique Wilyabrup characteristics.
ABOUT THE 2021 PALLADIAN CHARDONNAY
Made with fruit from 23-year-old Gingin clone vines, the 2021 Palladian Chardonnay was handpicked, whole-bunch pressed, wild fermented in French puncheons (100% new) and matured for 10 months. One hundred percent new oak may sound like a lot, but in the case of this wine, the power of the fruit has absorbed the oak, leaving not a trace save the texture and enhanced spice in the mouth.
"This is marvellous— The low-alcohol, earlier-picked style of the Palladian (12.5% alcohol this year) brings a level of finesse and precision that, in this glass, makes for mouthwatering drinking. An exemplar wine that shows elegance and tension." - Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 97 points
"Sea spray, spicy biscuit ginger oak, almond and crème brulée, ripe lime and pink grapefruit. Intense and concentrated, flinty with some creamy gloss, tangy preserved lemon flavours, green apple, tight and very long. No shortage of drive and structure here, that’s for sure. It should be quite something with a few more years in bottle."
- The Wine Front, 95+ points
ABOUT THE 2019 PALLADIAN CABERNET SAUVIGNON
A very pretty aromatic wine redolent with dark cherry, boysenberry, Doris plum and spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. The body is a medium-bodied and colour pale crimson. The balance and seamless nature are extraordinary given that it’s 100 % pure Cabernet Sauvignon.
Soft, plush and long with blackcurrant, plums and rhubarb on the palate and a finish that is extraordinarily long. A seductively textured wine with soft papery tannins.
"What a lovely wine. The 2019 Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon has the three P's to success: poise, perfume and precision. I don't think that's how the saying goes... but it should. The mid-palate fruit is gently fleshy and satisfying, and everything is in place in this supremely elegant wine." - Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 95 points
"A juicy and balanced cabernet sauvignon with redcurrant, currant bush and rose petal. Medium to full body. Medium, round tannins and a focused finish." - James Suckling
15/11/2022 at 1:33 PM
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Introducing our Sommelier Service
The arrival of festive season is always joyous, but the most wonderful time of the year can also mean very long gift lists. Whether you’re thanking hardworking colleagues, planning to treat loyal clients, or throwing a party to celebrate the season, our Sommelier Service is here to advise with just the right wine selection.
We have also curated the ultimate collection of our signature wines and packaged them beautifully so you won’t need to lift a finger.
Our range includes magnums, single bottles, pairs or triple bottle packs, and gift vouchers for when you can’t decide.
Contact our Sommelier Service with your corporate gifting or event requirements and let us tailor a package to suit your needs.
15/11/2022 at 1:20 PM
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The Real Review’s Top Wineries of Australia 2022
Fraser Gallop Estate has once again cantered into The Real Review’s Top Wineries of Australia 2022 list. The list represents Australia’s top 18 percent. The crème de la crème of Australian wineries.
We are very honoured to be one of a few Margaret River estates to feature in the 389 strong list selected from the 2,156 wineries across Australia.
Now in its fifth year, the ranking is based on the top scoring wines of each winery tasted by the Real Review team. We are humbled to see that our wines are so highly regarded by this team of respected wine critics.
08/06/2022 at 4:46 PM
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Margaret River edges ahead of Coonawarra in cabernet
The world’s most prestigious wine publication has suggested Margaret River now leads the nation in its signature cabernet sauvignon.
The report, from the latest issue of Decanter magazine, said the Margaret River reds now eclipsed even those produced in South Australia’s Coonawarra region.
Wine writer Sarah Ahmed sampled wines from Xanadu, Woodlands, Domaine Naturaliste, Capel Vale and Fraser-Gallop, among others.
She said the strength of cabernet from Wilyabrup was a strong argument for official recognition of the subregion.
Recognition of Wilyabrup as an official subregion has seen a divergence in views within the Margaret River wine industry, with the Margaret River Wine Association not supporting a push by a core band of Wilyabrup producers to get the official classification.
MRWA chief executive Amanda Whiteland said cabernet sauvignon was the world’s most popular variety.
“It is great that highly regarded wine magazine Decanter and wine critic Sarah Ahmed recognises Margaret River as a first port of call for top-value New World Cabernet,” she said.
Fraser-Gallop Estate owner Nigel Gallop told the Times the recognition strengthened the case for Wilyabrup’s official listing as a subregion.
Fraser-Gallop’s cabernet was scored in the top 10 of the wines reviewed.
“The main point was the strength of Margaret River generally,” he said.
“It was a very, very strong endorsement of the Margaret River region.”
Author: Warren Hately, The West Australian, Friday 18th March
21/03/2022 at 12:47 PM
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Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine: Best of the West
Of the Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 panellist Peter Bourne wrote, “This graceful red is heading towards its maturity with a complex bouquet of red and black fruits and savoury, earthy notes. A hint of old cigar box. Style and finesse on palate, with gently persistent tannins and a long satisfying finish. Perfect with a roast leg of lamb.”
Nick Bulleid "found raspberry fragrance with a hint of vanilla, while the palate has tremendous suppleness, line and length. It’s developing nicely and would be brilliant now, but I thought the wine still had plenty of time in it."
30/08/2021 at 10:41 AM
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Halliday Wine Companion Results 2022
The 2022 Halliday Wine Companion results are in.
Once again, Fraser Gallop Estate has punched way above its weight with a medal tally worthy of a Tokyo performance.
GOLD
Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
"A gloriously seamless wine"
96 points - GOLD
Palladian Chardonnay 2019
"A very special wine"
96 points - GOLD
Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
"nuanced and fragrant"
95 points - GOLD
Chardonnay 2020
"remarkable for the price! Extremely classy"
95 points - GOLD
Parterre Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2019
"A texturally rich yet restrained wine"
95 points - GOLD
SILVER & BRONZE
Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2020
"Beautiful"
94 points - SILVER
Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
"Intriguingly layered...Gorgeous"
94 points - SILVER
Ice Pressed Chardonnay 2020
"Extremely pure"
92 points - SILVER
Rosé 2020
"Delicate and low-key"
86 points - BRONZE
Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
"Reaching heights of near perfection, '18 was a vintage responsible for wines just like this. Supple intensity, concentration of flavour without a gram of weight, the length of flavour possessed only by very healthy, perfectly ripe and balanced grapes.
What a gloriously seamless wine, continuing the proud legacy of Parterre."
Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion, GOLD, 96 points
Palladian Chardonnay 2019
"White peach and saline acid are the defining characters here. On the palate, the flavours extend and unfurl into all the far reaches of the mouth and mind; fine chalky phenolics serve to grip and convince a second and third sip.
A very special wine."
Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion, GOLD, 96 points
As always it's an honour to be included amongst the best of the best of Australia's wineries. To purchase the guide and read more about our results log on to Halliday Wine Companion here.
16/08/2021 at 3:32 PM
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Winter Solstice Palladian Long Lunch
On Saturday, 19 June, Parterre and Palladian Club members were transported to Tuscany for a solstice celebration.
Club members enjoyed a long lunch savouring fine Palladian and Parterre wines partnered with the delicious food of chef and pasta guru Paul Salmeri (ex River Café and now Sal's Pasta in Cottesloe) in the dining room of Gallop House. A fabulous time was had by all...
30/06/2021 at 7:32 PM
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