VINEYARD & WINEMAKING

The continental cool climate subregion of Frankland River sits within the northwest corner of the Great Southern wine region (its latitude 34°39’S). The Riversdale vineyard, planted in 1997 on deep gravel over clay soils, on a north-south orientation, is located 7kms northwest of the Frankland River township.

The winter saw average rainfall that continued into early spring. Summer was dry and mild with even temperatures throughout February, March and April. This provided perfect conditions to achieve optimal ripeness, and the desired tannin profile for premium cabernet sauvignon.

The fruit was picked and sorted in late-April 2023. It was cold soaked in a small fermenter for two days before undergoing a gentle and extended maceration. After the fermentation, the wine was left on skins for 21 days. Thirty percent of the wine was matured in new Bordeaux oak barriques. The balance went to one-year old (30%) and two-year old (40%) Bordeaux barriques for fourteen months before the wine was then prepared for bottling.

THE WINE

This wine displays complex aromas of blueberry, mulberry and cassis, with gentle oak support. The wine is effortlessly mouth filling with plush dark fruit flavours balanced with gentle fine-grained tannins which lead to a long finish. It is well suited to red meat dishes such as a roast leg of lamb with garlic and herbs.

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CRITIC REVIEWS OF NOTE

2023

96 points, Ray Jordan's Top 100 Reds of 2025, August 2025

2022

93 points, Claire Nesbitt, James Suckling, Feb 2025
94 points, Ray Jordan Wine, May 2024
95 points, Wine Showcase Magazine, New Release Tasting, Dec 2023
92 points, Vinous, May 2024

2021

96 points, James Halliday, Wine Companion, May 2024
95 points, Ray Jordan's 2024 Wine Review, November 2023
95 points, Runner-up Best Wine, Ray Jordan's Top 100 Reds 2023, July 2023
95 points, Wine Showcase Magazine, July 2023

2020

96 points, New Releases Tasting, Winestate Magazine, May/June 2022

2019

95 points, Wine Showcase Magazine, Mar 2021

2018 Vintage

4 stars, Best of the West, Winestate Magazine, May/June 2021
Halliday's Top Picks, The Australian, Jan 2021
96 points, value rosette, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, Aug 2020
93 points, Editor's Pick, National Liquor News, June 2020
92 points, Steve Leszczynski, QWine, Apr 2020
4 stars, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com, Mar 2020
94 points, Nick Butler, The Real Review, Sep 2019

2017 Vintage

4 stars, Best Wines of 2019, Winestate Magazine, Jan 2020
18.6 points, Barry Weinman, Western Suburbs Weekly, Sep 2019
"Impressively Balanced", John Fordham, The Sunday Telegraph, Aug 2019
95 points, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, Aug 2019
93 points, '100 of the Best', Mike Bennie & Tyson Stelzer, Wine Business Magazine, Jul 2019
92+ points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, Jul 2019
93 points, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com, Jun 2019
18.6 points, Barry Weinman, Fine Wine Club, May 2019
92 points, Toni Paterson, The Real Review, May 2019
94 points, Nick Butler, The Real Review, May 2019
94 points, Steve Leszczynski, QWine, Apr 2019

2016 Vintage 

18 points, Regan Drew, Vinonotebook, May 2019
93 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, Mar 2019
16.5 points, Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com, Dec 2018
95 points, Ray Jordan, 2019 WA Wine Guide, Nov 2018
95 points, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, Aug 2018

2015 Vintage

96 points, Jane Faulkner, Australian Wine Companion, Aug 2017

2014 Vintage

97 points, Campbell Mattinson, Australian Wine Companion, Oct 2016
95 points, Ray Jordan, Top 100 Reds
18 points, Barry Weinman, Fine Wine Club, Jul 2016

2013 Vintage

96 points, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, Jul 2015
96 points, David Prestipino, WA Today, Jun 2016
94 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, Jan 2016
94 points, Erin Larkin, Nov 2015
'Fresh and Refreshing', Regan Drew, Vinonotebook, Feb 2017
94 points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review, Nov 2015

2012 Vintage

96 points, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, Mar 2014
93 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, Jul 2014
93 points, Wine and Spirits Magazine, Feb 2015
'A Wine of Style', Sydney Morning Herald, May 2014
'Stylish, Sophisticated', Windsor Dobbin, Jun 2014