2020 Singlefile 'The Philip Adrian' Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon
VINEYARD & WINEMAKING
The continental cool climate sub-region of Frankland River sits within the north west 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 north west of the Frankland River township.
‘The Philip Adrian’ is Singlefile’s flagship red wine where every measure is taken to ensure only the best fruit and barrels are selected. This wine will only be made in exceptional vintages.
The wine is 100% cabernet sauvignon (Houghton clones), the fruit picked and sorted in late March 2020. It was cold soaked in a small fermenter for two days with minimum pump overs before undergoing an extended and gentle maceration lasting for four weeks. Forty percent of the wine was matured in new Bordeaux oak barriques for fifteen months. The balance went to one-year-old (30%) and two-year-old (30%) Bordeaux barriques (for the same period).
The wine was bottled on 22 December 2021 and bottle aged before release.
THE WINE
The wine displays aromas of dark red berry fruit and mocha characters. The palate is vibrant with cassis fruit and earthy undertones. It has a soft and supple mouth feel with fine grain tannins and good length of flavour.
CRITIC REVIEWS OF NOTE
2020 Vintage
97 points, value rosette, James Halliday, 2025 Halliday Wine Companion, August 2024
97 points, Ray Jordan, Ray Jordan Wine, August 2024
95 points, Tom Kline, Wine Pilot, July 2024
95 points, Rob Geddes MW, June 2024
95 points, Gabrielle Poy, The Real Review, Feb 2024
2019 Vintage
97 points, Ray Jordan, WinePilot, May 2023
96 points, James Halliday, 2024 Halliday Wine Companion, August 2023
2018 Vintage
98 points, Ray Jordan, 2023 WA Wine Review
5 stars, Huon Hooke, The Real Review, Apr 2021
96 points, James Halliday, 2022 Halliday Wine Companion, Aug 2021
4 stars, Best of the West, Winestate Magazine, May/June 2021
"A blockbuster of a wine", Dr Craig Drummond MW, Medical Forum Magazine, May 2023
2017 Vintage
96 points, Campbell Mattinson, Oct 2020
96 points, Steve Leszczynski, QWine, Oct 2020
96 points, Nick Stock, jamessuckling.com, Sep 2020
96 points, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, Aug 2020
95 points, Ray Jordan Wine Guide 2022, Nov 2021
94 points, James Suckling, jamesuckling.com, Mar 2020
4 stars, Best Wines of 2019, Winestate Magazine, Jan 2020
2016 Vintage
5 stars, Best Wines of 2020, Western Australia, Winestate Magazine, Annual Edition 2021
5 stars, Top in Category, Best of the West, Winestate Magazine, Apr 2020
5 stars, Equal Top in Category, Best Wines of 2019, Winestate Magazine, Jan 2020
97 points, Ray Jordan, The West Australian 2020 Wine Guide, Nov 2019
95 points, Nick Butler, The Real Review, Sep 2019
97 points, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, Aug 2019
94 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, Jun 2019
97 points, Ray Jordan, The Weekend West, May 2019
18.7 points, Barry Weinman, Fine Wine Club, May 2019
2015 Vintage
16.0 points, Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com, Dec 2018
97 points, Ray Jordan, 2019 WA Wine Guide, Nov 2018
18.5 points, Regan Drew, Vinonotebook, Sep 2018
97 points, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, Aug 2018
95 points, QWine, Jun 2018
95 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, Jun 2018
2014 Vintage
97 points, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, Aug 2017
95 points, Campbell Mattinson, Wine Front, Jun 2017
18.5+ points, Barry Weinman, Fine Wine Club, Jul 2017
18.5 points, Regan Drew, vinonotebook.com, Oct 2017
2013 Vintage
98 points, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, Nov 2015
98 points, Perth Cafe Culture, Apr 2016
97 points, Ray Jordan, Weekend West, Aug 2016
96 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, May 2016
2012 Vintage
96 points, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, Aug 2015
96 points, Ray Jordan, WA Wine Guide, Nov 2014
'mature and profound', Regan Drew, Vinonotebook, Aug 2015