A Great Southern Winter

The fruit for this wine is from our pinot noir vineyard in the Mount Barker subregion of the Great Southern. The fruit was picked, destemmed and cold soaked for two days in small open fermenters. A portion of the juice underwent a wild yeast fermentation, the remainder, after the introduction of an indigenous yeast strain.

Once fermentation was underway the must was pumped over twice daily with small amounts of oxygen. The temperature was held at about 25°C, then allowed to warm up as the fermentation came to an end.

Upon completion of the primary fermentation the wine was then transferred to barrels for malolactic fermentation, allowing for the soft integration of the juice and oak.

The wine was bottled in February 2025.

The malbec grape originates from France, the majority found in the Cahors region, a small town in the south-west. Because of the grapes’ thin skin, it is susceptible to poor weather and the pests of the region, and hasn’t surfaced as a top French variety. However, it is a common blending grape used in many of the great wines of Bordeaux. It has also found a home in Mendoza, Argentina where a French botanist planted it by order of the mayor in 1868. It is increasingly being celebrated as an Argentine varietal.

There are only very small plantings of malbec in the Great Southern, and it has proven very well suited to the climate and soils of the Frankland River subregion. This 2025 vintage fruit was picked and sorted on 27 March. It was cold soaked in small fermenters for two days before undergoing an extended and gentle maceration allowing for the softening of the tannins with the goal of creating a wine with structure and texture, along with the natural juicy flavour profile of malbec. Twenty five percent of the wine was matured in new Bordeaux oak barriques. The balance went to two- and three-year old Bordeaux barriques for nine months maturation before final preparation for bottling in December 2025.

The Southern Rhône region of Châteauneuf du Pape is a significant wine region of the world and Singlefile’s Clément V is a salute to the role this “Avignon Pope” played in establishing the viticulture and wine style of this region. This wine is a blend of the classic Châteauneuf du Pape varieties of grenache, syrah (Rhône clones 877 and 470 originally from Hermitage) and mataro (also known as mourvèdre).

All three of these varieties are grown in the Donnelly River vineyard in Frankland River. The 2025 fruit was picked on 28 March, 2 April and 3 April 2025, with varietal batches kept separate throughout. The fruit was sorted and cold soaked in small fermenters for one day, before undergoing an extended and gentle maceration.

Approximately twenty five percent of the wine was matured in new oak barriques, the balance going to two- and three-year-old barriques for eleven months before the varietal blending, settling and preparation for bottling.

The continental cool climate subregion of Frankland River sits within the northwest corner of the Great Southern wine region. The Donnelly River vineyard is an established cabernet vineyard site in the heart of the Frankland River wine growing district.

The 2024 growing season offered consistent temperatures and an early, dry harvest. These conditions have resulted in a rich cabernet with ripe varietal flavour and good tannin profile.

The fruit was picked and sorted on 20 and 21 March 2024. It was cold soaked in a small fermenter for three days before undergoing a gentle and extended maceration. After the fermentation, the wine was left on skins for 24 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.

Great Southern shiraz typically exhibits a compelling combination of juicy red berries, plum, pepper and spice aromatics and flavours. The cooler climate of the region produces a more elegant, food friendly style when compared with better known bolder shiraz styles of Australia’s warmer regions.

The grapes were picked on 28 March 2025 and crushed to stainless steel tanks where they underwent a very gentle maceration over a twelve day period. The must was then pressed and the wine was transferred to oak (a combination of new and second use French oak barriques) for twelve months before it was prepared for bottling