Winter Table Collection

The pinot noir grape variety is well suited to the high-altitude and cool climate environment of the Porongurup subregion of the Great Southern. The Quin vineyard is on the northern slopes of the Porongurup range at approximately 300m above sea level. This established vineyard showcases a more delicately styled expression of pinot noir. It is grown on granitic gravel loam soils and benefits from a cool microclimate without much rainfall due to the rain shadow effect of the Porongurup Range.

The 2025 growing season was steady with modest rainfall. Mildly elevated temperatures led to a slightly earlier start to harvest. Pinot noir was the standout variety in 2025, benefitting from the early harvest date helping to preserve natural acidity whilst achieving optimum flavour.

The fruit was picked on 16 March 2025. A parcel was gently de-stemmed and pressed into a small open fermenter, with another parcel chilled overnight, then de-stemmed and gently pressed with some whole bunches added. After fermentation the wine went to French (Burgundian) oak barriques (approximately 30% new, the remainder one year old), and was matured for eleven months before it was prepared for bottling.

Often described as the “Spanish pinot noir”, mencía originated in Portugal but found its true home in the north-west of Spain, where the majority of plantings are now found. Though a relative newcomer to Australia, first planted in McLaren Vale in 2011, small parcels have flourished in select sites, particularly across South Australia as well as a tiny planting in the Great Southern.

Mencía thrives in climates with warm days and cool nights, conditions that foster an elegant balance of vibrant aromatics, bright acidity, and flavour intensity. The fruit for this wine, from Franklands vineyard, enjoyed precisely these conditions. The site’s ironstone gravel soils lend a distinctive mineral edge — an expression of terroir which this variety is especially suited to.

Fruit was selectively harvested on 5 March 2024 to capture optimal freshness and flavour. A combination of whole-berry and partial whole-bunch fermentation brought aromatic lift and gentle tannin complexity. Extraction was carefully restrained to maintain purity, with minimal pump-overs and no heavy punchdowns. The wine was matured in older (one, two and three year old) barrels to add a smoothness without masking the variety’s natural floral brightness. The wine was bottled in February 2025, and has since rested in bottle to allow for full expression of the wine’s elements.

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.

Five varieties of grapes are permitted in red Bordeaux wines: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot. In Australia, cabernet sauvignon and merlot is a common blend to produce a Bordeaux-style red, with merlot’s smoothness and fruit forward qualities helping to balance the high tannin in the cabernet.

The fruit was picked and hand-sorted in late April 2023. The two varietal parcels were cold soaked in small fermenters for two days before undergoing a gentle and extended maceration. This approach helped to soften the tannin profile. The wine was then matured in 225L Bordeaux oak barriques (30% new) with the balance to aged Bordeaux barriques. The wine was matured in these barrels for fourteen months before being prepared for final blending and bottling.

Frankland River is arguably the premier shiraz growing subregion of Western Australia and is recognised for its distinctive black fruit and black pepper characters. Shiraz from the Donnelly River vineyard delivers the quintessential characteristics expected of fine Frankland River shiraz fruit.

The 2025 growing season offered even temperatures and clear skies, with a slightly early harvest. Well timed rain in Frankland River during harvest freshened up the vineyard, and took some pressure off picking, allowing the fruit an additional week or so on the vine to develop lovely varietal flavours.

After picking on 2nd April, the fruit was hand sorted. The fermentation took place in closed fermenters, and maceration was gentle lasting twelve days with minimal interventions. The wine was then aged in medium toast French oak barriques for eleven months.