Mission Accomplished

Anyone would think we were taking the James Bond theme from the last ENTWINED newsletter to the next level but in fact it was Jeremy Oliver who we have to credit for this one! Jeremy Oliver has just released his "The Australian Wine Annual 2010" and with it has elevated the 2008 Poison Hill Riesling to his top 10 wines of the year, along side that of Penfolds Grange 2004, scribing "...this extraordinary release whose layers of aroma and flavour....are beyond previous Australian experience. Mission accomplished!" 

Welcome to our first Frankland Estate E-ENTWINED newsletter. We hope this forum of communication will keep you up to date and will allow you to be the first to know about our latest releases, news and events.

In keeping up with the times we will be doing most of our communication to our subscribers via E-ENTWINED and our website www.franklandestate.com.au. For those fans of the real thing "ENTWINED" (the hard copy) will be published once a year. If you would like to receive ENTWINED please let us know.

Our first E-ENTWINED is to celebrate the release of our 2009 single vineyard rieslings. 

Profound Purity & Elegance....Yet Still Single!

Without taking away from the highly acclaimed 2007 & 2008 single vineyard rieslings from Frankland Estate, 2009 was one that, from a wine makers point of view was a little more measured and calculated.

A mild  growing season and autumn allowed for very calculated and precise picking decisions, with particularly cool nights through the period of hand harvest (minimum temperatures getting down below 7 degrees Celsius in the early mornings). 

A vintage such as 2009 has resulted in three rieslings that show profound purity, entrenched minerality and focus. As always, with quality Frankland River riesling, power is expressed on the palate with restraint on the nose revealing just enough to show that with some age these will be three very exciting wines.

With the task of sitting up into the evening and inking the virtues of each of these proudly individual rieslings it is hard to sniff and quaff each of these wines and not be astonished by the ability of these vineyard sites to consistently, year in year out, produce grapes that make a wine that shows so truly the uniqueness of that particular site.

2009 ISOLATION RIDGE VINEYARD RIESLING  - Perhaps the most restrained wine of the three rieslings; on the nose it's subtle hints of fruit and lime only allude to what will come with age; the nose is quickly overrun with a sense of focused weight and intensity expressing nothing but purity and refinement. There is a driving ironstone flintiness that is balanced nicely through the wines core of fruit generosity and sublime texture.There is an abundance of tension and power which is being astutely held back with the undeniable purity and focus of this wine. This tension and opulence has increased considerably under our organic farming system. 

2009 POISON HILL VINEYARD RIESLING - We can reassure those that loved the 2008 Poison Hill riesling (and there were a few of you, including Jeremy Oliver) that the 2009 will not disappoint. Of the three rieslings the Poison Hill Vineyard riesling shows more generosity in every way, starting with a slightly more golden hue; the nose is forward and lifted with a hint of white peach and nectarine; on the palate it is the full throttled fruit generosity that comes first followed by an outrageously textural palate which finishes with an effervescent mineral crunch.

2009 COOLADERRA VINEYARD RIESLING - Geographically sitting the furtherest north in the region of the three vineyard sites, this wine is as "out there" as the vineyard site itself! This unbelievably hard ironstone knoll gives a wine that truly reflects this rugged dry site. The wine has real spice and ironstone notes, its intensity and length on the palate is as far reaching and encompassing as the view you get from this outcrop in the north of the Frankland River region. However it is the wines ability to maintain focus, purity and elegance that will ensure a spot in the top 2009 rieslings you will taste this year.

TO ORDER go to www.franklandestate.com.au/Summer_09_Order_Form.pdf and simply print off and fax back as instructed or send an email to info@franklandestate.com.au With any order of 12 bottles or more you will receive a 10% discount (as shown on order form) and if you live in Australia, enjoy free freight, delivered to your door.

Plaudits From The Riesling Pundits

2008 Poison Hill Vineyard Riesling - Jeremy Oliver The Australian Wine Annual – Finalist for 2010 WINE OF THE YEAR – From the estate whose proprietors are working the hardest to extend the horizons of top-class Australian riesling comes this extrodinary release whose layers of aroma and flavour, distinctly different in spectrum of fruit, underlying minerality and balance between residual sweetness and acidity are beyond previous Australian experience. Mission accomplished!  - 97 Points.

2008 Isolation Ridge Vineyard Riesling - A tightly wound bouquet of pure lemon fruit and a strong regional minerality; the palate is lean, racy and very dry, with mouth-puckering lemony acidity on the finish. 12% alc.
Rating 94 To 2018 James Halliday’s 2010 Wine Companion.

2008 Frankland Estate SmithCullam Riesling - The fragrance is captivating: allusive and subtle, with a mineral delicacy. The palate is on the sweeter side but it’s softer and less mouth-watering than some. It has soft but refreshing acidity. Lovely wine. 95 Points ***** Gourmet Traveller Wine 2009.

2008 Cooladerra Riesling Vineyard - Cooladerra has always been lost in the shadow of Isolation Ridge, but in 2008 it rose to its greatest height yet. Cool lemon and lime fruit is underlaid with classic Frankland minerality and Antarctic elegance. There are flitters of spice and river stone texture to tantalize along the way. 93 points WBM 100 March 2009

SEEING RED

You may have read that some in the wine industry are seeing nothing but red over the past short while....Well we have to admit we have had plenty of this but luckily its been in the form of a constant flow of red [wine] reviews for Frankland Estate. While this edition of E-ENTWINED is all about riesling we thought we would include some red plaudits from the pundits as we are getting close to the end of the acclaimed 2007 red wines and don’t want you to miss out. Ordering can be done by visiting www.franklandestate.com.au/Summer_09_Order_Form.pdf

2007 Isolation Ridge Vineyard Shiraz - While Frankland Estate is justifiably famous for its rieslings, don’t overlook the reds from this Western Australian producer. The shiraz is particularly smart; deep, black, tangy plums with a soy sauce umami note leading to a spicy edge.......medium bodied, creamy mid-palate with round ripe tannins and long finish. The Age October 17.

2007 Isolation Ridge Vineyard Shiraz  - Rating 95 Dense purple colour; a dark and brooding personality, showing tar, blackberry, ironstone and some pencilly oak; quite savoury on the palate, the tannin fruit and oak are all in tune to high level intensity; long and very chewy on the finish, this wine demands time to fully integrate and reward. To 2016.   2007 SmithCullam Shiraz Cabernet - Rating 95 A powerful medium-to full-bodied wine, with waves of black fruits, ripe, savoury tannins with good oak. One of the best Frankland Estate red wines made to date, and will age superbly . To 2027.  2005 Olmo’s Reward  - Rating 95 ........ dark cassis and fruit softening the earthy, savoury tones; the palate shows real depth of character, with cedar, black olive and plenty of sweet fruit on the mid-palate; generous yet firm, with a fine, long and engaging conclusion to finish. Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot/Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon. To 2020.  James Halliday's 2010 WIne Companion