Guided by viticulturist Tim Quinlan we chose to plant malbec instead of merlot as a blending variety. Recent results have endorsed this decision with our 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec being awarded the trophy at the 2020 Perth Royal Wine Show for the Best Dry Red Blend. The malbec vines thrive on the gentle, south-facing slope supported by granitic, loamy soils. Now mature vines, they are producing a large volume of high-quality fruit. This has resulted in us being able to make a straight Malbec, leaving sufficient to blend with our Bordeaux-style Cabernet Sauvignon and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon each year. Malbec is a deep purple wine variety characterised by fruit flavours of black cherry, plum and blueberry. In the Wilyabrup sub region...
Thank you to those of you who made it to our Spring Tasting event on Sunday 13 September. It was such a beautiful day and it was fantastic to share some of our new wines with you. We feel very lucky to have been able to host this event considering the challenges presented this year.Our new releases are now available online and you can read a little bit about them below. 2019 Chardonnay Hand-picked at optimum ripeness and gently whole bunch pressed into French oak barriques where indigenous yeasts completed the fermentation to dryness.Matured for 10 months in a combination of 30% new and 70% used French oak barriques. Aromas of mango skin, pineapple, flint and almond meal emanate and entice...
2017 ChardonnayBUY NOW This estate hails from the noble turf of Wilyabrup, employing sustainable viticultural management and relatively hands-off winemaking to transport pristine fruit from vineyard to glass. Toasted hazelnut, cream of cashew, nougatine and wild yeast funk meld effortlessly with bright notes of white fig, cantaloupe and nectarine. The finish is long and effortlessly tangy. 93 pointsNed Goodwin - Halliday's Wine Companion 2016 Cabernet SauvignonBUY NOW Blackberry, blueberry, choc-mint, sage and baking spices. It’s plush and full of flavour, but not heavy or cumbersome, with ripe dark fruit, mocha and dried herb, even flow, smooth powdery tannin, and a tobacco and spice finish of fine length and definition. It’s a really good wine, just ever so slightly off an...
This month sees the release of our most highly-awarded wine, the 2013 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet sauvignon is arguably the flagship varietal of the Margaret River region and certainly one that Grace Farm prides itself on. Viticulturist Tim Quinlan and winemaker Jonathan Mettam share their thoughts on what makes the Grace Farm Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon so exquisite:"Margaret River cabernet is particularly special because the maritime climate and dry summers allow for physiologically ripe grapes which are rarely herbaceous and provide a sweet core of blackcurrant fruit with exceptional texture and structure."Careful shoot thinning and leaf removal in the vineyard expose the bunches to day-long sunlight and even ripening through all areas of the vine canopy. From picking through fermentation,...
The photos below show the results of the 65mm of rain we received in January this year. In the first image you can see the incredible regrowth of the vines, with the tips poking through the nets. This occurred in certain patches of deeper soil where the water pooled more.In these areas the bunches of red grapes were shaded by the excessive foliage, as seen in the photo below. It's hard to believe there are any grapes hiding in there at all!As a result, these particular vines have been leaf plucked by hand to ensure even ripening throughout the entire vineyard block, which should result in a more consistent wine. The exposed bunches are shown below.This is winemaking in the vineyard!
