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...
We are excited to let you know the highly anticipated 2018 Malbec is now available in cases of 6 and 12 bottles. Only 128 dozen were produced so this wine won't last long.Malbec is a great wine to have in the Grace Farm range to provide an early drinking red, which generally has much softer tannins than the powerfully structured cabernet sauvignon based wines. Malbec is a deep purple wine variety that is characterised by fruit flavours of black cherry, plum and blueberry. In the Wilyabrup sub region we find that the wine finishes with a spicy character which shows through the medium bodied tannins. Due to the medium tannins, Malbec pairs well with leaner red meats such as pork, beef sirloin...
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!
Vintage 2015 has finished after a protracted season involving a variety of hurdles. Summer consisted of strong winds and hot dry days which involved careful management of the vine canopies to protect the delicate grapes from overexposure. Bird pressure was the highest in over a decade due to a lack of blossom on the native gum trees and subsequently the entire vineyard had to be netted to ward off potential crop loss. Finally, bursts of rain and lightning just prior to picking led to careful scheduling of harvest dates. Yields in the whites were lower than expected and hence the flavours were concentrated amongst fewer bunches. The reds were left to ripen for longer this year as we waited for...
