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Media Coverage As a result of the Halliday Awards media release and a story pitch, GWN7 News reported on the exceptional results achieved by the Great Southern Wine Region.   Forest Hill Vineyard, Halliday 2021 Top Ten Best Value Wineries Halliday 2021 Awards: Great Southern Wines are Exceptional Quality and Value for Money
The 2021 Halliday Awards has recognised Great Southern wine producers for making exceptional wine across a number of varietals that offer incredible value for money. There were 111 Great Southern wines from 28 wineries that were awarded gold, 95 points or above, and of those, about half (49 per cent) were considered to offer special value for money. Forest Hill Vineyard was named in Australia’s Top Ten Best Value Wineries with 70 per cent of their ten wines that scored 95 points or more considered special value for money. Rating highest was their 2019 Block 1 Mount Barker Riesling at 98 points and is due for release this weekend at $55 a bottle. The Halliday website states, “The value all Forest Hill’s wines offer is exceptional, the style that of old money – another prime example of consistently extraordinary value. Six wines pointed between 96 and 98 points laid an irrefutable claim to inclusion near the top of the totem pole. Forest Hill has the early days of the Great Southern in its DNA.” Other big scoring wines include the 2017 Singlefile The Vivienne Denmark Chardonnay at 98 points which was also named in Australia’s Top Ten Chardonnay list, and Duke’s Vineyard 2019 Magpie Hill Reserve Riesling and 2018 Magpie Hill Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, both scored 98 points with another six of their wines awarded gold. Sixteen wines from Larry Cherubino Wines have been awarded 95 points or above with their 2019 Cherubino Great Southern Riesling rated highest at 97 points. Singlefile Wines has nine wines that scored 95 points or higher, eight wines from Rosenthal Wines, six wines from Frankland Estate, four wines each from Alkoomi, Castelli Estate, Harewood Estate, and Plantagenet Wines, and three wines each from Castle Rock Estate, Howard Park, Poacher’s Ridge Vineyard, Swinney, Terra Riche, and Xabregas have also been awarded gold at 95 points or more. Halliday’s Best of the Best 2021 Rieslings listed 13 Australian wines that scored 97 points or higher with six of those produced in the Great Southern. There were a further 31 Great Southern Riesling wines rated 95 points or higher with 68 per cent of Rieslings classed as offering value for money. Other varietals produced in the Great Southern rated as exceptional in Halliday’s 2021 Awards include 22 Shiraz wines, 20 Cabernet Sauvignon, nine Chardonnay, six Cabernet Blends, four Sauvignon Blanc, and two each of Malbec, Grenache, and Pinot Noir wines. Wine Australia’s industry snap shot shows that there are 65 wine regions across the country, 2,468 wineries and 6,251 grape growers that crush 1.73million tonnes of grapes per year. The Great Southern crushes about 12,000 tonnes of grapes per year, representing just 0.7% of Australia’s total crush. There are 32 five-star wineries in the Great Southern listed in the 2021 Halliday Awards, namely wineries that produce outstanding wines. The Great Southern wineries, of which there are 53, make up just 2.1% of all Australian wineries. For a full list of wines from the Great Southern in the 2021 Halliday Awards, click here. The Halliday website states that more than 9,000 wines have been reviewed for the 2021 Halliday Awards. More details of Great Southern Wine Region producers including those with cellar doors and restaurants can be found at www.greatsouthernwine.org.au. Forest Hill Vineyard owner and winemaker Guy Lyons: “Being named as one of the Best Value producers is great recognition for our team and for the hard work that goes into all our wines. Receiving 98 Points consecutively for our Block 1 wine was a real highlight and an acknowledgement of the uniqueness of the site.” “From a regional perspective, the results particularly exciting, the exceptional quality of the Rieslings across the board from the Great Southern but strength across many varietals.” Frankland Estate owner Hunter Smith: “We are delighted that our 2019 Poison Hill Vineyard Riesling was rated amongst the Best of the Best with a 97-point score and eight of our other wines scoring at least 94 points.” “Even though Halliday is considered to be the wine authority in in Australia, it’s worth noting that not every wine producer will send wines to every reviewer to sample, but what these results show is what we’ve known for years, that the Great Southern produces fantastic wines that are extremely competitive not just on quality, but also on price.” Plantagenet Wines general manager Tom Wisdom: “The 2021 Halliday Companion reaffirms the consistent and outstanding quality wine produced in the Great Southern Wine Region across a wide spectrum of varietals.” “From a Plantagenet perspective, our continued focus on premium cool climate Shiraz and Riesling is reflected in our Halliday scores achieved and we expect these wines to continue to evolve over the next 10 to 15 years. “Our luxury range, “The Wyjup Collection”, which we launched last year scored well and this September we look forward to our second release, including the 2018 Cabernet and 2018 Shiraz from what was an outstanding vintage and noted in the Halliday Companion as a ten out ten vintage for the Great Southern.” The Great Southern Wine Producers Association would also like to acknowledge the outstanding results of Western Australia’s winemakers and congratulates Leeuwin Estate for the award of Wine of the Year. Drink to greatness.  Plantagenet Wines   Poacher's Ridge. Photo: Daniel James Grant Great Getaway Discover the Great Southern Wine Region With so many looking for a getaway now that travel restrictions have been eased, those in the know are heading away from the crowds to WA’s other premium wine region, the Great Southern. With several winery stays available, now is the perfect time to discover the Great Southern Wine Region. Third generation family business, Alkoomi Wines in Frankland River, 330 kilometres from Perth, has a two-bedroom fully equipped chalet on site that sleeps up to seven people. Suitable for families, rates start from $120 per night or $650 per week. CEO and owner Sandy Hallett was born and raised on the property and has been involved in the family business since 1994 and took over management of it with her husband Rod in 2010, continuing to build on the legacy of her grandparents. “We are looking forward to seeing visitors explore the beautiful Great Southern, once again,” Sandy said. The original 1,220-hectare property was purchased by Vic and Netta Lange in 1946, and they named their rugged property Alkoomi after the local Aboriginal word that means “a place we choose”. The first vines were planted in 1971 by their son Merv and his wife Judy, Sandy’s parents, who decided to stop selling their grapes and start making wine themselves in 1979. The sustainable operation has grown from one hectare under vine to 105 hectares at the estate vineyard. Alkoomi also has a 14-hectare olive grove and produces high quality olive oil. Just three kilometres from the town centre of Denmark is coveted James Halliday 5 Star Winery, Castelli Estate situated on 120 acres with a Tudor-style building perched upon the hill top. The working winery has been in operation for 35 years and offers bed and breakfast accommodation in five ultra-modern guest rooms with luxurious linens, mini bar and mesmerising views. Ana Fiore from Castelli Estate is offering a 10 per cent discount on all accommodation bookings. The restaurant, Castelli In Cucina, is open for lunch Wednesday to Monday and dinner on Friday and Saturday. Reserve a table and enjoy delicious, hearty Italian food with pasta, gnocchi and bread all made in-house and ingredients sourced from their garden or local suppliers. The best news is that the restaurant on site negates the need for a designated driver. Cosy up in front of the stone fireplace in the cellar door or stroll around the surrounding rose garden outside. Also situated in pretty Denmark is Monkey Rock Winery, which has the Turicum Chalets, a winery and farm stay with rates starting from $120 per night. There are three chalets that each have two-bedrooms and one of those chalets also has an attached studio. Owner and winemaker Stephanie Watts said that guests who stay three nights or more receive a complimentary bottle of Monkey Rock wine. “Our combined farm and winery accommodation is fairly unique – there’s lots for kids to do but also the cellar door for adults and we also have a cidery on site. We’re pet friendly too.” Stephanie Watts, owner and winemaker. The 200-acre property backs onto the Williams Bay national park. Guests can hike to the beach, stroll or a local winery or sit back and watch the visiting kangaroos from their patio. Monkey Rock produces all natural, unfined wine with no added sulphites. The fully self-contained Gamekeeper’s cottage at Poacher’s Ridge winery offers sweeping views of the Porongurup Ranges and comes with a cosy stone fireplace. Owner Janet Taylor said that the location of Poacher’s Ridge in the middle of the triangle of Porongurup, Albany and Denmark makes it easy for visitors to access many of the region’s attractions. “The Gamekeeper’s Cottage is our old house and is fully equipped with everything for a comfortable stay,” Janet said. There are four pet alpacas on site named after Faulty Towers characters, Sibel, Basil, Madge and Manuella. A coffee machine, breakfast provisions and Poacher’s Ridge preservative-free olive oil are included in the rates that start at $190 per night. Crisp, fresh air, star-filled nights and days that last forever, the Great Southern Wine Region is where the city meets the sea, the ocean meets the mountains, and sophistication meets country-style. Not only does the Great Southern Wine Region produce outstanding wines, particularly exceptional Riesling and Shiraz, it’s also stunningly beautiful with a number of experiences for visitors from old growth forests to rugged coastlines and incredible local produce. Avoid the hoards of the tourists and be rewarded as you discover the Great Southern Wine Region. Discover greatness. For more information, visit www.greatsouthernwine.org.au  Castelli Estate  Alkoomi Wines. Photo: Krysta Guille Media Coverage As a result of our work promoting the exceptional 2020 vintage from Great Southern Wine Producers, we generated media coverage with an excellent story on GWN7 News and a radio interview on ABC that you can listen to here.  Discover Greatness Five Star Vintage in Great Southern Wine Region In the midst of the pandemic, there is reason to rejoice with Great Southern wine producers reporting one of the best vintages in living memory. Vintage 2020 will be remembered as the earliest harvest on record with exceptional fruit quality thanks to warm sunny weather early in the summer months and below average rainfall. That’s the good news. The not-so-good news is that yields were down, which means there will be less wine made and thus less of the good stuff for us to drink. The Great Southern Wine Region is the largest mainland wine region in Australia that comprises of the areas of Albany, Denmark, Frankland River, Mount Barker and Porongurup, each with its unique climate and soils that produce distinctive fine wines. Great Southern wine producers have reported the following: Frankland River The first contemporary vineyard was planted in 1967, with a number of vineyards established by the 1980s. Today, Frankland River has 1,600 hectares under vines. Frankland River fine wine region grows a diverse range of grapes that make award-winning wines. The standout varieties are Riesling and Shiraz supported by Cabernet Sauvignon and well-suited whites, including Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc that are fast finding favour. Hunter Smith, Frankland Estate (Frankland River) The trend throughout is that the dry winter and warm dry spring had a greater effect on yield than many anticipated resulting in, on early indication, a 20 per cent decline on average. The core varietals through the region, Shiraz and Riesling, were strong performers. Whilst yield was down the quality was exceptional and will be regarded as another very strong Frankland River harvest. Red wines particularly Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are very strong and will produce some exceptional premium wines, as will some of the late ripening emerging varietals such as Mourvèdre, Grenache and Touriga Nacional. Riesling in the white wines was less effected by reduced yield and will again show why this varietal is so well suited to the Frankland River sub region. Craig Grafton, Ferngrove Wines (Frankland River) Vintage 2020 will be remembered as the earliest harvest on record with great fruit quality. The growing season started warm and very dry. Spring rainfall was also below average and our soils were quite dry as the vines came out of dormancy and watering commenced earlier than normal. These dry conditions kept disease pressure low which was a positive, but also led to lower vine vigour compared to other years. Harvest began on the 5th of February, with a pick of Chardonnay out of Block 18, followed by hand-picking fruit for our Diamond Chardonnay. The favourable weather for the remainder of the ripening period meant we had an “early” vintage. Riesling is a stand-out variety with wonderful acidity and minerality. The colour of the reds has been amazing with great intensity. Denmark The first grapevine plantings in Denmark occurred along Mt Shadforth Road in 1974. These were followed by further early plantings of Riesling, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon at Tinglewood in 1976. Denmark’s vinous reputation is becoming more acclaimed with principal varieties including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc thriving and red Cabernet blends and Riesling also performing well. Winemakers are showing a developing interest in producing sparkling wines of distinction. Dr Steve Hall, Rockcliffe Winery (Denmark) Very good quality but a small tonnage. The small quantity will allow us to focus on making really great wines in the winery during the next two years. Porongurup Porongurup offers a range of quality grapes and wines that have been consistently awarded over the years. A Mediterranean climate and long ripening season produces exceptional quality fruit with intense flavours. Varieties include Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, but its Riesling is a particular hero. Eugene Harma, Ironwood Estate Wines (Porongurup) The moderate to warm daytime temperatures with cool nights developed great flavours in an earlier than normal vintage pick. Duke Ranson, Duke’s Vineyard (Porongurup) Drought produced our lowest yield ever, but with intense fruit characters. They’ll make beautiful wines, but very little of them, so the 2020 vintage will be a very a precious liquid. Rosie Singer, Zarephath Wines (Porongurup) After a dry growing season this vintage, fruit is of high quality, particularly so in the reds, but yields are down, particularly with whites. Mount Barker Mount Barker is the site of the original vineyard planted in the South West in 1965. It is prime territory for award-winning wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. The vines experience warm days and cooling nights and, although often low yielding, they produce high-quality grapes. This creates elegant and complex fruit, which shows fine tannins and incredible length. Other key varietals of the area include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. Luke Eckersley, Plantagenet Wines (Mount Barker) The Great Southern produced one of the earliest vintages ever with Chardonnay picked in the first week of February and Riesling by the end of the second week. The region had near perfect climatic growing conditions, low disease and bird pressure, which allowed the production of exceptional quality fruit across all varieties, although yields were down the quality will be one to remember. Guy Lyons, Forest Hill Vineyard, (Mount Barker) Vintage 2020 is the earliest harvest we have seen in recent times with picking dates up to a month earlier in some varieties impacted by below average rainfall and some warm weather in early summer. Yields across the vineyard were very low leading to small berries and bunches with incredible concentration of flavour. Our Rieslings have a fantastic balance of acidity and depth of flavour. Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are looking very strong at this stage, the small berries helping to build very vibrant and intense colours. Kim Tyrer, Galafrey Wines (Mount Barker) Vintage was solid, volume was down but the quality is exceptional. It was a difficult vintage with the onset of COVID-19 which kept us distracted. Clinton Gilbert, Gilbert Wines (Mount Barker) In what was a very dry season, yields were low. Fruit quality was still high. It was also an incredibly early start and finish to the vintage. We were finished vintage at Gilberts on the 8th March. Six to seven weeks earlier than normal! Albany Albany produces wine in a broadly Mediterranean climate featuring wet cool winters and warm dry summers with a cooling sea breeze off the Southern Ocean. The daily temperature range is minimal and moderate levels of humidity during summer reduce stress on the vines and assist ripening. Both white and red varieties grow strongly and established varieties include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Pamela Lincoln, Oranje Tractor Organic Farm (Albany) Despite the warm season, the yields were low due to the unusually dry start. However, the quality of the grapes harvested were exceptional and all ripened very early. The vintage was not just exceptional for grapes. Stuart Douglass, Denmark Heritage Cider Company (Denmark) A small controlled vintage of predominantly sweet and sharp apple varietals that will produce a classic German style apfelwine. This vintage was planned to be a small controlled crop to allow the trees to develop some canopy strength for 2021 vintage. A good balance of natural yeasts in the canopy have provided a brisk ferment and we expect a lot of early tannins. The Great Southern Wine Region produces on average 12,000 tonnes of grapes per annum. Take this isolation as an opportunity to explore the wines of the Great Southern and drink greatness. A list of producers offering specials and delivery can be found online here. For more information, visit www.greatsouthernwine.org.au  Oranje Tractor. Photo: Krysta Guille |
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