Robert Parker Wine Advocate reviews

The 2020 Margaret River Chardonnay, at the time of writing, has amassed a haul of 10 trophies on the National Wine Show circuit here in Australia, including two (Best Chardonnay and Best White Wine) at arguably the most prestigious of them all, the National Wine Show. I can tell you what it is about the wine that has attracted all the golds... It is a heady combination of powerful, opulent fruit, combined with classy winemaking and natural, juicy acid that curls and winds its way through it all. It is balanced, for all the  volume, texture and spice. After having been handpicked, whole-bunch pressed and wild fermented in a combination of new and used French oak (matured for six moths), it is clear that the winemaking did nothing to "trick up" the fruit. It is what it is: a powerful statement about the high quality of Chardonnay in Margaret River. If anything, it looks better today than it did when I judged it a year ago at the Margaret River Show.  Remarkable.

 

The fruit for this 2018 Budworth Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from Block 6 within the Riversdale Vineyard. The wine has never been made before and was done so in honour of the excellent season that was 2018. It was handpicked, sorted and macerated on skins for two months prior to maturation in French oak (first and second use). This is a marvel. It is framed by oak, no question, but the oak is high quality, it is expensive, and it has been matched well to the fruit and the subregion. The Frankland River DNA rises up - there is no barrier that could stop it - and shows us an array of raspberry, blood, satsuma plums, tobacco leaf, red dirt, iodine, ferrous and black tea. The tannins that permeate every part of this wine are ductile, fine and grippy and linger long after the wine has gone. What a wine.

 

The fruit for the 2020 Pemberton Chardonnay is grown on the Channybearup Vineyard (planted in 1996) and was handpicked, whole-bunch pressed and wild fermented and matured in a combination of new and used oak for six months. The wine is opulent, complex and layered, with a plush undercurrent of creamy crushed nuts, briney acidity and grilled yellow peach. Overlaid over it all is the effortless richness that came on in the 2020 vintage. This is a pleasing combination of classy and comfortable, elegant and pleasurable. How good.

 

The fruit for this 2018 Clonal Selection, Riversdale Vineyard is sourced from the Riversdale Vineyard in Frankland River and is a blend of clones 377 and 191 - unusual clones for the mainstream in Western Australia (the SA126 and Houghton clones predominate). The fruit was handpicked, sorted and then matured in  seasoned French oak for 12 months. It is very good - dense, concentrated, poised and structured by firm, chalky tannins. Actually, the entire experience is driven by tannin, but they are ripe, wholesome and satisfying, so it's ok. The fruit that swarms around this scaffolding is decidedly red/black and shows vitality, pulse and life. Elegant, wonderful wine. Balanced.

 

This 2020 Block 7 Shiraz Riversdale Vineyard is a heady mix of succulent red fruit and firm supple tannin. It is pliable, chewy and structured, but it is also flashy (not a typo - it is fleshy too), polished and pleasurable. There's a lot of good going on here. It will age, but certainly, drinking it in its youth will afford you my current view of resplendent fruit, ferrous tannins and balance all round. Delicious.

 

In contrast to the Willows Vineyard (Gingin clone in Wilyabrup), this 2020 Dijon Wychwood Vineyard Chardonnay is constructed from Dijon clones and is from down in Karridale - the cooler, wetter south. As a pair they are like twins - different people with the same DNA. Where the Willows is rich, textural and complex (lest we forget toasty), this is pure, searing and powerful. The beauty of both is that neither is better than the other, merely a completely different set of experiences. This is littered with preserved lemon, pie crust, lemon curd, curry leaf and brine. Awesome.

 

I love this 2020 Gingin Willows Vineyard Chardonnay. It is salty, rich, balanced and thrilling, with a core of preserved lemon, yellow peach and red apple skins. Around the edges, curls of saffron, salted caramel and toasted brioche create a framework of spice and intrigue, while the wine, powered by the fruit, sails across the palate. It has gravitas and poise with mouthwatering acidity.

 

So here, we have three Cherubino Shiraz bottles from Frankland River, all under The Yard label. Like three siblings, we have one from the Acacia Vineyard, one from the Justin Vineyard and this 2020 The Yard Riversdale Vineyard Shiraz, from the Riversdale Vineyard. They each share common DNA but are distinct in their expressions. Where the Justin is overflowing and a touch frisky at this early stage, the Acacia is relaxed, open weave and pretty; this is the best of both of them and shows polish, power, attractive tannins and beautiful fruit. This is my pick of the bunch. Excellent wine with a bright future.

 

The fruit for this 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from the Wilyabrup area within Margaret River. The cooler year was responsible for wines of aromatic detail and poise, and this is true of this wine before me. This is elegant and shapely, the presence of French oak is showing to be a well-judged affair. A very smart wine indeed. Drink it whenever you like - quality Margaret River Cabernets such as this have a reputation for aging several decades with ease, however they have the added benefit of being attractive in their youth, too.

 

The fruit for this 2019 Shiraz is from Frankland River, in the Great Southern. It is inky, ferrous and spicy, with layers of clove, nutmeg, aniseed and licorice. The fruit is defined by mulberry, blood plum and even blackberries and is decidedly more brooding than any of the 2020s, which show a red-fruited vitality and  buoyancy.

 

So here, we have three Cherubino Frankland River Shiraz bottlings, under The Yard label. Like three siblings, we have one from the Justin Vineyard, one from the Riversdale Vineyard, and this 2020 The Yard Acacia Vineyard Shiraz from the Acacia Vineyard. They each share common DNA, but are their own iterations. Where the Justin is overflowing and frisky, this is loosely woven, attractive and relaxed already. It shows red fruit and pink peppercorn, the classic Frankland River hallmark of bloody, ferrous tannin and a super attractive juicy quality. Will only get better.

 

The 2021 Laissez Faire Grenache Frankland River is a very good savoury Grenache. While the core of fruit is supple and alive, the tannins that shape it are savoury and coiled. This is tightly sprung and yet spacious inside, with plenty of layers of flavour and texture to peruse while it's in the mouth. Frankland River is a special subregion of the Great Southern and seems to effortlessly imbue the reds grown there with ferrous tannin (thank you ironstone gravels), a bloody aspect to the fruit and bright natural acid. Despite being warm in the days, the continentality of the area brings with it cold nights - which is great for acid retention. This is delicious and hasn't given in to the succulent charm of the abundant red fruit. The tannins keep it honest. Smart.

 

The fruit for the 2020 Omaggio Shiraz Mataro is from the Riversdale Vineyard, in Frankland River. Awesome. The Shiraz fruit didn't need any tannic grounding from the Mataro, but it got it, and it's all the better for it. The combination of the two varieties brings balance and softness to the wine. It has prodigious tannin, thanks to a combination of the vintage and the region, but it suits the varieties and manages a core of pure fruit at the same time. It settles into a loud kind of harmony. Very attractive.

 

The 2019 Beautiful South red is a clonal selection from the Riversdale Vineyard in Frankland River and is composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. There is a really impressive tannin and fruit interplay in the mouth, framed by smart oak. A classy affair, driven by ripe, chewy tannins.

 

So here, we have three Cherubino Shiraz bottlings, under The Yard label. Like three siblings, we have one from the Acacia Vineyard, one from the Riversdale Vineyard, and this 2020 The Yard Justin Shiraz from the Justin Vineyard. They each share common DNA, but are their own expressions of Shiraz. Potently intense and teetering on the brink of overflowing fruitfulness, the wine is harnessed by savoury tannin and spice. This definitely needs some time to settle down, frisky as it is, right now.

 

The 2021 vintage was cool, and the whites are slow to evolve. This 2021 Caves Road Chardonnay remains inchoate, laced with esters and gentle exotic spice. Very pure and finely lacy with a core of orchard fruit that spools out over the finish. A lovely wine, quiet though.

 

The 2021 Laissez Faire Mencia is bright, vibrant, juicy and bloody. There is a bit of carbonic or something very plush in here. It is juicy and pleasurable, with an engaging spine of acid and tannin through it. Smart.

 

Cherubino and his team are excellent riesling makers. In the 2021 Laissez Faire Riesling, they manage piercing intensity with soft textural complexity and a smattering of spice through the finish. There are notes of white flowers, black tea, fleshy citrus, green apple skins, Chinese Five Spice and fennel flower. The phenolics through the finish really shape the wine and bring into focus the pristine fruit and acid. This is a "tannic" Riesling, yet the framework makes it so moreish, and so exciting.

 

The 2019 Elevation Cabernet Sauvignon has a long reputation for aging beyond its price point would normally indicate, and it is routinely a good example of Margaret River Cabernet. So, to the wine: on the nose, the high quality French, biscuity oak frames the dark berry fruit. There's plenty of line and length through the palate that aligns with the assumption that this is a good quality/value wine, and the length of flavour shows promise. Lovely wine!

 

The 2021 Sauvignon Gris is made with fruit from the Channybearup Vineyard in Pemberton, and it was handpicked, gently pressed to two and three-year-old oak for fermentation and maturation. There is very little Sauvignon Gris planted in Western Australia - this and Voyager are the only two vineyards I am aware of. This is concentrated and plush from the barrel ferment and has a core of very pure apple fruit that sits on the back palate. Interestingly, it speaks to me very clearly of the Western Australian oaked-white style, while the characteristics of Sauvignon Gris are less clear. A statuesque wine. Spooling length and fine acid. Smart.

 

2020 was a cracking vintage for Chardonnay in Margaret River; the warmer conditions played right into the hands of the Gingin clone Chardonnay, and even more so if the producers got the grapes off in time. This 2020 Elevation Chardonnay shows aromas of saffron/turmeric, red apple skins, yellow peach and brine, backed by wisps of sandalwood, fennel and curry leaf. In the mouth, the wine is exactly as the nose promised - rounded, plush, spicy and a little bit exotic. All things in balance - very impressive. Drink this richer style of Chardonnay in the next five or so years. More if you like opulence.

 

The 2020 Bianco is a blend of Arneis and Riesling rom the Riversdale Vineyard in Frankland River. On the nose, it shows all of the crushed quartz/mineral characters and citrus pith that we look for in Arneis, while the Riesling frames the wine in delicate florals and apples. In the mouth, the wine is curiously austere and plump... It has the acid backbone of Riesling, with the cushioning of Arneis. I'm not sure if the two components are completely meshing at this point, but there is not doubt the wine is engaging.