2020 Single Vineyard Shiraz

The Single Vineyard Range is an exciting one for Millbrook Winery, designed to highlight the unique characteristics of only the most exceptional vineyards from across Western Australia. This wine is made in a modern, refined style to bring the purity of fruit from Frankland River in the Great Southern to the fore. 

On this delicious Shiraz, Millbrook Winemaker Emma Gillespie said, "The vibrancy of this wine highlights the Frankland River region's expression of Shiraz. Ripeness and flavour enhanced by the warm summer days, as well as perfume and freshness from the cooling afternoon and evening sea-breezes."

With extremely limited quantities produced from a tiny 30-year -old vineyard, this wine is an exquisite reflection of cool climate Frankland River terroir. Halliday Wine Companion's Erin Larkin stated, "Frankland River delivers characters and textures that you don't get in other parts of WA (or Australia) ... This wine shows us those parts of itself; the tannins support the weight of the fruit, the oak imperceptible save for the texture... testament to the muscle, brawn and might of the fruit. Very smart indeed."

colour

Deep cherry red, purple hues.

aroma

Lifted florals, red berries, mulberry and star anise.

palate

A medium-bodied style, with wild black and red berries, cherry and bramble. Beautiful lifted lavender and violet perfume with undertones of black pepper spice from the cool climate vineyard site. The tannins are ripe and silky giving this wine a long finish with a delicious spice hit on the finish.

cellaring

Delicious now and has great potential to develop over the next five years. 

winemaking

2020 was a particularly excellent Shiraz vintage. A dry winter and spring led to reduced yields and exceptional quality. The weather cooled off in March which slowed the ripening of fruit lending exquisite natural acidity, vibrant aromatic and deep flavour. 

Fruit was harvested from the 30-year-old Powder Bark Vineyard located in Frankland River in the Great Southern region of WA. This vineyard in particular produces high quality, cool climate fruit, and Shiraz with a peppery spice and bright, red-fruited backbone.

Perfectly ripe fruit was harvested and delivered to the winery during the cool of the night. The fruit was destemmed and transferred to open-top fermenters where it was hand-plunged twice daily for ten days for gentle extraction of tannins. Temperatures were kept cool to retain the beautiful aromatics of the Great Southern region. The wine was then pressed to new (30%) and seasoned French oak puncheons and matured for 12 months before being lightly filtered and bottled.

region

Frankland River

variety

Shiraz

analysis

• Alcohol: 14.5%

Jerusalem artichokes, braised beef chuck, horseradish yoghurt.

Swan Valley Wine Show 2022

Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion 2023

Fruit from Frankland River, matured for 12 months in French oak (30% new). Frankland River delivers characters and textures that you don't get in other parts of WA (or Australia). The shiraz wines are laden with ferrous, blood, rust, red gravel, and they are evocative of the vast, open blue skies down there. This wine shows us those parts of itself; the tannins support the weight of the fruit, the oak imperceptible save for the texture... testament to the muscle, brawn and might of the fruit. Very smart indeed.

Ray Jordan's Top 100 Reds 2023

I first saw this cracking wine last year and, if anything, it’s a little better off from an already high base. This is one of an increasing number of stunning Shiraz emerging from Frankland River and redefining this region for a distinctive style of Shiraz. It’s a wild and crazy ride through black fruits, liquorice, dark plum and chocolate with a slightly ferrous ironstone core adding to its complexity. An exciting wine with a great future.

95

Ray Jordan Wine Guide 2023

This is one of an increasing number of stunning shiraz emerging from Frankland River and redefining this region for a distinctive style of shiraz. It’s a wild and crazy ride through black fruits, licorice, dark plum and chocolate with a slightly ferrous ironstone core adding to its complexity. An exciting wine with a great future.

95