3.5.12

Best Western Shiraz? Frankland Estate Rocky Gully Shiraz 2009, Frankland River WA


Having tasted a couple of wines from Frankland Estate, including various Rieslings and their widely renowned and sometimes absolutely impressing Isolation Ridge Shiraz, I simply had to lay my hands on another Shiraz. This time from their more accessible, fruit driven  and easy drinking range: Rocky Gully. The grapes for this wine were cultivated all over Frankland River winegrowing area. A fantastically isolated, rural and relatively cool climate area in the very south-west of Western Australia (approx. 350 km south of Perth).



Its colour seemed to be very typical. Very dark, red and not really a great amount of particles. The nose got plenty of Christmas pastry, boiled plums, mild black pepper, slight petrol, some wet earth and strangely enough South-East-Asian fish market odour perceptions (plenty of dried fish). Nothing really to worry about. This rather odd impression eased with the time and was never as revolting as it may sound. Its taste was clearly more fruit driven and “New World’ish” as the Isolation Ridge Shiraz. Compared to the IRS I got far more obvious Aussie Shiraz warmth. But not exaggerated at all. The fruitiness was dominated by plums plums plums. Slightly boiled plums maybe. Besides that I got flavours of cherry pie, some Christmas feelings (again) and, most contenting, some very fine and fresh acid. The alcohol was very well integrated, the fruit sweetness not too intense, its concentration as well and the finish was somehow medium. The tannins might have been a bit’y hard!?! No real problem about that! In conclusion: Certainly not a complex or intellectually challenging wine. More adequate for some uncomplicated easy drinking sessions with typical Aussie Shiraz features. Whatever that might mean ;-)? So, maybe not the Best Western Shiraz, but a very decent one!


No comments: