Taste the Frankland Estate 2025 New Releases!
"The Frankland Estate Riesling Frankland River Isolation Ridge 2024 is one of Australia's great-value rieslings."
- James Suckling
“Frankland Estate has emerged as one of the great vineyards of Australia.”
- Huon Hooke
"Frankland Estate is one of Australia's greatest wine producers with a thirst for excellence."
- Mike Bennie
"Frankland Estate is a superb, family-run, ecologically sensitive estate in a beautiful, extremely isolated location."
- Jancis Robinson MW
“One of the great, shining stars of the Great Southern wine region, and undoubtedly a leader in the Frankland River subregion. Attention to detail, authenticity to site, certified organic, heartily recommended.”
- Erin Larkin, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Frankland Estate are one of the handful of Great Southern Wineries that are re-inventing the region’s quality and imagery. From a very good region, … they are creating one of the new world’s most exceptional.”
- John Jens
Taste 13 Frankland Estate Wines including…
The 2025 New Releases
Sunday, April 26th
Hosted by Hunter Smith, 2nd generation winemaker and viticulturist
Lunch: 12-3pm |13 wines & 4 Courses | $135
Masterclass: 4-6pm | 13 wines & Canapés | $65
Dinner: 6.30pm |13 wines & 4 Courses |$135
About Frankland Estate
Buried deep in the heart of Western Australia’s most isolated wine region,
Frankland Estate is as much a part of its natural landscape as it is a winery.
Located 250km east of Margaret River and inland from the wild and picturesque.
Great Southern coastline, we take our role as custodians of our land very seriously.
We have invested a lot of time and energy into minimising our impact on the
ecological balance of the region, nurturing the micro-biology of our soils and supporting causes to improve the health and future prosperity of our local fauna and flora.
Today Frankland Estate is a tightknit family affair. Our children Elizabeth and Hunter and their small families live on the property, and we all work together with a small, yet hardworking and enthusiastic team to produce distinctive and flavoursome wines.
Before founding the estate in 1988, we embarked on a tour of French vineyards, and worked two vintages at Bordeaux’s renowned Chateau Senejac, in the Haut-Medoc region. Armed with a wealth of knowledge from our French experience and a shared passion for wine, we decided to diversify our farming interests from wool growing to wine by establishing vineyards on Isolation Ridge, a very special location on our property, which has shown all the hallmarks of a great vineyard we came to know through our travels and our viticultural studies.
“Our appreciation for the environment in which we work ensures our wines and our vineyards continue to grow with our land in accordance to the cycles of nature.” This approach includes organic viticulture, carefully nurturing the health of the soils in our vineyard, and only taking from our land as much as can be later replaced by natural processes. Our passion for sustainable farming was recognised in 2009, when we were awarded an organic certification. We have learned many hard-lessons and honed our skills over 33 vintages on our home vineyards. The consistency of depth, complexity and intensity of flavour in our wines has reinforced our belief in this approach and amplified our respect for our extraordinary natural environment.
The Frankland River region in Southwestern Australia is a truly magical part of our state and nation, and it holds a very special place in our hearts. We are extremely proud of how we work in harmony with our environment and the natural elements, to create exceptional wines which express our remarkable sense of place.
franklandestate.com.au
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The Great Southern wine region of Western Australia is the most ancient, most isolated and largest wine region in the world. The region is up to 2.8 billion years old and covers over 1.7 million hectares, a whopping 200 kilometres from east to west and 100km from north to south. Since the Nyittiny – creation times – our First Nations people of the Wagyl Kaip region have shared and cared for this Great Southern country.
Great Southern time is a place of dramatic contrasts - striking tall timber forests, swathes of rich agricultural land, imposing mountain ranges, dramatic peaks and ancient rivers. Due to its vast size and spread, it features not only different terroirs but climates that vary from the Mediterranean through to the maritime, resulting in unique wines that reflect their natural surroundings. From this diversity a wine region of international significance and reputation has emerged – the pristine Great Southern wine region.
The region is divided into five distinct sub-regions, each producing wine styles that reflect their unique terroir. The sub-regions are Porongurup, Frankland River, Mount Barker, Denmark and Albany - refer to the map below.
Frankland River sub-region
Frankland River wine, one of Western Australia’s best-kept secrets, is located approximately 360 kilometers south of Perth and lies 80 kilometers inland from the coast. Home to rolling hills, rich farming land and natural forest abounding with native wildflowers, it is named after the river which bisects it and the town at its center. Frankland River is the highest of the Great Southern sub-regions, with most vineyards sitting between 150 to 300 meters above sea level. With 1,600 hectares of vines planted, it is also the most prolific of the five sub-regions.
Frankland River is home to some of the oldest vines in Western Australia, with the first modern-day vineyards planted in 1967 on a property owned by the Roche family of Perth. This vineyard is now owned by Houghton and supplies them with some ultra-premium grapes. Three years later, in 1971, Merv and Judy Lange began planting vines on their Alkoomi property.
Today, there are six wineries located in the sub-region – Frankland Estate, Alkoomi, Swinney, Ferngrove, Lange Estate and Three Elms. In addition, many of Western Australia's iconic wineries source fruit from the area for their wines. Frankland River is home to plantings of all the traditional Australian grape varieties, however, it is internationally best recognised for producing premium cool climate Shiraz and Riesling. Is one of the State’s most successful wine producing regions and its impressive wine show success is testament to the quality of its vineyards and wines.
Frankland River has a true Mediterranean climate, with cool nights and warm days with long sunlight hours. Despite being 80 km inland, a moderating sea breeze from the Southern Ocean finds its way into the region and is a significant boon to local vineyards. In Albany, the equivalent wind is known as the 'Albany Doctor', after the more famous 'Fremantle Doctor' which cools the baked vineyards of the Swan District near Perth. The sea breeze, together with the elevation of the vineyards, create a long, slow ripening season that give the wines intensity of fruit, finesse, freshness and longevity.
Frankland River's soils and topography consist of significant alluvial features. Ironstone-based gravel soils derived from granitic outcrops line the river valleys and rolling hills. These rich, red ironstone gravels often impart a unique flavour to the wines.
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Frankland Estate: Three trophies at the 2019 Royal Melbourne Wine Awards for: Best Organic Wine, Best WA Shiraz … and the prestigious Trevor Mast Trophy for Best Shiraz of Show.“
There are now three of them (Shiraz), the quality having risen to such a height that it’s now possible to field an AUD $120 reserve-style bottling under the Smith Cullam label. The first vintage was 2018, and the 2019 is just being released now. These are smashing wines.”
Huon HookeTrophies for Best WA Shiraz and Best Organic Shiraz!
The Frankland Estate Shiraz 2018 received two trophies and was one
of only 5 wines of the 259 entered that received 96 points or above.The Smith Cullam 2019 Syrah was equal 6th on 95 points.
Peter Bourne, Gourmet Traveller WINE
"The team at Frankland Estate are really on a roll ...Isolation Ridge Syrah 2019 97 points
"This turned out to be a stunning vintage in Frankland, and here is
ample proof of how good it was, Gorgeous … Out-bloody-standing."
WA Wine Guide 2022Olmo’s Reward, Frankland Estate’s blend of Bordeaux red varieties,
has gradually risen to be an outstanding wine of its type. Huon HookeThen, at the Decanter World Wine Awards, one of the world’s 2
greatest Wine Shows, against 17-18,000 of the great wines
internationally, the tiny Frankland Estate – in the middle of no-where
in the isolated Great Southern of the isolated Western Australia:For the years that they entered:
Decanter World Wine Awards 2020
92 points & Silver Medal– Isolation Ridge Single Vineyard Riesling 2018
Decanter World Wine Awards 2019
96 points & Gold Medal – Olmo’s Reward 2017
95 points & Gold Medal – Riesling 2018
91 points & Silver Medal – Isolation Ridge Shiraz 2016
Decanter World Wine Awards 2018
95 points & Gold Medal – Smith Cullam Riesling 2017
93 points & Silver Medal – Isolation Ridge Shiraz 2015
91 points & Silver Medal – Isolation Ridge Riesling 2017 -
The story of Frankland Estate is one born in the isolated natural terrain of South West Australia, and the foresight of a prominent scientist. In 1956 renowned US viticulturalist Dr Harold Olmo identified the potential of the Frankland River region to produce wines comparable to those of Bordeaux, France. Working two vintages in Bordeaux and touring French vineyards cemented Barrie and Judi’s vision to establish Frankland Estate in 1988 and pursue their dream to create wines of uncompromising quality. Frankland Estate is a certified producer of organic wines since 2009.
Set deep in the Frankland River Region, the estate is shaped by an uncompromising committment to organics, maticulous vineyard work, and a landscape that feels both remote and quietly majestic. Visiting is an immersion into one of the country's most distinctive terroirs.This significant operation is situated on a large sheep property established by Barrie Smith and Judi Cullam. The vineyard has seen progressive growth since '88. The introduction of an array of single-vineyard rieslings has been a highlight; the Isolation Ridge vineyard is organically grown. Frankland Estate is now in the capable hands of 2nd-generation siblings Hunter and Elizabeth Smith. Elizabeth's husband, Brian Kent, has been at the helm of winemaking for over a decade.
-JAMES HALLIDAY
Wine List
1st Course
2025 Frankland Estate ‘Estate’ Riesling
2025 Frankland Estate ‘Isolation Ridge’ Riesling
2025 Frankland Estate ‘Smith Cullam’ Riesling
2nd Course
2025 Frankland Estate ‘Estate’ Chardonnay
3rd Course
2024 Frankland Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
2024 Frankland Estate ‘Small Batch’ Cabernet Franc
2022 Frankland Estate ‘Olmo’s Reward’
4th Course
2024 Frankland Estate Mourvèdre
2023 Frankland Estate ‘Estate’ Syrah
2023 Frankland Estate ‘Isolation Ridge’ Syrah
2023 Frankland Estate ‘Smith Cullam’ Syrah
Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wines 2025
The pinnacle of syrah and made in the best vintages, the last in ’20, as it’s in honour of Barry Smith and Judi Cullam. They started this exceptional estate, planting the Isolation Ridge vineyard in ‘88. This is made from small parcels of fruit off the original Winery Block. What a glorious wine. So perfumed and beguiling, a perfect amalgam of flavours, nothing dominating – neither fruit nor winemaking. The palate is medium bodied, beautifully composed with raw silk tannins and lithe acidity. A joy to behold, a joy to drink.
97 Points - Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion
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Available to taste on side table throughout events
2025 Frankland Estate ‘Small Batch’ Grüner Veltliner
2025 Frankland Estate ‘Spatburg[down]under '