Frankland Estate Rocky Gully Riesling 2014
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Wine Enthusiast
This vintage of Rocky Gully Riesling comes across as quite ripe and rich despite the modest alcohol content. Smoky hints of struck flint and heating oil spice up flavors of baked apple and vanilla, then linger on the finish.
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Wine Spectator
Sleek and vibrant, with pear, lime, grapefruit and floral flavors in a tight pattern, finishing light, dry and tart. Drink now through 2022. 4,000 cases made.
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Wine & Spirits
Frankland Estate’s most accessible riesling may be labeled as dry, but it is softer than the Poison Hill (also recommended here). Even so, it buzzes with lime acidity, scents of orange bitters and a fusel-like earthiness. It’s bright, buxom and lithe, a wine for seafood chowder.
Frankland Estate was established in 1988 by Barrie Smith and Judi Cullam who continue to be actively involved in every aspect of the vineyard and winery. They are now assisted by their daughter Elizabeth Smith, son Hunter Smith and a small, hardworking team who enjoy the diverse and idiosyncratic challenges associated with working in a family business. The winemaking philosophies at Frankland Estate reflect these influences as well as the hard-earned lessons gained from some 17 vintages in the Frankland River region. Our approach to winemaking is based on the principle that the most significant characteristics of a wine come from the soil and the vineyard environment. We aim to make wines that reflect nature rather than the hand of the winemaker. This is the basis of our commitment to sustainable farming and to working the land in accord with the cycles of nature. We carefully nurture the health of the soils in our vineyard and only take from our vineyards as much as can be replaced by natural processes. Our use of viticultural practices resulted in us gaining organic certification in 2009 with our 2010 vintage wines being released with the certified organic “bud” logo.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
Quite remote and unequalled in beauty, the wine regions of Westerm Australia promise endless physical and climatic diversity. From the coolest, seaside vineyards to the hottest inland zones, Western Australia is the source of some of the country’s most sought after wines.