Frankland Estate 2020 Shiraz Estate Grown Frankland River 750ml

Shiraz has been a main player at Frankland Estate almost from the very beginning, and the 2020 vintage stands, by the assessment of Australia's most authoritative wine critic, as one of the very best the label has ever produced. James Halliday named it to his Top 100 Wines of 2022 with a score of 95 points — placing this estate-grown bottling alongside the country's most celebrated releases for the year, from a property whose Riesling reputation has sometimes overshadowed just how serious its red wine program has become.

The 2020 follows directly in the footsteps of the celebrated 2018 vintage. The bouquet and palate are richly endowed, but the cool continental climate of Frankland River firmly shuts the door on any over-ripe, pudgy fruit characters — instead, tannins play in genuine harmony with black cherry fruit and a deliciously savory undertow. Elevated liquorice and black cherry aromas intermesh with scorched earth, dried meats, smoky cedar, black olives, and black pepper. On the palate, rich dark plum, liquorice, and black cherry fruit drive a generously weighted wine, with smoked meat, scorched earth, spicy cedar, and pepper carrying through the back half. A meaty, almost savory mouthfeel meets ripe, chewy tannins that lend genuine grip to a long, amply fruited, robust finish.

This wine is sourced entirely from Frankland Estate's certified organic vineyards — a selection of Shiraz drawn from eight small parcels across the estate, blending the original Houghton's Clone planted in 1988 with two additional clones, 470 and 174, alongside a small portion of whole-bunch fermentation from the estate's Geneva Double Curtain block. Twelve different parcels were fermented separately, long and slow, at temperatures never exceeding 28°C in open fermentation tanks worked by gentle plunging — patient, precise winemaking calibrated specifically to capture the complexity and uniqueness that decades of organic viticulture on this single, cool-climate site have made possible. Halliday's own recommendation: drink to 2040.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Frankland Estate is a family-owned and operated boutique winery located in Frankland River, the coolest and most isolated wine-growing region in Western Australia's Great Southern. Warm days and cool nights — moderated by maritime influence from the nearby Great Southern Ocean — produce milder summers and winters than much of the rest of Australia's wine country, creating optimum ripening conditions within a pristine, pollution-free environment. The estate has been certified organic since 2009, farmed today by second-generation siblings Hunter and Elizabeth Smith, with winemaker Brian Kent overseeing the cellar.

The 2020 Estate Shiraz is sourced entirely from Frankland Estate's certified organic vineyards, drawn from eight small parcels across the property. The blend combines the estate's original Houghton's Clone — planted in 1988 — with two additional Shiraz clones, 470 and 174, that have been progressively introduced to complement and add complexity to the established plantings. A small portion, around 5%, undergoes whole-bunch fermentation, sourced specifically from the estate's Geneva Double Curtain trellised block. Twelve different parcels were fermented separately, reflecting the distinct clones and vineyard positions they came from, some co-fermented with small portions of Viognier and Marsanne, others incorporating varying levels of hand-picked whole bunches.

The wine was fermented as long and as slowly as possible, with temperatures held below 28°C throughout, in open fermentation tanks that allowed the cap to be worked by gentle plunging rather than more aggressive extraction techniques. This patient, light-touch approach — consistent with the broader Frankland Estate winemaking philosophy of letting variety, site, and vintage speak without overbearing structure — is central to the wine's combination of genuine richness and real elegance. Bottled at 14.5% ABV under screwcap.

Critics Reviews

James Halliday — 95 Points · Top 100 Wines of 2022:
"Follows in the footsteps of the '18. While the bouquet and palate alike are richly endowed, the cool continental climate shuts the door on any over-ripe, pudgy fruit characters. So, tannins play along with the black cherry fruit and utterly delicious savoury undertow. Drink to 2040. Shiraz has been a main player with Frankland Estate almost from the get go and this is one of the very best under this label."

Nicks Wine Merchants (extended confirmed tasting note):
"Elevated liquorice and black cherry aromas are intermeshed with scorched earth, dried meats, smoky cedar, black olives and black pepper. Rich dark plum, liquorice and black cherry fruits drive the generously weighted palate with smoked meat, scorched earth, spicy cedar and pepper elements on the back half. Meaty like mouthfeel with ripe chewy tannins lending some grip to the long amply fruited yet robust finish. Drink over the next 5-6 years."

Wine-Searcher aggregate — 93/100 (2020 vintage)

Dave Mullen Wines (producer/distributor official tasting note):
"A concentrated and complex aroma of plum spices and floral tones lift from the glass, alluding to a shiraz of elegance and depth. The nose leads to a shiraz with middle weight and delicacy on the palate yet with substantial depth of flavour."

Tasting Profile

Nose
A concentrated and complex aroma of plum spice and floral tones lifts from the glass, suggesting elegance and depth from the first approach. Elevated liquorice and black cherry lead, intermeshed with scorched earth and dried meats. Smoky cedar, black olives, and black pepper add savory complexity that signals this is a wine built on genuine character rather than simple fruit concentration.

Palate
Middle-weighted with real delicacy, yet carrying substantial depth of flavor — the cool Frankland River climate's defining contribution. Rich dark plum, liquorice, and black cherry fruit drive the generously weighted palate. Smoked meat, scorched earth, spicy cedar, and pepper elements emerge on the back half, building genuine complexity. A meaty mouthfeel meets ripe, chewy tannins that lend real grip without ever feeling heavy-handed.

Finish
Long, amply fruited, and robust, with the ripe tannins providing structure and genuine cellaring potential through the close. The savory undertow — black olive, pepper, and scorched earth — lingers alongside the black cherry fruit, confirming this as one of the estate's most complete and well-balanced Shiraz releases.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Grilled or roasted lamb
• Peppercorn-crusted beef
• Smoked or charred meats
• Aged hard cheeses
• Mushroom and earthy vegetable dishes