Frankland Estate 'Isolation Ridge' Riesling 2023
Primary flavours

Apple

Lime

Ginger

Slate
Details
The Riesling pinnacle of a pinnacle Riesling maker is going to be pretty great, right? This Isolation Ridge Riesling is a wonder. Sourced from the oldest vines on the property, this powerhouse wine is only just entering its drinking life (especially because it spends almost a year resting on lees in the winery cellar). From first sniff it throws all sorts of profoundly intense lime, ginger, elderflower notes, then onto a a lime and stonefruit abundance before a super taut and super minerally finish. A wow Riesling.
Introducing the inimitable and unmissable Frankland Estate. Their story starts in the aptly named 'Isolation Ridge'. If you travelled back 40 years and visited this remote outpost, you would probably stumble across a flock of sheep. Lucky for us, in 1985, the owners Barrie Smith and Judie Cullam took a fortuitous tour of the French winemaking regions. It was there that the dice were cast, and they decided grapes were their future. Fast forward to what is now a family affair, with daughter Liz and son Hunter running what has become one of WA's finest wineries. And a special mention to Gladys. Technically a fowl, she is the queen of a flock that manages (devours) bugs and pests who might otherwise damage the vines. Gladys, like the rest of the team, is dedicated to organic viticulture, allowing the soil and environment to do the talking with minimal human disturbance. If Frankland Estate's legacy is to pass on this land in even better condition than they found it, they've surely achieved it. We're just glad we can enjoy their wines in the process.
Introducing the inimitable and unmissable Frankland Estate. Their story starts in the aptly named 'Isolation Ridge'. If you travelled back 40 years and visited this remote outpost, you would probably stumble across a flock of sheep. Lucky for us, in 1985, the owners Barrie Smith and Judie Cullam took a fortuitous tour of the French winemaking regions. It was there that the dice were cast, and they decided grapes were their future. Fast forward to what is now a family affair, with daughter Liz and son Hunter running what has become one of WA's finest wineries. And a special mention to Gladys. Technically a fowl, she is the queen of a flock that manages (devours) bugs and pests who might otherwise damage the vines. Gladys, like the rest of the team, is dedicated to organic viticulture, allowing the soil and environment to do the talking with minimal human disturbance. If Frankland Estate's legacy is to pass on this land in even better condition than they found it, they've surely achieved it. We're just glad we can enjoy their wines in the process.
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Taste Profile
This wine’s tasting notes.
Sweetness
lowmediumhigh
Body
lightmediumfull
Fruitiness
nonesomelots
Tannins
lowmediumhigh
Acidity
lowmediumhigh
Oak
nonesomelots
Alcohol
low
(under 12%)medium
(12-14%)high
(14%+)
Taste Summary
This wine’s tasting notes are leaning towards medium bodied, low sweetness, with high acidity, very fruity, low tannins, medium alcohol and some oak.
Specs
Region
Frankland River
country
Australia
Grape type
Riesling (Dry)
Wine Maker
Frankland Estate
Alcohol
13%
Vintage
2023
Cellar period
10-20 years
Closure
Screw Cap
Production method
Organic
Temperature
Cold 5°C-8°C
State
WA
collection
Pairing guide
With such big-time flavour intensity, you really want to pair this powerful Australian Riesling with a dish that carries extra depth without clouding the pristine citrus notes. It’s a supremely appropriate pairing for Thai and other southeast Asian cuisines - anything with coriander, chilli, ginger, and lime will work wonders with this wine. It’s also going to be a great match for pork sausages, chicken or veal escalopes, and grilled salmon, and will work very nicely with salads featuring apples, nuts, or green beans, too.
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Food

Sushi

Noodles
Tastes

Crisp

Tangy
Moods

Contemplative

Celebratory
Seasons

Summer

Autumn

Spring
Recipe Matches
Wine region

Frankland River, Australia
Frankland River is one of five sub-regions in Great Southern, Western Australia. The Great Southern as the name suggests is extremely large, spread out over 100 km north to south and 150 km east to west. Frankland River is located in the north-west part of Great Southern and is known for high quality Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling as well as recent movement towards Grenache, Tempranillo and other Mediterranean varieties. The region is relatively recent with plantings dating back to 1967 and by the 1980s wineries like Alkoomi and Frankland Estate were well established.
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