Geographe Wines

My (serious) friends regularly play wine options games, where a quizmaster (who knows the wine) asks a series of questions to the others (who don’t) with the aim of identifying the wine. It sounds elitist, but it’s a great way to learn about wine. They say a look at the label is worth a thousand years of experience and shifty Ferdinand recently tested this theory. The quizmaster was impressed when Ferdy nailed the identity of the Harvey River Bridge Estate Shiraz, but he slipped by pronouncing this wine from Geography. The quizmaster corrected him with a ‘GEO graph’ then Ferdinand admitted that he’d seen the label. Ferdy was then banished from the game and he didn’t even get to enjoy the ...

Making their Debut on the Cracka roll of honour are these wines from Capel Vale in the south west of WA. There’s a fair few of you out there who prefer wine without wood so here’s one that’s all about the fruit. Chardonnay from this part of the world is often tropical in style with pineapple, peach and melon all taking starring roles. The palate delivers a burst of tropical and citrus fruit, a soft texture and a crisp, clean finish. It’s the kind of wine that would harmonise well with pan-fried white fish with a butter and caper sauce.

Harvey Bridge winemaker Stuart Pierce earned his stripes making sweet white wines in France’s Sauternes region and tangy dry Rieslings in the Clare Valley. That’s why it’s a pleasant surprise to see him win the prestigious Jimmy Watson Trophy for the best one year old red wine at the Melbourne Wine Show for a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. This satisfying red proves it was no fluke as the well rounded winemaker has crafted a great follow up with this Cabernet which offers an amalgam of rich berry fruits supported by spicy oak characters.

It’s the signature white blend of WA and the good people at Capel Vale have created a fresh, scintillating white that would enhance your next seafood feast. We loved the nose on this wine with its nose of cut grass, grapefruit and gooseberries. It’s a bold mouthful of rounded and textured fruit with vibrant citrus and figs. It finishes with crisp, clean acids and is just so easy to drink. The cheapest way to experience WA without jumping on a plane!

If ever there was a wine to make an impressive debut, it’s this varietal Shiraz from WA that is designed to be drunk young. This gold-medal winning Shiraz offers so much enjoyment as it’s full of flavour and punches well above its weight. It’s lifted with red berry and black pepper aromas with notes of vanillin oak. A small amount of Viognier in the blend adds texture, gloss and some enticing aromatics. It’s gentle and approachable and just the thing for an informal barbecue with Shiraz loving friends.

Everyone knows someone who drinks white wines only. Sadly, I know a few, but it doesn’t stop me from trying to lure them over to the dark side. I’ve tried lots of tricks like blindfolding them, serving lighter reds in teacups and even serving a glass of red in total darkness, all with mixed results. Next time I try for a colour conversion I’ll reach for the Harvey River Bridge Estate Merlot. This silky smooth red has lashings of juicy plum flavours that are a sure-fire hit, even for white wine only drinkers. But if it doesn’t work out, I’ll happily polish off the remains of the bottle of this more-ish Merlot.

Geographe is better known as part of the WA fruit bowl - ground zero for cherries, plums in particular. Fittingly this is a lovely mouthful of blue and black fruit flavours (maybe even a little plum in there too) making for a wine that is generous, luscious and full without tipping over into overt sweetness. An affable Shiraz this one!

Luscious. That's the best way to describe this Zinfandel, a massive berry pie of a wine draped in so much luxurious fruit that you could almost swim in it (might be a boozy swim though). Pick this wine if you like your reds full but generous, silky but powerful. Now about that pie...

My friend Katarina only drinks one wine – New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. I’m always trying to broaden her palate, but whenever I put a glass of any other wine in her hand she normally gives it one sniff and if it doesn’t have the pungent nose of Kiwi Savvy she promptly rejects it. Rarely does she ever sip anything else, so I was elated recently when I gave her a Harvey River Bridge Estate Sauvignon Blanc and she finished the whole glass. I now call it a classic dry white lie, because I told her this Western Australian Savvy was from New Zealand. She told me she loved its crisp apple and tangy citrus flavours. Win-win!

I have a builder mate who is totally devoid of social skills. He talks about nothing other than what happens on his building site, but his company is tolerated by our circle of friends because his building experience is often comes in very handy. I poured him a glass of Harvey River Bridge Estate Unwooded Chardonnay at recent barbie and he told me it was appropriately named, because the Harvey River Bridge is concrete and steel structure. I’m not sure if it was an attempt at humour, or he was talking shop? I had a laugh and told him to relax and enjoy its ripe peach and tangy green apple flavours.

What a debut from Capel Vale, these wines have been designed to be drunk while young and show a varietal freshness about them. We love an early drinking Pinot that’s light in body but heavy in flavour and that’s exactly what you get here. It’s loaded with cherry goodness and notes of wild strawberry. Like all the best Pinot’s it’s got a soft palate with perfumed fruit and would be ideal with a duck breast

There are some wines that effortlessly suit an occasion and other wines that can perfectly sum up a season. The Harvey River Bridge Estate Semillon Sauvignon Blanc does both, as this wine is the perfect casual summer white that is ideal for barbies, especially with seafood and a salads and particularly when it’s served cracking cold. This delicious dry white blend is a real crowd pleaser that offers the perfect balance of zesty citrus and ripe tropical fruit flavours, while its refreshing finish make it the perfect antidote to a hot summer day.

What could be more regional for WA than a Sauvignon Blanc? The regional collection from Capel Vale ticks all the boxes when it comes to crafting wines that show the true potential of site and fruit selection. This wine is all about Pemberton purity, fruit coming from one of the cooler regions of WA. It’s got nasal- quivering aromas of green bean, pea, and herbaceous and mineral edges. It has good structure and body showing honeydew melon, lime and flint before ending with zippy acids. A masterful Savvy, which would marry well with white fish and asparagus.

For thirty years, Capel Vale has been refining their style. Their regional wines are styled around expressing the true varietal nature of the grapes and nurturing of the site selected. These fine wines show character and elegance and this Savvy blend had us captivated from the first pour. It’s got a herbaceous nose with vital aromas of straw, stonefruit and citrus before the palate unfolds showing texture, length and generosity. It finishes crisp and clean and while it can cope with short term cellaring it’s never tasted better now with a plate of fresh oysters.

Here’s a cracking sparkling that should make a debut at your next soiree, it’s a bubbly that won’t break the budget and will keep the crowds entertained with its effervescent character. A lively nose of citrus and stonefruit and gentle berry notes. The palate is fine with a delicate bead and a biscuit like complexity. Makes perfect drinking on its own or with some melted Parmesan toasts.

This is a wine that really shows Pinot Noir's earthy style with its subtle, spicy fruit flavours given a jolt by a blast of red cherry. Who says Western Australia doesn't do good Pinot? Certainly not me.

If there’s one place that can get the blend of Cabernet and Merlot right, it’s the cooler parts of W.A and here Capel Vale prove that given the right fruit and the right climate they can make wines that taste sublime. Ready to drink now, this Cabernet blend is rich in blackcurrant and plum. Merlot offers mid-palate softness while Cabernet tannins fill out the finish and you’ll enjoy a mouthful of sweet fruit, chocolate and cedar. This attractive wine would go well with a roast leg of lamb or a simple pasta and tomato dish.

Poor poor Merlot, still shaking off its tarnished image thanks to the movie Sideways. It was said that Merlot sales suffered in the U.S. after the movie’s central character Miles openly berated the grape. Thankfully here we are a little more forgiving and this Merlot from WA is fruit forward and accessible making it the kind of mid week quaffer you need on your wine rack. Remarkable fruit intensity here, with plum and spice as well as chocolate and tobacco aromas. The palate develops the theme with plum, cherry and leather, a generous structure while elegant tannins round out the finish.

The quality of Verdelho is getting better and better and we’d love to serve this to anyone who leans towards Sauvignon Blanc as there’s so much to like about this variety. It has a rich vein of tropical fruit that makes it ideal with Asian curries as well as just for drinking on its own. Expect to find exotic aromas of mango, guava and apricot as well as a citrus core to hold it all in place. Nicely rounded and with perfect balance there’s some nice sweetness before a clean acid finish.

Nose: Freshly cut grass, pink grapefruit, passionfruit and gooseberries Palate: Primary fruit in the mid palate maintains interest from start to finish, providing flavours reminiscent of lemon, fruit salad and figs Food ideas: Barbecued prawns, greek salad or lemon-mint risotto Cheese ideas: Goats cheese such as Castelo Branco or Mothais Sur Feuille