Great Southern Wines

Rob Diletti is not only a talented winemaker but he’s a bit of a star with Chardonnay. This is his premium ‘bells and whistles’ version that is brimming with energy and regionality. It’s lifted with aromas of stonefruit and citrus as well as mealy and nutty characters underpinned by quality oak. A palate of citrus flavours mixed with a smart oak influence lends great balance; it’s powerful and long with a refreshing clean finish. A very impressive modern Chardonnay, that would harmonise with a chicken baguette with a creamy tarragon mayonnaise.

Proving why the region is called Great southern, there’s greatness in every sip of this regional Shiraz from WA powerhouse Howard Park. This is a single vineyard wine of great distinction that goes to show that sometimes the west is the best. It mixes up dark fruits, like plums and blackberries with hints of licorice, bitter chocolate and spice. The tight, structured palate conveys the concentration of berries with fine tannins and has great potential to age. Well worth searing a steak for this wine as it tastes even better with meaty protein.

Chardonnay from Denmark? We did not know the Danes made Chardy, but then we realised it’s the other Denmark, the lesser known sub-region of WA. This stellar white has been awarded an amazing 95 points by wine critic James Halliday, a guarantee that it will reward those who share a love of modern Chardonnay. Prepared to be smitten by a nose of nectarine, citrus and complex, spicy oak characters before a balanced and textured palate that demands food. Grapefruit, melon and vanilla oak make for a long, impressive finish.

The reserve version of the 'standard' Harewood Estate SSB, this takes the style and adds a little sexiness, with the fruit sourced from higher altitude (hence sexier) vineyards and given time in (sexy) French oak, all of which makes for a more complex. more intriguing and more curvaceous white wine. Whether it is sexier is up to you to decide...

There should be a wine label called ‘the many faces of Larry Cherubino’ because this tireless winemaker has his fingers in so many winemaking pies that it’s hard to keep up. One of the many labels is Ad Hoc and these everyday drinking wines deliver all the freshness and fruit flavour that the Margaret River can provide. The Straw Man alludes to the classic descriptors of this white blend and the wine is certainly packed with aromas of straw and cut grass as well as herbs and citrus. A nicely creamy palate with natural acids easing out the long finish means it’s a contender for your next Asian feast.

Could Larry Cherubino be some kind of magician of the vines? Never has one man made so many wines that have been so awarded. Last year James Halliday voted his efforts with ‘Winery of the Year’ in his annual Wine Companion. The Yard is a celebration of single sites in WA and this blend typifies the Margaret River perfectly. It shows aromas of minerals and pea pods as well as a core of citrus. There’s a lovely texture, with crunchy acids and piercing intensity.

This wine from Marchand and Burch is the result of a vinous collaboration between the old world and the new, partnering French winemaker Pascal Marchand with the Australian know how behind Jeff Burch of Howard Park fame. This is the type of Chardonnay that is giving Australia a good name with complex layers of citrus and honey, and a palate that’s full of oatmeal layered with texture and balanced with a mineral acidity.

Riesling from Mount Barker often get overlooked, in fact Riesling in general often gets overlooked, but we are here to change that with the hope that you’ll be persuaded to give this wine the credit it deserves. Plantagenet are renowned specialists for the grape and this release is really humming. It’s full of grapefruit expression with some underlying minerals before a juicy palate that’s full of vital citrus and refreshing acids. It works wonderfully as a palate awakener but will pair brilliantly with oysters.

We want to bring Riesling back to the masses and the way we think we should do it is by getting you to try this stunning example from Castle Rock. Riesling is full of zing and zip and really has the ability to talk of where it’s from. This is from W.A. and its loaded with citrus characters such as lime, lemon and orange blossom with interesting mineral notes. Tight and elegant with dominant citrus characters the natural acids lend balance and length. While it’s good now it’s only going to get better with some time in the cellar.

Great Southern Rieslings are on a roll at the moment, proving that this isolated (and beautiful) part of Australia is a top place to grow grapes. This looks pretty special too, a floral and quite pretty sort of Riesling but backed by the strong and briney, super intense palate of a real Riesling. Hot wine. Cool wine. Whatever you want to call it this is great stuff.

Inner beauty, we all possess it, and it needs to be discovered over time. We like what Winemaker Larry Cherubino has done with this wine, he’s created a shy and delicate Riesling from the best parcels of Mt Barker fruit. It’s got the pristine and pure fruit that we love in Riesling with lemon and lime aromas and a spicy intensity. The palate is pure citrus driven by a persistent acid finish. Shuck some oysters in celebration of this wine and revel min its beauty.

Our Mystery Wineries are found right around the country, some of which you will know very well. Many of our Mystery wines are already well known to wine buyers and sell for much higher prices under their own label. But winemakers need to eat, and when it comes time to find space for a new vintage, they naturally want to sell whatever they can quickly. Which is where we come in. What we do is agree to take a few cases of said wine in exchange for a better price (so we can sell it cheaper). The condition being that the wine can't be sold cheaper under it's original label, so they come up with a new label just for us. The end result then is the same wine, but sold cheaper at Cracka. P...

When it comes to the wines of WA, it’s not just the Margaret River that is a beacon of light in terms of quality. Some of the fruit coming out of Frankland River and Denmark make many of the smartest reds. Harewood Estate continues to be one of the most consistent producers in the region and honoured by a five star rating in James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion. This is Cabernet to please that goes down with ease especially with large chunks of lamb. It smells of cassis, mint and tobacco and offers a nicely textured palate of blackcurrant fruit and complex cedar.

Frankland Estate Shiraz, just the very mention of it makes us go a bit giddy in the knees. It’s all that cooler climate spice that we gravitate to and we think you’ll love this spicy Shiraz from this five star rated winery. It’s dense and inky with an intense nose of black fruit, licorice and black pepper. It’s a rich, complex beast, exuding plum, chocolate and aniseed. Balanced and finely structured this will reward for many years to come. We simply don’t have the patience to wait.

Margaret River can offer some of the most scintillating examples of Shiraz, as far as quality goes, the multi-award winning Howard Park can do no wrong in our eyes. This is named after winemaker Jeff Burch’s father and what a great tribute it is. Something about the soil of the region lends an attractive violet aroma to the nose as well as supporting fruits such as blueberry and raspberry. It’s plush, powerful and seamlessly integrated with oak, in fact its so satisfying that you’ll be diving back for more, intoxicated by its completeness.

It’s hard to keep up with the work of Larry Cherubino as he’s one of the busiest men in wine, not to mention of WA’s most awarded winemakers. The Yard is short for the vineyard and celebrates single site wines from all over Western Australia. This Cabernet uses fruit from the Frankland River and shows classic varietal aromas of plum, tobacco and cedar. The palate takes it up a notch with great fruit intensity, silky soft tannins and a long finish.

Still one of the most collectable and age-worthy reds from the Mount Barker region, the Plantagenet Shiraz shows it’s not all Cabernet in the west. Give it a decant and pair it with steak to see just how good this iconic red is. Indulge your senses in a vivid nose of blackberry, chocolate and hints of vanilla with notes of peppery spice. The palate is complex and layered with a captivating structure that will have you in raptures.

How do you make a good Shiraz into a great Shiraz? Go to the Great Southern region of course. The Wignalls name has put this WA region on the map turning out consistently smart wines. Great Southern Shiraz announces it’s cool climate origins with style as you’ll see with this kaleidoscopically aromatic red. Apart from the fruit, the first thing you’ll notice is the intensity of white pepper and spice that actually makes the wine a fine match for mild curries or North African cuisine. The fruit intensity of cassis and black cherry continues on the long, spicy palate making for a wine that is medium bodied and complex.

Wignalls put the great back into Great Southern when they decided to grow wine there back in the early 80’s. It was a great decision and since that time they have put Albany on the map as a prime grape growing area. If you like a Chardonnay that is complex and layered with lots of flavour and texture then this is for you. You’ll marvel in the nose that combines a mineral edge with a tantalising lemon meringue aroma that precedes a palate of complex barrel characters, a creamy mouthfeel and clean, natural acids filling out the finish.

Take one Italian making wine in the west of Australia and you’ll discover the passion that is Castelli Estate. The quality of fruit that has been sourced for this Chardonnay shows the dedication to detail and is furthermore proof of Chardonnay’s rise in popularity. This is exciting and heady stuff with aromas of pear, citrus and peach as well as a mineral edge. The oak lends notes of roasted cashew but neither invades or dominates. It’s a structured and powerful wine that also maintains a textural elegance.