Grand Cru (Perth) Tasting Group – Great Southern wines - 22 October 2025

[Waiters Friend]

G’day

This month’s theme was the wines of the Great Southern region in Western Australia. We met at the evergreen Mayfair Lane in West Perth, for what turned out to be a larger-than-life tasting.

We were privileged to be joined by Tracey Whooley of Great Southern Sips (and Tracey is also the cellar door manager at Singlefile). Tracey was a fountain of information on all things wine in the Great Southern, and even brought along soil samples from each of the five GS sub-regions.

Tracey also brought the first six wines (salvaged from the WA Wine Show tastings that day) – all Rieslings from the 2025 vintage:

Ferngrove Cossack Riesling 2025 (Frankland River 12.5% alc): Pale lemon in colour. The nose shows lemon, lime, orange blossom, and grapefruit, with some tasters noting dill and grass. The palate is more about mandarin and orange peel. There’s preserved Mayer lemon also. The wine shows high, almost steely acid and has a medium to long finish. Well regarded by the group.

Forest Hill Block 2 Riesling 2025 (Mount Barker, 12.5% alc): Pale lemon colour. Slightly less intense lemon/lime than the Cossack on the nose, with lots of florals – jasmine and orange blossom. A little beeswax as well. The palate shows fresh orange juice over the lemon and lime, and tangy acid (but a little less steely than the Cossack). Good length

Castle Rock A&W Riesling 2025 (Porongorup, 12% alc): Very pale lemon, almost watery. Lots of white florals on the nose, with Bickfords Lime cordial and some chalk. Precise lime juice on the palate, with lemon thyme. Acid is taut and mouth puckering, and the wine finishes long and full.

Plan B Great Southern Riesling 2025 (Mount Barker? 12.5% alc): Pale yellow in colour. Intense lime, orange (and orange blossom) on the perfumed nose. One taster noted lantana as well. The palate is spicy, with mandarin, orange peel, lime cordial and a touch of ginger. Acid is sharp and slightly overshadows the fruit. Good length.

Gilberts Riesling 2025 (Mount Barker, 11% alc): Pale yellow. A touch of kero opens the nose, with lifted limes, beeswax and a touch of sherbet. There’s orange, lemon peel and lime juice on the palate. Acid is a little tart, and some tasters considered the wine might have spent a little time on lees. The fruit falls away a little on the finish.

Shepherds Hut Riesling 2025 (Porongorup): Pale watery colour. A delicate and perfumed nose, with lemon, talc and blossoms. The palate shows lemon juice and pith, some mandarin and lime. Steely acid and a medium to long finish. Well regarded by the group.

Then onto a couple of older Rieslings:

Forest Hill Block 1 Riesling 2018: (Mount Barker, 12.5% alc): Medium yellow in colour. Slight kero opened the nose, followed by lime marmalade, honey, lanolin, beeswax, lemon curd and rhubarb. The palate is full and rich with some fruit sweetness. There’s honey, some tropical fruits, grapefruit pith and lime cordial. Acid is supportive and the wine finishes medium to long. Highly regarded by the group.

Capel Vale Whispering Hill Riesling 2017 (Mount Barker 12.5%alc): Medium yellow in colour. A modest restrained nose, with toast, honey, marmalade and preserved lemon. There’s more salted lemon on the palate with lemon/lime cordial, and breakfast marmalade. There’s a touch of oiliness or viscosity, offset by freshening acid and the wine finishes quite long.

A couple of chardonnays next:

Marchand and Burch Mount Barrow Chardonnay 2024. Medium yellow in colour. High quality oak opens the nose, with fig, vanilla, white peach, nectarine and citrus blossom. Cedar and vanilla on the palate, with more fig, ripe peach, nectarine, and grapefruit /citrus. Medium acid and a medium to long finish. Highly regarded by the group.

Fervor ‘Funka Riche’ Chardonnay 2021 (13.3% alc): Yellow colour. The nose is nutty and mealy, with curry leaf and stone fruits (especially nectarine). The palate is savoury, with bacon fat, caramel and developed ripe peaches. Several tasters noted petriclor (rain on a hot road), and one taster added ‘fresh tropical fruit on a hot rainy day’ to the mix. Medium to high acid and a medium finish.

Then a couple of lighter reds:

Swinney Grenache 2024 (Frankland River 13.8% alc): Pale ruby colour. A perfumed nose, with red cherry and strawberry, and a stemmy note. There’s sour cherry and cranberry on the slightly sappy palate. Light fine tannins and sufficient supportive acid leading to a medium finish.

Singlefile Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2023: Pale ruby colour. Ripe dark and red cherries on the fuller nose. Bright strawberry and some spice notes also. Unripe strawberry on the palate, with a touch of mushroom or truffle, and more oak-derived spice. Fine slightly grippy tannins and medium to high acid and length. Well regarded by the group.

Finally, the fuller reds- nine of them, tasted from youngest to oldest.

Bunn Cabernet Sauvignon 2023: There’s a green capsicum character to the nose, with mulberry, tomato leaf, dried herb, bramble and a touch of asphalt. More tar on the palate, and slight alcoholic heat. Dried red berries, chocolate and some savoury notes also. Softer tannins and acid and the finish is slightly astringent.

Cherubino ’The Yard’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2022: The Riversdale vineyard is a prized piece of dirt on the Frankland River sub-region (a bit like the Willowlake vineyard in the Yarra}. Ripe blackberries / pastilles, eucalypt, black olive and a touch of caramel. More blackberry and blackcurrant on the palate, juicy redberries and coffee grounds. Savoury oak flavours, with firm chalky tannins, leading to a long finish.

Forest Hill Shiraz 2022: A gentle nose, with dark and red plums, and vanilla. Fresh plums on the palate, with a touch of black pepper. Cedary oak, especially towards the finish. Good supporting acid and grippy tannins starting to integrate. Long finish and well regarded by the group.

Gilberts Reserve Shiraz 2022 (Mount Barker): Black and red plums, with cocoa powder, coconut oil cedary oak and a whiff of furniture polish on the nose. More cedary savoury oak on the palate, with considerable fruit sweetness and black pepper. Grippy tannins, medium to high acids and a long finish.

The Next 100 Years Syrah 2021: Liquorice, dark plums, cocoa and a touch of rubber on the nose. More liquorice, dark plums and coffee grounds on the palate, with one taster noting ‘fruit Rollups’. Fine grippy tannins, medium to high acid and a medium finish.

Swinney Syrah 2018: A perfumed nose, with ripe red plums, cranberry, blackberry, eucalypt, vanilla and a touch of furniture polish. Jubey red and dark fruits on the palate, with menthol, vanillan oak, gentle tannins and noticeable fruit sweetness (one taster commented ‘appassimento’). Medium acid and finish and well regarded by the group. e

Howard Park Scotsdale Shiraz 2013: The nose opens with pencil shavings, brambles, menthol, stewed red berries, blackberry and a touch of leather. There’s juicy blackberry and mulberry on the palate, with mint, liquorice and coffee. Acid is soft, and tannins pretty well integrated. Medium to long finish.

Forest Hill Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon 2013: Bright red fruits, black and red berries and olive tapenade on the nose. There’s more soft and juicy fruits on the palate with mocha, vanilla and ‘fresh baked cookies’ (one taster went further and specified ‘danish’). Soft acid, integrated tannins but still grippy and a medium to long finish. Highly regarded by the group.

Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon 1988: Unfortunately past its prime – porty, raisined and some caramel – so not rated, but an interesting look at a much older wine nonetheless.

Wine of the night was the Forest Hill Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, with the Forest Hill Block 1 Riesling 2018 and the Marchand and Burch Mount Barrow Chardonnay 2024 being ‘honourable mentions’ for the whites.

Many thanks to Mayfair Lane for hosting us (we’ve been there for at least 7 years now), and to those who joined us on the night.

Cheers
Allan

[Chuck]

Thanks Allen. Great notes on an emerging wine region. My limited exposure to GS wines has continued to impress. The cabs and blends show wines that are approachable in their youth with the ability to age nicely. Shiraz are good too. Don't know much about the rizza but worth a look soon. On a cool wet Sydney day I just may have to have one tonight with a grade 8/9 Wagyu chuck eye roll steak. Yum.

[Chuck]

Thanks Allen. Great notes on an emerging wine region. My limited exposure to GS wines has continued to impress. The cabs and blends show wines that are approachable in their youth with the ability to age nicely. Shiraz are good too. Don't know much about the rizza but worth a look soon. On a cool wet Sydney day I just may have to have one tonight with a grade 8/9 Wagyu chuck eye roll steak. Yum.

Did open a Marchand & Burch 2019 Great Southern Shiraz. Fruit from Mt Barker and Franklin River. Purple crimson with a lovely nose. Blackberry, blueberry, plum and spice with well integrated oak and acid. Medium to full bodied. Great mouthfeel. Good balance. Went a treat with the wagyu.