Halliday’s wine wonders of the west from Margaret River, Great Southern and beyond

Golden chardonnay, elegantly wild shiraz, precise cabernet: from Margaret River to Great Southern, the West’s wine dazzles. Here’s six worth knowing.

Six examples of Western Australia’s versatility and pure class.

The winemaking philosophy of Western Australian legend Michael “Kegs” Kerrigan makes the heart sing.

“We’ve spent a total of zero hours on marketing research, and no consultants have been injured in the making of these wines,’’ he jokes, in relation to his Kerrigan + Berry winemaking project with another WA winemaking pro, Gavin Berry.

A lack of consultants certainly hasn’t hindered the quality of the duo’s wine – the Kerrigan + Berry Frankland River Shiraz 2017 scored a golden 95 rating from Team Halliday and this great shout out: “Elegant on one hand; a little wild, on the other. A winner.”

The Kerrigan + Berry 2017 shiraz is among six Western Australian gems The Australian Wine Club is offering this week in the countdown to our Annual Dozen release next month, supported by club president James Halliday.

As Halliday says, Margaret River is one of the most remote, beautiful wine regions on the planet – and since the early 1980s the region has wowed the international wine world with its brilliantly expressive chardonnays and precise cabernet. The highly rated Thompson Estate chardonnay, part of our mixed dozen this week, is consistently up there with the very best.

The west’s semillon/sauvignon blanc whites (white Bordeaux-style blends) also led a crusade across Australia in the 1980s and 1990s and still have legions of fans among those who enjoy a little more complexity than that generally found in straight sauvignon blancs.

But nowadays the west’s winemaking horizons stretch far beyond Margaret River’s treasures: cool-climate shiraz and rieslings, particularly from the wilds of Great Southern, are consistently being rated among Australia’s best.

Kerrigan, who made wine at Howard Park before acquiring Margaret River’s iconic Hay Shed Hill in 2006, believes Great Southern’s inland sub-regions of Frankland River and Mt Barker produce the most complex-flavoured and richly textured shiraz.

After almost 30 years in the game, he speaks with experience when saying these regions, with warm days and cold nights, tend to produce perfumed, savoury wines more reminiscent of the “Old World” than Australia’s classic fruit-driven shiraz style. (The Kerrigan + Berry 2017 shiraz is made from Frankland River fruit.)

Here’s your chance to tour the best of the west without leaving home – six beauties that speak of Western Australia’s versatility and pure class, with tasting notes from Team Halliday.

Kerrigan + Berry Frankland River Shiraz 2017

There is something distinctive about Frankland River manifest in shiraz. Melding cooler-climate peppercorn, black olive tapenade and salumi, with a warmer generosity: blue and black fruits and a squirt of squid ink. A lovely peppery to clove-clad finish. Elegant on one hand; a little wild, on the other. A winner. Team Halliday rating: 95 points (by Ned Goodwin); 14.5% alc; RRP $40 a bottle

SPECIALS $35.99 a bottle in straight dozen; $21.99 in Halliday WA dozen

Thompson Estate Margaret River Chardonnay 2020

Chilled fruit was pressed, the juice settled, fermented in new and used French oak and matured for nine months. Grapefruit is the leader of the fruit pack, though white peach and nectarine are also involved, along with some French oak spice. The overall line and length is very good. Team Halliday rating 96 points + red star for exceptional value (by James Halliday); 13.3% alc; RRP $50 a bottle.

SPECIALS $42.99 a bottle in straight dozen; $21.99 in WA Halliday dozen

Alkoomi Black Label Frankland River Riesling 2020

Fine, talcy phenolics and layers of citrus fruit almost obscure the tight coil of acid that springs from the centre. This has delicacy, poise and grace – but it’s also powerful – an intriguing, beautiful and well-crafted wine. A lot to love right now, or cellar it – it’ll go for years and years. Team Halliday rating: 94 points (by Erin Larkin); 12% alc; RRP $32 a bottle.

SPECIALS $25.99 a bottle in straight dozen; $21.99 in WA Halliday dozen

Willoughby Park Kalgan River Great Southern Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Medium in weight, well fruited, blackcurrant, redcurrant and dark chocolate, slips of gum leaves and undergrowth. A solid but appropriate frame of tannin. All is in good order and suggests at enough complexity to make you think cellaring it will be worth your time. Team Halliday rating: 93 points (by Campbell Mattinson); 14.5% alc; RRP $32 a bottle.

SPECIALS $24.99 a bottle in straight dozen; $21.99 in WA Halliday dozen

Nannup Estate Firetower Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

 

Matured in French oak for 12 months. Chocolate-coated raspberries, red licorice and cocoa. This is supple and very pretty. The tannins are savoury and fine, shaping the wine, but not dominating it. Team Halliday rating: 92 points (by Erin Larkin); 14% alc; RRP $28 a bottle.

SPECIALS $21.99 a bottle in straight dozen; $21.99 WA Halliday dozen

Wills Domain Mystic Spring Margaret River Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2021

Spring florals, some green bean and pea tendril followed by a clap of chalk. The fine phenolics create shape and line in the mouth, dragging out the fruit to a moderately long finish. Admirable extraction of flavour in a very cool, wet vintage. Team Halliday rating: 91 points (by Erin Larkin); 12.5% alc; RRP $25 a bottle.

SPECIALS $21.25 a bottle in straight dozen; $21.99 in WA Halliday dozen

HALLIDAY WA DOZEN Two bottles of each wine, $21.99 a bottle. SAVE $150 a dozen.

Order online or telephone [phone] Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm AEST. Deals only available while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine