A minimal intervention approach is working wonders at Fraser Gallop Wines.
Nigel Gallop had compiled a pretty impressive resumé in the IT field before pivoting to a career in wine.
He developed new technologies and software, created companies, sold companies, and left a legacy of systems and processes that are still in use today.
So, when he decided in the late 1990s to turn his attention to the wine industry, and Margaret River in particular, it was inevitable that he would do it right.
In 1998, Mr Gallop chose a patch of dirt on Metricup Road in the Margaret River region to establish Fraser Gallop Wines.
From the start, he recognised the approach had to be a pursuit of quality, not quantity.
In fact, as someone who knew numbers, he saw that the numbers simply did not add up with a high-volume production approach.
He prudently started with a softly, softly approach, with the wines being made by several winemakers before he was able to engage the highly experienced Clive Otto in 2006.
Mr Otto had previously carved a reputation in the region, most notably at Vasse Felix.
Mr Otto has been at the helm since, overseeing the continued development of the wines, plotting improvements in viticulture and winemaking approaches, and developing new ranges that now position Fraser Gallop among the elite wine producers in a region of many elite wine producers.
The evolution of the estate was clearly evident in a selected vertical tasting recently to mark the 25th anniversary of the property.
Of course, there were some very good wines released before Mr Otto took over, reflecting the suitability of the well-chosen site.
A minimal intervention approach is taken using natural yeasts with a combination of traditional and modern winemaking approaches in pursuit of styles that match the individual ranges.
There are three ranges: the estate, Parterre, and Palladian.
For this exercise, the focus was on the premium Parterre and the super-premium Palladian.
The Parterre chardonnay has been made with wild yeasts since 2010, with earlier picking and subsequent adoption of larger puncheons aimed at producing wines of freshness and precision with a fine acidity allowing greater expression of the fruit.
The Palladian chardonnay comes of a single block, with the oak chosen for its toastiness following natural yeast fermentation.
It differs from the Parterre in that the fruit is pressed straight to barrel to allow more solids influence, but there is no malolactic fermentation.
The Parterre cabernet is always an 85 per cent dominant Bordeaux blend from a single vineyard using different fermentation techniques with hand plunging into open or closed fermenters and left on skins for 40 days before going into oak.
Fraser Gallop Estate Parterre chardonnay 2022 ($63)
The wines under this label have been quite a revelation in recent years. This one from the excellent ’22 vintage is another cracker. It’s a precise and elegantly crafted wine with a steely minerally core. Aromas of pear and quince paste with a little citrus tang. The palate has a slightly crystalline minerality with a lingering finish. Has a distinctive sea spray talky character, which is most appealing.
Score 95/100
Cellar: 10 years
Fraser Gallop Estate Palladian chardonnay 2022 ($147)
Immediately strikes with the greater intensity and more focused precision, which is part of the linear structure of this wine. It’s deeply complex already with a minerally, slightly citrus and savoury combination. That heighted chalky minerality really says chardonnay at the highest level. This is a tremendously promising wine. It is in the modern linear finer style.
Score 97/100
Cellar: 12 years
Fraser Gallop Parterre cabernet sauvignon 2020 ($63)
This is predominantly cabernet but smaller percentages of petit verdot, cabernet franc and malbec contribute. Powerful and controlled cabernet displaying a lot of the black fruit character of this part of Margaret River. On the nose you get a terrific mix of bay leaf, black olive and varietal blackcurrant. There’s a pronounced oyster shell minerality bursting through supported by a chalky tannin feel. Integrated and vibrant, it’s a wine of energy and drive.
Score 96/100
Cellar: 20 years
- Ray Jordan is one of Australia’s most experienced and respected wine journalists, contributing to newspapers and magazines over more than 40 years. In 2017 he co-authored The Way it Was: The History of the early years of the Margaret River Wine Region
