Great Southern: Underrated region offers top value

 It’s the biggest wine region in Australia and possibly one of the most under-rated. I’m talking about Western Australia’s Great Southern region, which stretches about 200km from east to west and about 100km from north to south.

The region is divided into five sub-regions, Albany, Denmark, Mount Barker, Frankland River and Porongurup, with rather different climates and favoured varietal styles.

For example, Frankland River produces some of Australia’s best rieslings, with Alkoomi, Frankland Estate and Ferngrove leading the way. However, the shiraz and cabernet sauvignon from here are also excellent, and it’s no mistake that Houghton’s flagship red, the Jack Mann, frequently comes from their extensive Frankland vineyards. And I always enjoy the straight malbec produced by Ferngrove.

It’s fair to say Frankland River is right up there with Eden Valley and Clare as one of Australia’s best regions for riesling. Just check out the individual vineyard wines from Frankland Estate or Ferngrove’s Cossack Riesling.

The tasting room at Alkoomi
Picture: Alkoomi Wines

Alkoomi’s top reds, Blackbutt (cabernet based) and Jarrah (shiraz) are worth seeking out, as is the Wandoo semillon and Melaleuca riesling, while the Black Label range (riesling, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon) offer good-value medium-term cellaring. The White Label range (riesling, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, semillon sauvignon blanc, cabernet merlot, shiraz, rose and late harvest – a blend of semillon, sauvignon blanc, verdelho, viognier, gewürztraminer and riesling) offer great value short to medium term drinking.

The oldest winery in the Mount Barker region, Plantagenet, is still producing top wines, with the
riesling, chardonnay, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon particularly attractive,

West Cape Howe vineyards at Mount Barker
Picture:West Cape Howe

West Cape Howe, also based in Mount Barker, has three ranges, the fruit-driven early drinking Cape to Cape range (semillon-sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, chardonnay, cabernet merlot and shiraz, all about $17), the Regional range (Mount Barker riesling, Mount Barker sauvignon blanc, Mount Barker pinot noir, Frankland River tempranillo, Hannah’s Hill cabernet merlot, Albany cabernet franc, Mount Barker sauvignon blanc, Mount Barker vermentino, Old School chardonnay and Windy Hill shiraz tempranillo, all about $22) and the top-end Single Vineyard range (Porongurup riesling, Book Ends Mount Barker cabernet sauvignon, Two Steps Mount Barker shiraz, Styx Gully Mount Barker chardonnay and Karri Oak Mount Barker pinot noir, all about $30). All represent great value at their respective price and quality points.

Gavin Berry of West Cape
Howe and Mount Trio

Gavin Berry, the boss and senior winemaker at West Cape Howe, also has the Mount Trio winery at Porongorup, where he is turning out some very tasty drops, as do Dukes and Castle Rock.

In the Albany region, wineries worth visiting include Wignalls (established in 1982, taste the pinot noirs and chardonnays in particular) and Oranje Tractor (an organic vineyard established in 2000).

Further west around Denmark, you will find about 20 wineries including the highly decorated Singlefile and Forest Hill, one of the oldest wineries in the Great Southern, dating back to the 1960s.

It’s a wonderful region to visit, not just because of the delightful array of wineries but also for the stunning scenery – the Valley of the Giants Tree Top walk outside of Denmark is not to be missed and the National Anzac Centre in Albany is a wonderfully evocative place to experience a slice of Australian history.

For more go to https://greatsouthernwine.org.au/

https://www.valleyofthegiants.com.au/

https://www.nationalanzaccentre.com.au/