Fraser Gallop Estate farms a single plot in Wilyabrup, the sub-region at the heart of Margaret River, and bottles this Chardonnay under the Paladian name. The 2018 vintage was one of the region's strongest in recent memory: a dry, even growing season that gave Chardonnay both ripeness and nerve.
- Chardonnay, the grape Margaret River built its name on.
- Margaret River, Western Australia, a maritime strip three hours south of Perth.
- 2018, a warm, even and highly regarded vintage.
- 13% alcohol, dry, high acidity, medium body.
How it is made
Margaret River Chardonnay is a cool-climate wine made in a warm place. The Indian Ocean sits on three sides and the Southern Ocean below, so the vines get long, slow ripening days with cold nights that hold the acidity in place. Barrel fermentation and lees stirring are standard here, which is where the creamy weight and the faintly nutty edge come from.
How it tastes
White peach and nectarine first, then citrus, then a toasted hazelnut note from the oak. The texture is the thing: creamy, medium-bodied, but cut through by high acidity that keeps it from sitting flat. Dry, low tannin, and a finish that lingers on the stone fruit.
Where it comes from
Margaret River is a strip of land about 100 kilometres long and 30 wide, and it produces a disproportionate share of Australia's best Chardonnay. Wilyabrup, the northern sub-region where Fraser Gallop sits, is the source of many of the most collected bottles in the country.
Good to know
Margaret River was planted seriously only in the late 1960s, after a study by agronomist Dr John Gladstones identified the region as having a climate close to Bordeaux. Half a century later it is the benchmark for Australian Chardonnay.
