Ferngrove The Stirlings Merlot Cabernet 2001

"Stylish mix of red and black fruits, dark chocolate and fine, ripe tannins. High quality oak in the background. Very impressive Bordeaux style. Drink Now-2016."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 95 points

"A very intense and somewhat closed red that is not short of fruit, oak or tannin. It has attractive hints of cedar, tobacco and mint, but really needs a couple of years in bottle to soften and knit the various components together. This is definitely one to keep for a while but it will produce results."  Winewise - Highly Recommended

Gold Medal 2004 Rutherglen Wine Show
Gold Medal 2004 Royal Perth Wine Show
Gold Medal 2003 Rutherglen Wine Show
Gold Medal 2003 Murrumbateman Wine Show
Gold Medal 2003 Royal Adelaide Wine Show

The Great Southern wine region of Western Australia is the most ancient, most isolated and largest wine region in the world. The region is up to 2.8 billion years old and covers over 1.7 million hectares, a whopping 200 kilometres from east to west and 100km from north to south. Since the Nyittiny – creation times – our First Nations people of the Wagyl Kaip region have shared and cared for this Great Southern country.

Great Southern time is a place of dramatic contrasts - striking tall timber forests, swathes of rich agricultural land, imposing mountain ranges, dramatic peaks and ancient rivers. Due to its vast size and spread, it features not only different terroirs but climates that vary from the Mediterranean through to the maritime, resulting in unique wines that reflect their natural surroundings. From this diversity a wine region of international significance and reputation has emerged – the pristine Great Southern wine region.

The region is divided into five distinct sub-regions, each producing wine styles that reflect their unique terroir. The sub-regions are Porongurup, Frankland River, Mount Barker, Denmark and Albany - refer to the map below.

Frankland River sub-region

Frankland River wine, one of Western Australia’s best-kept secrets, is located approximately 360 kilometers south of Perth and lies 80 kilometers inland from the coast. Home to rolling hills, rich farming land and natural forest abounding with native wildflowers, it is named after the river which bisects it and the town at its center. Frankland River is the highest of the Great Southern sub-regions, with most vineyards sitting between 150 to 300 meters above sea level. With 1,600 hectares of vines planted, it is also the most prolific of the five sub-regions.

Frankland River is home to some of the oldest vines in Western Australia, with the first modern-day vineyards planted in 1967 on a property owned by the Roche family of Perth. This vineyard is now owned by Houghton and supplies them with some ultra-premium grapes. Three years later, in 1971, Merv and Judy Lange began planting vines on their Alkoomi property.

Today, there are six wineries located in the sub-region – Frankland Estate, Alkoomi, Swinney, Ferngrove, Lange Estate and Three Elms. In addition, many of Western Australia's iconic wineries source fruit from the area for their wines. Frankland River is home to plantings of all the traditional Australian grape varieties, however, it is internationally best recognised for producing premium cool climate Shiraz and Riesling. Is one of the State’s most successful wine producing regions and its impressive wine show success is testament to the quality of its vineyards and wines.

Frankland River has a true Mediterranean climate, with cool nights and warm days with long sunlight hours. Despite being 80 km inland, a moderating sea breeze from the Southern Ocean finds its way into the region and is a significant boon to local vineyards. In Albany, the equivalent wind is known as the 'Albany Doctor', after the more famous 'Fremantle Doctor' which cools the baked vineyards of the Swan District near Perth. The sea breeze, together with the elevation of the vineyards, create a long, slow ripening season that give the wines intensity of fruit, finesse, freshness and longevity. 

Frankland River's soils and topography consist of significant alluvial features. Ironstone-based gravel soils derived from granitic outcrops line the river valleys and rolling hills. These rich, red ironstone gravels often impart a unique flavour to the wines.

Frankland River is one of the five sub-regions of Great Southern

We want you to enjoy your wines as soon as possible and endeavour to dispatch orders as quickly as we can. It may take us a little longer during sales or peak trading periods, so kindly keep that in mind if you are purchasing for a special occasion.

Shipping Cost

Delivery is free on any order of 12 or more bottles to Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Sunshine Coast, Wollongong and rural Victoria.

On orders of 12 or more bottles to all other areas, we cover a percentage of the shipping costs. Shipping is calculated at checkout.

For orders of less than 12 bottles Australia wide, shipping is calculated at checkout.

Insurance

All orders are fully insured.

Standard Delivery

We use Australia Post and a Specialist Wine Courier (Anonymous Wine Freight) for domestic deliveries. Your location will determine which of these delivery services will be available.

Couriers will not telephone ahead to notify you of time of delivery and delivery on specific days can not be guaranteed.

While a large number of destinations are serviced within 48 hours or less, please allow up to 14 days for delivery within Australia.

Specialist Wine Delivery Service

We offer a specialist temperature-controlled wine delivery service called Anonymous Wine Freight to deliver your wine if you live close to the CBD in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney or Perth, or live in Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Mornington Peninsula or Geelong. If Anonymous Wine Freight services your postcode, the option to use them will appear on checkout. Here is a link to the list of postcodes they service. 

They are highly recommended as they ship in refrigerated transport to climate-controlled warehouses in each metro area before they make their way to your delivery address in air-conditioned vehicles for the last kilometers. In addition, they will even call you by phone at the time of delivery if they encounter any problems.

Please find their delivery schedule below.

Pick-up

If you live in Melbourne, you can pick up your order from our office in Camberwell by prior arrangement. Please select the 'Pick Up' delivery option during checkout and we will contact you to arrange a suitable time for pick-up once the order has been packed.

What if I won’t be home?

If you may not be home at the time of delivery and would like the wine left in a safe place, please give Authority to Leave (ATL) and any delivery instructions in the 'DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS & ATL' at the bottom of the shopping cart, located just above the CHECKOUT button. 

If you have requested delivery with Australia Post and have not given Authority to Leave, a signature will be required on delivery. If you miss the postman, the order will be taken to your local Post Office for collection.

If you have requested delivery with our specialist wine courier (Anonymous Wine Freight) and have not given Authority to Leave, the driver will phone you for instructions if you are not at home at the time of delivery. If he can't contact you, the order will be taken to their local depot and can be re-delivered subject to a $20.00 fee.

Summer Heat Policy

If during hot weather you would like us to delay dispatch of your order to avoid potential heat damage to your wine please let us know. We are more than happy to store your order in our climate controlled warehouse until the weather is cooler. Please add the request in the 'DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS & ATL' at the bottom of the shopping cart, located just above the CHECKOUT button.

Alternatively, we may email you and request to delay dispatch of your order until the weather is cooler. If this happens, you can of course request immediate delivery if you wish.

International Shipping

We deliver wine to a number of destinations worldwide. If you require overseas delivery, please email us with the relevant information and we will advise you if we can deliver to your selected destination and the shipping costs involved.

International orders are supplied GST free. Please be aware that you will be responsible for the payment of all duties and taxes that are levied by your local authorities.

Minimum order requirements apply.