FRANKLAND ESTATE OLMO’S REWARD
Frankland Estate Olmo’s Reward is an emerging classic from Western Australia’s Frankland River. The wine honours the contribution of viticulture expert Professor Harold Olmo (University of California), who visited the area in 1955. Olmo concluded that the Upper Frankland River region was ‘equivalent or better than areas, to be found in the present (day) quality districts of Australia or California’ . This opinion was also shared by vigneron Jack Mann, who encouraged Olmo to explore the potential of cool climate grape growing in Frankland River and Mount Barker sub-regions. Although it took a while to get the Lower Great Southern going, viticulture has become a feature of the landscape for nearly half a century. Frankland Estate features prominently in Frankland River’s recent history. The original 6.5-hectare vineyard was established by former real estate broker Barrie Smith and his wife former Radiotherapist Judi Cullam in 1988. Together they had become important wool growers and crop farmers in the district. Previously they had acquired three separate 1000-acre (405 ha) soldier settlement s during the seventies and conducted soil sampling on the properties, Rocky Ridge including the Isolation Ridge Vineyard showing the greatest potential for grapegrowing, particularly the Bordeaux varieties . Barrie also grew up on a vineyard in the Riverland , so wine had always been an important part of his life. Their combined interest was further primed by meeting Bill Hardy of Thomas Hardy & Sons, who took them through the wine regions of France during the mid-1980s. With this knowledge, they also travelled to Bordeaux and worked several vintage s at Château Senejac with the New Zealand winemaker Jenny Dobson. Their intention was to make a classic Western Australian claret style based on the traditional Bordeaux varieties. Frankland Estate lies on rolling countryside and comprises pastureland, 34 hectares of vineyard and large stands of Marri (Red Gum) and Jarrah forest. The original vineyard block runs
Frankland Estate Olmo’s Reward
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