Last month, Master of Wine Dr Craig Drummond reviewed five wines from Margaret River’s Fermoy Estate, which has gone from strength to strength in recent years. This month, he explores two of the winery’s premium reserve wines, perfect for those looking for something special.
The Fermoy Estate Reserve wines are of the highest possible quality. I have often been asked what makes a reserve wine. It comes down to fruit quality – selecting the finest parcels of fruit, hand-picked (verses mechanically picked) and often from the oldest vines.
Then the most detailed attention in the winery, using the finest oak, careful monitoring of all production stages and often selecting of the best barrels before blending.
The Wines
Fermoy Estate Margaret River Reserve 2018 Chardonnay (RRP $65)
This is Margaret River Chardonnay at its finest. It displays a wonderful bouquet, which leaps out of the glass. Rich aromas of ripe peach, nashi pear, with nutty oak to the fore. Palate is mouth filling with weight and texture, concentrated and intense by way of quality fruit selection. Lingering flavours of stone fruit, green melon and cashew. Clean fresh acid, and fine integrating oak. Displays all the hallmarks of quality – balance, intensity, complexity, length and varietal expression. Drink now to 2026.
Fermoy Estate Margaret River Reserve 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (RRP $95)
It is of no surprise that this wine has won gold medals at wine shows, including a gold at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards held in London. It is a beauty. The colour is a youthful deep red/black. The nose has loads of varietal blackcurrant/cassis, with fresh herbs, and cedar and spice from oak. It is enticing and leads on to an equally exciting palate that displays power and concentration. Flavours of blackcurrant abound, supported by nuances of green capsicum, menthol and mint. I love the tannins, fine grained from quality oak, long on the palate. Fruit and oak are in balance. High acidity from this cooler vintage adds to the structural integrity. A Margaret River classic. Love it now, but will cellar and reward over at least 20 years.
Win…
For your chance to win a dozen bottles of Fermoy Estate wine,
visit our competitions page to enter.