Nikola Estate at Middle Swan has some of the oldest grapevines in Australia, with the original vines dating back to 1836 when the original Houghton’s plantings were made.
The Yukich family have recombined the properties of Houghton estate and embarked on a bold plan to modernise the vineyard and winemaking to produce contemporary Swan Valley wines.
There are plenty of reasons to like the Nikola Estate wines and they deliver a new freshness to some of the older varieties.
The Wines
Nikola Estate NV Sparkling Chenin Blanc
This wine is showing the flexibility of the chenin blanc variety with a crisp, clean wine with a fine bead. There are soft pear aromas with hints of apple and stone fruit on the palate. A very enjoyable aperitif and good value.
2022 Nikola Estate Chenin Blanc
As a dry wine, the 2022 Nikola Chenin Blanc has been made with hand-picked fruit, whole bunch pressing and a wild ferment to extract the best flavours. Hints of citrus aromas and a soft, textural palate with melon and honeysuckle flavours. A very well presented chenin ready to drink now.
2022 Nikola Estate GSM
The warm Swan Valley climate is perfect for bold red wines and the 2022 Nikola GSM is a vibrant cherry red with aromas of spice and dark fruits with some funky hints. With only six months in oak, the tannins are delicate while the bold fruit flavours have some spice and pepper for complexity. The finish is persistent and a wine perfect for a winter beef casserole.
Nikola Estate Rare Topaque
Fortified wines are making a comeback and the Muscadelle variety is hard to find in the valley. The Rare Topaque is blended using the Solera system dating back to 1976, so is ‘rare’ by virtue of around 35 years of average age. This wine shows its age with amazing fruit cake, toffee and cinnamon flavours that keep you coming back for more. Perfect with your favourite cheese on a winter’s night.
Reviewer’s Pick:
2022 Nikola Estate Verdelho
Verdelho and the Swan Valley have been a great combination since the early plantings of the 19th century. Using the 1958 plantings, the 2022 Nikola Estate Verdelho was a great vintage and displays lovely tropical fruit flavours with a soft, creamy palate. This was my favourite wine and would be perfect with spicy Indian food.
Win…
For your chance to win premium wines from Nikola Estate,
visit our competitions page to enter.