Australia's Best Kept Secret? Exploring Frankland River

Remote charm, a cool climate, and one of Australia’s best-kept secrets: You may not have heard of Frankland River in Western Australia, named for the river which bisects it and the town at its centre. Decidedly not as well-known a viticulural region as say Coonawarra or McLaren Vale, Frankland River is a sub-region of the vast Great Southern, the largest winemaking region in Australia by land-area but which crushes only 2% of Australia’s wine grapes.

Vineyards are dotted sparsely across Frankland River, and cellar-doors and tasting-rooms are few and far between. Although the gently rolling hills and vineyards are undeniably gorgeous, lacking the resort lodges, fine dining and slick regional marketing many Australian regions has meant that the region is relatively undiscovered by wine tourists. Despite this, critics such as Matthew Jukes and our own Fine Wine Manager, Tom King, rave about the Frankland River region and especially the stellar wines of Swinney.

The Swinney family are one of the region’s original farming families, and their farm “Franklands”, on the banks of the river, dates to 1922. Winemaking in Frankland River has traditionally taken a back-seat to other industries, and wine-wise, the region is a late bloomer, the first modern vineyards planted in only 1967. Seeing the opportunity in viticulture, the Swinneys diversified from sheep farming in 1998, planting four vineyards across the property, specially selected for their grape growing potential. The Frankland farm produces fruit for a portfolio of well-known brands including the legendary Penfold’s, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah a focus. However, in collaboration with esteemed winemaker Rob Mann, the Swinney family now produce wines under their own moniker, diverting some of the very best fruit to the incredible Farvie range – one of the stars of the Great Southern region.

Frankland river is the warmest and driest region of Great Southern, and the most continental, sitting over 100km inland from the coast. The region sees warm days and cool nights throughout the growing season, but Frankland it is by no means a hot region.

To get geeky about it, Frankland River is in the same Winkler climate classification as Bordeaux, Alsace, and the Yarra Valley, which is to say it is a cool climate region. In this climate, alongside taut and expressive Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz, the region has built a reputation for Riesling – something Swinney still produce today – and Swinney’s examples – deep lemon-hued, intense, muscular and mineral are somewhat reminiscent of those of Alsace.

A high diurnal range (the difference between daytime highs and lows can be as much as 15 degrees C in the growing season) and a unique topography which allows regional vineyards to receive a sea breeze from the Southern Ocean, cools the late afternoons, lengthens the phenolic ripening season, and allows Frankland River to produce fruit with precise elegant flavour, fresh balanced acidity and intensity.

Rob Mann – a scion of an Aussie winemaking dynasty, and grandson of the legendary Jack Mann who popularised Australian ‘Burgundy’ – sought to explore what the soils of the Swinney’s Frankland farm could produce, looking beyond Shiraz to the other laterripening red varietals popular in the Northern Rhone: Grenache and Mourvèdre. As Matt Swinney says: “people thought we were barking mad.”

The assumption was that in this cooler climate, the grapes just would not ripen. But Matt and Rob’s gamble paid off, and even in what Rob Mann refers to as this “marginal” climate, Grenache and Mourvèdre ripen exquisitely (if late - with harvest dates often a month or more later than might be expected in say the Barossa).

The introduction of the varietals themselves was not the only innovation Matt Swinney trialled. Having been inspired by similar vineyards in France and Spain, grapes are grown in striking bush-wines - un-trellised. Growing Grenache and Mourvèdre in this way is a costly business; the vines need to be laboriously tended and harvested by hand (often with multiple ‘tries’ or passes over the same vine) without the benefits of mechanical harvesters. Farming at Swinney is organic too – eschewing chemical intervention and increasing the risks and need for vigilance. The vines, deep rooted into the rich colourful ironstone gravel and loam soil of Frankland River are dry-farmed without irrigation, further keeping intervention to a minimum.

In the winery, gravity flow is utilised to avoid pumping, maximising the percentage of whole berries and minimising maceration.  Varying percentages of whole bunches are used and indigenous fermentation occurs in oak fermentation vessels. Once fermentation is complete wines are matured in large French oak puncheons or demi-muids (500L or 600L casks) to gently enhance – but not overpower – the wines.

As Rob Mann discusses in recent interview on the excellent Susie and Peter podcast, “The, whole aim is to sort of capture a sense of Frankland river in the wines and […] exclude the winemaking influence.”

In the vineyard, Swinney’s bush vines are partially shaded to protect the grapes from the hottest afternoon sun. Guarding the fruit from the sun’s rays in the hottest part of the day helps prevent over-blown flavours developing, promoting crisper and more subtle notes: Syrah shows cracked black pepper, Grenache a peppy red-black fruit tone, and Mourvèdre a pendulous dark blue plum. 

There is a decidedly northern Rhône nod from the Swinney wines, and the traditional influence in Rob Mann’s winemaking is evident. Swinney use ‘Mourvèdre’ and ‘Syrah’ instead of their Aussie names, Mataro and Shiraz, but unlike in the Rhône, the Swinney wines are not blends but single varietal expressions which highlight the specific characters of each grape, each vintage and each site.

My grandfather said, you know, nature is the winemaker. And if man allows nature to perform to its best advantage, that’s the art of winemaking. Let nature do the work. So in my view, wine, has to be a direct extension of the place and the site articulated through the influence of the custodian. Rob Mann - Winemaker, Swinney

The Wines of Swinney are stunning, and their Tête de cuvée Farvie range is truly world class. Featuring up to 2/3 whole-bunch fruit, and with a ripeness than belies a restrained alcohol and body, these wines have an expansive nuanced flavour, a juicy attack and a fine mineral backbone. Made since the 2018 vintage, the Farvie wines are the benchmark for winemaking in the Frankland River region and continue to leave critics breathless.

If the Swinney ambition is to create wines that sit alongside the best in the world, then they have succeeded admirably.

Swinney Farvie Grenache 2018

Glorious, deep raspberry juice colour. Cherry and black raspberry on the nose open to nuances of cassia, black truffle salted caramel and beef stock. In the mouth, it has an astonishingly seamless texture for such a young wine, with flavours of stewed cherries and bittersweet 'Moro' - Sicilian blood orange. Enjoy immediately, or it will age gracefully for many years.

Swinney Frankland River Syrah 2021

A freshness and finesse that is far more closely allied to the Rhône valley than to the Barossa or McLaren Vale. Glorious, soaring, damson and loganberry fruit, a sprinkling of Chinese five spice, and fine marzipan and cherry kernel notes. On the palate it shows superb, super-silky, sensuous smoothness that at first disguises its downright depth and density. 

Swinney Farvie Mourvèdre 2022

Born of an ambition to produce a Bandol-inspired Mourvèdre that displays the variety's splendid qualities. This has fabulous, deep richness lent grace by a lovely, lilting spice and floral lift. The palate has substance and texture, with layers of silky tannins, and yet a cleansing sense of lightness. The oak influence subtly fills out the corners without dominating its personality. Enjoy immediately (decanting recommended), or it will age gracefully for many years.