Description
Forester Estate is a family owned winery situated on Wildwood Road, Yallingup, in the northern Margaret River region. Built in 2002, Forester Estate is a new generation winery that strives to showcase the distinct regional characters of northern Margaret River fruit. The Estate is surrounded by huge Eucalypt trees that once supported a thriving forestry trade established in the 1850’s. This forestry industry was the first to open up rugged land along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste ridge and provide jobs for many of the new arrivals. The Estate has a saw pit that was used by the original pioneers to mill timber which was transported by ox and cart to Yallingup-Siding, the nearby railway station. This timber, especially the hardwood Mahogany (Jarrah), was shipped out from Geographe Bay to countries around the world. Even today, many streets of London lie on the Jarrah trees milled from the forests of Margaret River.
Forester Estate Home Block Shiraz 2011
Winemaking Tasting Note
The hand picked fruit was harvested early in the morning and processed straight away. 100% of the fruit was destemmed into our small open fermenters with heading down boards which keeps the cap fully submerged between drain and returns. After seven days of fermentation, the fruit was pressed into a blend of new and used French oak barriques. A small portion of barrels were filled and stirred on lees to add texture and complexity.
Cracka wines Tasting Note
It’s an interesting beast is Margaret River Shiraz, the wines built more herbal, more savoury and genuinely less masculine than their equivalents from the warmer Australian wine regions (e.g. Barossa, Grampians etc). This is actually a rather juicy Shiraz in the scheme of things, all juicy plum fruit with a wonderful, ‘who’s been rolling in the garden’, fragrant earthy spiciness. A wine that strikes the right sort of chord between berrylicious fruit flavours and savouriness, this looks pretty smart indeed.
The Australian Wine Tasting Note
Five Red Star Forester Estate stands in the northern part of Margaret River, and is blessed with an ideal climate for grape-growing. Wines typically show vibrant, ripe flavours, with terrific freshness thanks to cooling coastal breezes. This Shiraz a case in point… Head Winemaker, Todd Payne, has worked all over the world, from Great Southern to the Napa, from Hawke’s Bay to the Rhône (with the great Yves Cuilleron). “Bright crimson-purple; a sure-footed, classy Shiraz with juicy red and black fruits providing half the action, the other half by quality tannins and integrated oak. The modest alcohol is a pleasure to deal with … 95 points” (Halliday).
Dan Murphys Tasting Note
This Forester Estate Shiraz has concentrated and lifted aroma of plum, white chocolate, spices, sandalwood like oak with some hints of violets; elegantly structured with a soft and rounded tannins on the palate. A very approachable style… Rating 94
95 Points – James Halliday Wine Companion 2015
“Hand-picked from a 0.7ha block, destemmed, then into open fermenters with heading down boards for 7 days, thence to French oak (part new) for 20 months, some on lees. Bright crimson-purple; a sure-footed, classy shiraz with juicy red and black fruits providing half the action, the other half by quality tannins and integrated oak. The modest alcohol is a pleasure to deal with. Drink by 2031.”
Gold Medal Outstanding – International Wine & Spirits Competition 2015
Silver Medal – Australian Small Winemakers Show 2013
Bronze Medal – Qantas Mount Barker Wine Show 2013
Bronze Medal – Margaret River Wine Show 2013
Commended – International Wine Challenge 2013
