Description
Plantagenet Wyjup Malbec is the rarest of the range being only about one tonne of fruit from 1970s vines. Originally used to blend with the Cabernet, I can see why they keep it separate. Of the range, this was the most open and seductive, very much in line with Malbec. The plummy fruit and hint of leather and graphite, with a plush mid-palate, makes Plantagenet Wyjup Malbec the one you can drink now.
Plantagenet Wines is best known as a pioneer of the Great Southern region. In 1968, an English migrant bought the Bouverie farm and planted Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Since then, Plantagenet has expanded the plantings and range. They have forged a reputation for well-acclaimed cool-climate wines that are a highlight from WA. The new ownership has doubled down on quality and showcasing their old-vine resources.
Wyjup is one of Western Australia’s original vineyard plantings. The first vines at this Mount Barker site were planted in 1971. Wyjup features Riesling, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. These half-century-old vines in the cool Great Southern give concentrated fruit, minerality and real power.
Plantagenet Wyjup Malbec Mt Barker 2024 Wine Review
Ray Jordan
96 points
Malbec
You are most likely to find Malbec in Argentina rather than its native South West France. A minor player in Bordeaux and the major grape in the underappreciated Cahors. It has long been the star of Argentina. Intense, tannic, dark-fruited wines with nice acidity. Perfect match for a country that consumes a lot of meat. One of the lesser reds of the Bordeaux pantheon due to fickle performance, in Cahors it is the basis for the charmingly rugged Black wine. Also known as Cot and Auxerrois.
Mt Barker
Falling within the South West Australia Zone and the region of Great Southern is Mt Barker. The region receives warm days with lots of sunlight, cool nights and near-perfect annual rainfall. This means the fruit gets perfectly ripe and the cool nights retains acidity. While it is probably Shiraz country, there is some amazing Riesling and Pinot Noir to be had too.
Australian Wine
The invasion of “Sunshine in a bottle” put Australian wine on the map. The fruity, easy-going, somewhat samey wines were endearing for a short time. Then the next big thing knocked them off their perch.
This forced producers to increase quality and emphasise the distinctive terroirs of Australia. Of which, there are many. And many more yet to be discovered.
Wine
Wine is the result you get from fermented grape juice. There is proof of wine production dating back 8000 years ago. Fashions, innovations and many other factors have influenced the way wine has evolved over the years.
The wine grape is special. It contains everything you need to make grape wine except for the yeast, which lives on the outside of the skins.
Human inputs can influence the final product, including the viticulture (growing) choices. And the winemaker can shape the wine to a point too.
The best wines of the world often refer to terroir. Terroir is a French term that refers to all the climatic, geological and topographical influences on a specific piece of land. And it is true that neighbouring vineyards, grown identically, can taste noticeably different.
Red Wine
Fun fact; most of the colour for wines comes from the skins. There are only a handful of grapes that have red juice. Alicante is the most well known of these grapes.
By macerating the juice on the skins, the wine gains tannins, and flavours. Certain compounds change the chemistry of the wine too.
Red wines tend to have higher alcohol. More tannin and more oak flavours compared to other styles of wine. But the thousands of grapes and terroirs they grow in influence this.
The Wine Depository
I, Phil, have been running The Wine Depository since 2011. The Wine Depository exists to make sure you are drinking the good wines. You can browse and pick what is interesting to you. Or you can make contact with me. I’ll make sure you get what you want, to your palate, to your budget and to your door.
