Woodlands Wilyabrup Valley Malbec 2023

Founders David Watson and wife Heather had spectacular success with the cabernets he made in ’79 and the early ’80s. Commuting from Perth while raising a family became too much and for some years the grapes from Woodlands were sold to other Margaret River producers. With the advent of sons Stuart and Andrew in ’02–05 (Stuart primarily responsible for winemaking), the estate bounced back to pre-eminence, expanding with the purchase of the 17ha Woodlands Brook Vineyard in ’07. The top-end wines primarily come from the original Woodlands Vineyard, where the now-certified organic vines are 50+yr.

Woodlands Brook Vineyard – Established in 2001
The vineyard faces north west on free-draining Wilyabrup soils. The rows are a mere 2 metres from each other, providing a vine density roughly double that of the Woodlands vineyard. The soils are Wilyabrup Class 1 – with a clay loam top soil, a bed of gravel and then a bed of white clay. The existing vineyard is on a very gentle west facing slope, surrounded by south facing pastoral land.

100% Malbec from the Brook Vineyard. A Vibrant and deep coloured wine, with a dense crimson hue. Toasty and complex aroma’s, showing a great combination of dark berry fruits and dried Mediterranean herbs. The palate is powerful, rich, dense and ripe, with blackberries, cassis and boysenberry flavours. Finishing with tight, firm, yet rounded tannins, and those lingering dark berries.

Traditionally made like all red wines at Woodlands, the fruit is gently de-stemmed and sorted by hand berry by berry on the sorting table. Following fermentation this wine was matured in French oak barrels for 16 months.

Deep crimson in colour, the Malbec’s nose is aromatic and rich- featuring Damson plums, mulberry and a touch of boysenberry. The palate entry is lively and balanced – with dark fruits and toasty notes. Silky tannins run in harmony, and there’s a lovely weight of fruit.