2026 Frankland Estate Grüner, Frankland River

Certified organic, natural ferment, a little light lees work. From a mere 1100 vines. Delightful drinking ensues. Waxy texture with green pear, cucumber, tonic water, some green almond notes and a touch of aloe vera water. It's a gentle perfume, more assertive, with fresh flavours, a long, gently savoury and nutty finish – a neat closure. Very varietal, very enjoyable. Drink to 2030.

94 points Special Value Mike Bennie for Halliday Wine Companion, Oct 2026 

Made from the certified organic estate grown fruit, this wine comes from just 1,100 vines grafted to Grüner Veltliner in 2017.

The fruit was lightly pressed into stainless steel, and the juice allowed to settle for 24 hours before it was racked off heavy lees to a stainless-steel vat for fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The wine was bottled early, with the winemaking team aiming to present a fruitful and fresh expression of the variety.

The wine is vegan friendly, with only minimal sulphur added at bottling.

About this producer

Frankland Estate was founded in 1988 by Barrie Smith and Judi Cullam deep in the Frankland River subregion of Western Australia's Great Southern, about as remote as Australian wine gets.

The second generation now runs the estate: brother and sister Hunter and Elizabeth Smith, with Elizabeth's husband Brian Kent as winemaker since 2010. They were raised on the land and live on it, which shapes everything about how the vineyard is managed and how the wines are made; organic conversion began in 2005, with full certification achieved for the 2009 harvest.

Their Isolation Ridge vineyard is built on ironstone gravel over clay — the family call it coffee rock — fragile, infertile soils that reward with wines that carry a distinctly savoury, ferrous signature alongside generous fruit and natural acidity. The Southern Ocean's influence and cool nights ensure the fruit hangs long into autumn without losing freshness or energy.