Franklin Tate Estates Margaret River Shiraz 2021

The violet colored, highly aromatic 2021 Franklin Tate Estates Margaret River Shiraz greets the nose with a sensuous perfume. Redolent with the scents of ripe red cherries and plums, lilac, and violet flowers, this Rhône-style Shiraz/Syrah had us from the first draught of its heavenly scent. In the mouth, the wine’s silky fruit and floral flavors continue to tantalize the palate. Gently layered and subtly complex, the medium-bodied 2021 Franklin Tate Estates Margaret River Shiraz unfolds its wealth of flavors slowly, almost methodically. Unlike many of the brawny Australian Shiraz wines from hotter, drier locales, the tannins in this Margaret River beauty come across as sleek and soft to conjure a long, lovely finish. For optimal enjoyment, afford the charming 2021 Franklin Tate Estates Margaret River Shiraz 15-20 minutes of aeration before consuming it at cool room temperature (58°-64° F). Anticipated maturity: 2024-2027. Enjoy!

The smooth, charming 2021 Franklin Tate Estates Margaret River Shiraz makes an ideal accompaniment to meat, vegetables, and pastas. It pairs especially well with beef stews, marinated sirloin steaks, smoked brisket, and spicy pork sausages. Braised Lamb Shanks, served with lentils; Rotisserie or Spit Roasted Chicken, brushed with butter, olive oil, and Provencal herbs; and Mushroom Risotto provide other mouth-watering accompaniments to the juicy 2021 Franklin Tate Estates Margaret River Shiraz. Traditional southern Italian specialties such as Eggplant Rollatini, Pasta Bolognese, and Vegetable Stromboli match nicely too. For a simple, easy to prepare accompaniment, consider a selection of fine cheeses such as Fontina or Saint Aubray to enjoy with the 2021 Franklin Tate Estates Margaret River Shiraz.

John Tate and his son Franklin Tate created their estate to become Margaret River’s most well-known winery. Franklin Tate Estates is all about a passion for winemaking – from vineyard to bottle – an aspiration that has driven the family since 1969 when family patriarch John Tate founded Evans & Tate. Since then the Tate family has earned considerable acclaim for their award winning wines. John and Franklin Tate have twice been awarded “Most Outstanding Red Wine in the World” at the Wine Magazine International Wine Challenge.

The Tate vineyards are located in the heart of the Margaret River of Western Australia, the viticultural area of Australia whose wines have garnered more medals at competitions than any other despite Margaret River being one of the smallest wine appellations in “The Land Down Under.” Hand-crafted Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon are the calling cards of the Franklin Tate Estates.

The Margaret River is a green temperate corner of Western Australia that sits beside the sea. Here the Margaret River makes its way through wooded hills and steep ridges carpeted with wild flowers, before sighing almost inaudibly into the gleaming Indian Ocean. Crystalline waters and high rolling surf offer Australia’s finest surfing as well as its most compelling seascapes. These very same waters, along with steady ocean breezes, a unique soil, and a Mediterranean climate also make Margaret River one of the finest natural wine producing areas on earth and a great place to peacefully while away the time.

In the early 1960s, a scholar named John Gladstone was the first to recognize and publicize Margaret River’s special climate, soil, and conditions known worldwide as terroir. In a detailed account, Gladstone wrote glowingly of the similarities between the finest wine producing regions of Bordeaux and Margaret River. Moreover, he extolled the perfect weather of Margaret River for the cultivation of the vine, especially for the traditional Bordeaux varietals. And, indeed, Gladstone’s proclamation has proven to be more than just wishful thinking, surpassing even his own expectations: In the past three decades the Margaret River has established itself as a world-class wine producing region for Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and traditional Bordeaux varietals.