Singlefile Wines: The Great Southern’s Dark Horse

Tucked away in the Great Southern’s Denmark wine region is Singlefile Wines, a family-run boutique vineyard that strives to produce excellent cool-climate wine.

Perched atop a hill in the Scotsdale Valley sits the cellar door that James Halliday named 2014’s Dark Horse Winery of the Year, and the only WA winery to make the American Wine and Spirits Magazine’s Top 100 Wineries of 2015.

Unable to drive past the picturesquely lakeside driveway, I found myself within the brick and dark wood cellar door to try a few of my favourites. Here’s how things unfurled.

2015 Porongurup Riesling

Stuart Pigott has described Riesling as the ‘white wine of our time’, and the fastest growing varietal in the US market for five years straight, and Singlefile is riding the surging wave of popularity with this bold wine.

Made from grapes grown in the ideal Riesling home of Porongurup, the Bates Rock Vineyard fruit lend this wine a soft yet crisp texture that delivers light aromas of apple, citrus and blossom. And it’s clean on the palate, easily filling the mouth and delivering light fruity flavours, perfect for a warm Australian summer.

2014 Denmark Chardonnay

Singlefile’s flagship white, this chardonnay is produced from grapes grown on the Scotsdale vineyard, only 60 metres above sea level. Despite being a new vintage, and still rather young in the bottle, the wine has subtle aromas of citrus and white peach, but hints at a gentle power.

Upon tasting, the citrus and stone fruit flavours grow but stay gentle upon the palate, with a light oak falling in the background for a lasting bright and filling modern finish. Everything about this wine made it definitely one to remember, and its young age makes it a wine perfect for cellaring.

2013 Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon

Also made from Frankland River grapes, this 100% cabernet sauvignon is easy, light and accessible without losing an ounce of character. On the nose are blackcurrants and plums, and a discerning nose will detect a hint of Bordeaux oak.

Each taste fills the mouth with gentle ease, meshing juicy and dark fruits with fine grained tannins, leading to a long finish – a perfect wine to sit and drink as the night grows cooler.

2013 Frankland River Shiraz

Frankland River is renowned as one of WA’s premier Shiraz-growing regions, recognised for the distinctive spiced black pepper in its fruit. This wine is no exception with its typical cool-climate spice, presented in a sophisticated Rhône-like full-bodied wine with great length.

Easy, surprisingly light yet not devoid of a full texture, this shiraz isn’t what many may expect. Long-lasting on the palate without overbearing, it delivers dark flavours of berry, pepper and tobacco and a delicate silk of cocoa – perfect for rich eye fillet, or on its own for a night of writing.

2013 Clément V

Named after Pope Clément V for his role in establishing viticulture in Bordeaux (and the greater Southern Rhone), this classic mix of Mataro (Mourvedre), Shiraz and Grenache is Singlefile’s only blend.

Using fruit grown in the cooler Frankland River region, this wine works, even as a young vintage. Its distinct taste melds bright aromas of cherries and plums with hints of dark spice and subtle savouriness. The texture is smooth, the feel on the mouth gentle, and the lasting finish warm, making for a medium bodied red perfect on its own, or with food, and without a doubt my favourite.

So next time you’re looking for something worth drinking twice, you need only a Singlefile.