Olmos Reward is made from 57% Cabernet Franc, 24% Merlot, and 19% Malbec from the Isolation Ridge vineyard (certified organic since 2009/2010), where dry farming is practised, meaning cultivation without irrigation. Most of the parcels are ideally exposed to the north and east, and the soils consist of gravel and topsoil at the surface with deeper layers of clay. The parcels are managed with different trellising systems adapted to the growth cycle of each grape variety. The focus is on optimising flavour and harmony rather than maximising yield.
As is customary at Frankland Estate, each grape variety is harvested and vinified separately, with a slow, cool fermentation (never above 27–28°C and always using the grapes’ own natural yeasts) in open vats. This allows for gentle cap management in order to avoid excessive tannin extraction. The wines from the different grape varieties and parcels are blended only after pressing and malolactic fermentation. The wine is then aged for 15 months in 500-litre French oak barrels.
Olmos Reward has a beautiful ruby red colour. The nose offers vibrant notes of berries such as cherry and blackberry, plum, vanilla, cedar, and herbs. The palate is fleshy and complex, with a velvety texture and a touch of exotic character lifted by fine tannins. The wine finishes with intriguing mineral and slightly salty nuances, combined with notes of tobacco, cedarwood, anise, and liquorice. A highly complex and characterful red wine with plenty of charm. Unusual for a Cabernet Franc-dominated wine!
In the mid-1980s, Barrie Smith and Judi Cullam decided to expand the activities on the family farm near Frankland River in the southwestern part of Western Australia, also the most isolated part of the wine region there, which is why they named the vineyard itself Isolation Ridge. Since the 1960s, several producers in what is now known as the Great Southern region had achieved strong results with viticulture in the area, which inspired the couple to follow the same path. However, moving from traditional farming to wine production was not straightforward, so they travelled to Bordeaux in France, where they spent two years working with viticulture and winemaking at Château Sénéjac in Haut-Médoc. Upon returning home, they founded Frankland Estate in 1988. From the very beginning, Barrie and Judi agreed that the area’s unique biological balance, including its rare plant and animal species, should be preserved.
Their children, Elizabeth and Hunter Smith, gradually became involved in the estate’s operations, and over time the family has been able to optimise the placement of the grape varieties on the parcels where they perform best. Their dedicated efforts and shared passion for organic farming methods, while limiting yields to what the land can produce naturally, were rewarded in 2009 with organic certification (Australian Certified Organic).
Today, Elizabeth and Hunter, together with Elizabeth’s husband Brian Kent (winemaker since 2010), have taken over the reins at Frankland Estate. Across the estate’s 30 hectares of vineyards, they produce organic wines that are highly aromatic, precise, and full-bodied, with a remarkable and distinctive minerality. Australia’s most respected wine critic, James Halliday, awards Frankland Estate his highest rating, “RED 5-star Winery”, placing the producer among the small elite (3.6%) of Australian wineries.
