Fire Gully Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
Having two vineyards and two labels, Mike Peterkin is able to offer two distinctly different versions of this classic Margaret River white combination. Complementing the Pierro L.T.C Semillon Sauvignon Blanc in the portfolio is the Fire Gully Sauvignon Blanc Semillon. In contrast to its better known sibling, the Fire Gully Sauvignon Blanc Semillon is unoaked, has more sauvignon blanc (70% ) and is made in an early-drinking style to emphasise its aromatics, freshness and vibrant fruit flavours.
Making this wine involves gentle handling at the winery so that it shows restrained phenolics and tannins. Freshness and purity of flavour are what Mike Peterkin and the Fire Gully team want The fruit is picked in 10 kilogram containers which are stacked on racks and are fork liftable so that the fruit is undamaged by handling. The racks are unloaded at the winery, enter the cool room at one end, are chilled to 5°C and then loaded into the press at that temperature.
The current release of the Fire Gully Sauvignon Blanc Semillon is a superb example of the combination, complex and interesting , with fascinating oyster shell aromatics, intense pure white tropical flavours with schisty minerally notes; powerful, vibrant and tangy, finishing fresh and zesty. Irresistible summer drinking.
" Has zingy crisp acid, which really gives a kick in the right direction. So good with seafood"
-Ray Jordan
Fire Gully Chardonnay
As always, this white is sourced from the Fire Gully vineyard, just down Metricup Road not farfrom Pierro by road, and even shorter distance across country. The Chardonnay blocks were planted originally in 1988. The grapes are hand picked, chilled overnight in the winery cool room and then sorted by hand and pressed the next morning at low temperatures so that the wines show less phenolics, greater finesse and more elegance that was previously possible. The juice is then fermented and matured in French barriques to provide structure, complexity and mouth-feel.
The current vintage of the Fire Gully Chardonnay is very much in keeping with previous vintages although it shows a touch more cedary oak on the nose at the minute. It has delightful freshness and vibrancy in its youth, with pure grapefruit flavours and a hint of nectarine. It is more savoury and hence less sweet than some Margaret River Chardonnays, with a soft mouth feel, pleasing fleshiness in the mid-palate and gentle tangy natural acidity to finish. While it could be cellared in the short-term, it's great early drinking and so our recommendation is gulp and enjoy.
"Smells super tight and mouth-watering with just-ripe baby pinapple. All about vibrancy and wet quartzy energy"
Tim White (Fire Gully Chardonnay)
Fire Gully Rosé
Imagine driving down to Margaret River on a warm spring day. You stop at the local farmers’ market and pick up some fresh cheese and bread, picking figs from a local tree. You keep driving and come across a little family owned winery selling their hand made Rosé. It’s pale salmon in color, cold and dry in your mouth, instantly refreshing yet intriguing. It asks for more: it asks for your friends to meet you under a tree by the river with a few more bottles, where you while away the afternoon. Make this dream a reality wherever you are in the world by pouring yourself a glass of this beautiful naturally fermented Rose’.
The Syrah for this wine is hand-picked in the early hours of the morning, sorted by hand and gently cold pressed. Naturally fermented and left to mature in French oak for 6 months prior to bottling.
Fresh, vibrant, strawberries & raspberries with a hint of spice and vanilla. Dry with crisp fresh acidity. Best when chilled, as indeed we all are!
This outstanding Rosé has a light purple colour and a raspberry and toasted cashews nut bouquet, It's full and rich, dry and firm on the tongue, with a hint of grip which adds to structure. Its a superb drink, well- balanced and with more to its flavour spectrum than most rosés. 95 Points
Huon Hooke - The real review
Fire Gully Shiraz
The shiraz viognier blend originated in the Cote Rotie region of the Northern Rhone Valley where a small amount of the white wine grape viognier is blended with shiraz to give it a more perfumed bouquet and silkier texture. Viognier does particularly well in this area with the world's finest examples of the variety coming from nearby Condrieu. To get the best integration of the varieties, shiraz and viognier are co-fermented by most producers in the Northern Rhone. This is the practice, too, at Fire Gully where shiraz from the two mature blocks - the older planted in 1992 and the other in 1997 – are fermented with viognier from a more recent planting. In making the wine, Mike Peterkin uses open and closed fermenters, though not whole bunches (to avoid any stalky character) and mature oak to maximise the fruitiness of the wine and make it more suitable for immediate consumption.
The wine has complex briary, black fruit aromatics, brambly, blackberry flavours, silky texture and subtle fine tannins. There's depth, weight and power so it can be cellared with confidence. The brightness of the fruit and softness of the tannins means that those who drink now will be well pleased.
Fire Gully Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
For the first stage of the winemaking process, Mike Peterkin uses a combination of open and closed fermenters and allows the wine six days on skins post-fermentation before transferring it into oak where it undergoes the malolactic fermentation and is matured for about twelve months. To enhance the wine's primary fruit flavours, a majority of mature (rather than new) barriques are used. Blending cabernet sauvignon (65%) and merlot (21%) and Cabernet Franc (14%) gives the wine backbone and tightness of structure while emphasising its smooth, soft texture and fragrance.
Given the great run of vintages of recent years, it's not surprising that there's tremendous consistency from year to year with this red. The current Fire Gully Cab Merlot is showing some restraint on the nose, gently perfumed red berry aromatics, opening onto a palate that has ripe plum and blackcurrant flavours. It is medium to full-bodied, a touch denser than the previous vintage, and so showing more weight, good structure, and gentle grip on the finish. It has the depth and power to reward short term cellaring and the velvety texture and pleasing approachability to make it difficult to resist over the next twelve months.
