The Great Southern Wine Region: Frankland River Revealed
Frankland River is a true treasure of the Great Southern wine region. Known for its later-ripening varietals, the Frankland River subregion is the foundation of some of Singlefile Wines’ most premium single varietal red wine expressions as the winery seeks to showcase the very best of the Great Southern.
A vital thread in the fabric of the Great Southern wine region, the Frankland River subregion is arguably one of the greatest secrets of the wine world. Seemingly untouched, this pristine destination stands out among wine critics, winemakers, and passionate wine lovers for its ability to support slow-ripening fruit which expresses full varietal flavour.
Located in the north-west of the Great Southern, the Frankland River subregion covers almost 143,700 ha, including the towns of Frankland River and Rocky Gully. It is a land of undulating terrain, gravelly soils, and a continental climate — an environment where the vineyards seem to stretch endlessly under the sun.
It may be the furthest subregion from the coast, with less tourist attractions than some of its neighbouring towns, but its unique combination of climate, terroir, and winemaking potential has placed Frankland River at the forefront for lovers of bold, powerful reds.
Frankland River Terroir
Frankland River’s status as the most northerly and inland subregion of the Great Southern contributes greatly to its distinct viticultural character. The subregion sits at an elevation of around 250 metres above sea level, and while it is relatively flat, its altitude plays a significant role in shaping the climate.
The climate is a blend of Mediterranean and continental conditions, with warm days balanced by cool nights thanks to the "Albany Doctor" — a cooling breeze that travels inland from the Southern Ocean up the Frankland River valley. This daily temperature variation is crucial in allowing late-ripening varieties such as cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, and grenache to reach optimal ripeness while preserving acidity and structure.
The soils in Frankland River are primarily ironstone gravels of a rich, red colour, which provide the foundation for nearly 60 percent of all vineyard plantings — the highest proportion of such soils in the entire Great Southern region. These gravels are well-draining, forcing the vines to establish deep roots, which leads to complex flavours in the fruit. Additionally, red-brown loams and sandy duplex soils found near crystalline bedrock add further diversity to the subregion’s terroir, creating an environment ideally suited for producing wines with depth, richness, and finesse.
A Red Wine Haven
While Frankland River is celebrated for its riesling, which captures the terroir’s mineral-driven elegance, it is the robust reds that truly shine in this subregion. Cabernet sauvignon from the area is compelling, with chocolate and cassis flavours, fine-grained tannins, and remarkable balance.
Frankland River is known as the premier shiraz-growing region of Western Australia, producing wines with a distinguishing black fruit profile and savoury black pepper notes. Grenache is also a standout, offering bright, soft red fruits and plush texture, while Frankland River’s ironstone soils contribute rustic, earthy character to regional mataro (or mourvèdre), rounding out the most commonly used Châteauneuf-du-Pape varietals. ‘GSM’ blends crafted from Frankland River fruit tip their hat to the historic wines of this renowned French appellation, while conveying distinctive regional traits.
These red varieties — far from their historic plantings in France’s famed Bordeaux and Rhône wine regions — thrive in Frankland River’s combination of warm daytime temperatures and cooling evening sea breezes, allowing for a slow, even ripening period that contributes to wines with great balance and longevity.
Frankland River is key to Singlefile’s Pursuit of Excellence
Singlefile Wines strives to represent the very best of the Great Southern region. With each subregion offering such diversity in climate and terroir, capable of producing a breadth of styles, its wines crafted from Frankland River fruit reflect unique power and finesse.
Singlefile’s dedication to Frankland River fruit is particularly evident in its premium Single Vineyard collection reds, with several hailing from this prized subregion. The site-specific wines from northwestern Frankland River vineyards, which face north and enjoy long hours of cool sun, are characterised by intense flavour development. With each glass, wine lovers will taste the hallmarks of Frankland River reds — the rich and opulent black pepper notes in shiraz, the structured yet smooth tannins of cabernet sauvignon, and the plush fruitiness of grenache.
“Frankland River plays a key part in the Singlefile story and highlights the diversity within our region,” says Singlefile co-founder and managing director Patrick Corbett.
“We can be in our Denmark vineyard one moment, where it may be cold and wet, and visit Frankland River the next, only to find blue skies and it hasn't rained at all.
“The slow, richer ripening period makes Frankland River the obvious choice for many of our Single Vineyard reds,” says Patrick. “Frankland River is progressively gaining more attention for its later ripening reds, which tend to be great food wines and fit the trend of more medium bodied, savoury styles, as opposed to heavier, fruit-forward styles. These wines, I believe, speak to the diversity within the Great Southern and validate that message.”
Singlefile’s Frankland River Clément V (a classic Rhône-style red blend of shiraz, grenache and mataro), Frankland River Grenache, Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon and Frankland River Shiraz all belong to its Single Vineyard collection, designed to showcase select parcels of Great Southern fruit. These wines convey a true sense of place and express their single vineyard origin — a nod to the winery’s faith in the quality of Frankland River fruit and its firm place in the Great Southern story.
Singlefile’s flagship red wine, ‘The Philip Adrian’ Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon, is crafted from the most premium Frankland River fruit. Made in honour of its patriarch, Singlefile co-founder and father-in-law to Patrick, Philip Snowden, this intensely flavoured wine is a perfect example of the outstanding quality of cabernet the Great Southern is capable of producing. The fruit is from a single vineyard close to the Frankland River valley, with north facing vines that invite powerful flavour development in full sun with cool airflow.
“The benefit of the Frankland Valley site for cabernet is you get these really nice ripe, plush flavours from early morning heat and sun, but because it cools down in the late afternoon to evening, you still have that lovely tannin structure,” says Patrick.
‘The Philip Adrian’ Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon is a prime example of a wine worthy of world-class status. Awarded 97 points by Ray Jordan, and 96 points by James Halliday — who predicted the wine would have a life of 50 years — it shines a light on the powerful quality of terroir within this isolated patch of the world.
Frankland River Winemaking Excellence
Having first been recognised for its viticultural potential in the late 1930s, it wasn’t until 1968 that the historic Westfield (later becoming Houghton, led by pioneering winemaker Jack Mann) was first planted, by John Roche. Iconic producers like Frankland Estate, Swinney and Cherubino also made valuable contributions to the region’s development, paving the way to Frankland River's rise to prominence as a region capable of winemaking excellence.
Single vineyard Frankland River fruit is used by one of Australia’s oldest wineries, Swan Valley’s Houghton, to produce its highly esteemed Jack Mann Cabernet Sauvignon.
A testament to the world-class quality of terroir within this subregion, Singlefile is among several Great Southern producers to garner consistent critical acclaim for its Frankland River wines.
A Great Southern Icon
Within the Great Southern, Frankland River, the largest and most prolific of the subregions, is the home of powerful reds, delivering wines with both depth and distinction. Its unique terroir, characterised by warm days, cool nights, and gravelly soils, provides ideal conditions for late-ripening varieties like shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, and grenache.
As Ray Jordan highlighted in his 2022 Top 100 Red Wines awards, “This list solidifies the emergence of Frankland River, in our Great Southern, as a world-class wine region. The combination of the exploration of new clones, changes in the vineyards and a more sympathetic approach to winemaking to express the regional qualities has led to wines of distinction with a high degree of class.”
Singlefile Wines celebrates this subregion clearly through its own collection. Its series of Single Vineyard Frankland River wines draws attention to the bold, structured reds that are synonymous with the subregion, which remains not just an important part of Singlefile’s journey but also a key player in the evolving story of the Great Southern wine region and its vast potential.
With more vineyards exploring diverse winemaking techniques and varietals that speak to Frankland River's distinct terroir and climate, it is poised to rise in prominence as a wine-producing region of exceptional calibre.
