Fraser Gallop Estate Rose 2026

Accolades

Ray Jordan – 92 Points
“A lovely rosé that’s been made in a way that is designed to preserve the natural fruit characters, with just a minimal amount of skin contact contributing to the colour and a slight textural feel on the palate. It’s salmon pink and has a lovely vibrant, juicy crunchy mouthfeel. While at the same time having a subtle textural feel that gives it further character and interest. Fine, precise acidity carries through to a long finish”

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Ultra-pale rose gold with a delicate Provençal appearance.
• Aromatics: Fragrant pomegranate and rose petals are joined by a subtle nougat character.
• Palate: Juicy white peach, nectarine and bright red berries create a vibrant and immediately appealing palate.
• Savoury character: A gentle savoury edge keeps the fruit controlled and gives the wine greater complexity.
• Minerality: Wet riverstone and refreshing salinity contribute precision and a distinctly mouth-watering quality.
• Texture: Lightly textured and finely shaped, with enough palate weight to make the wine interesting without reducing its freshness.
• Acidity: Fine, precise acidity carries the fruit through the palate and maintains excellent focus.
• Finish: Long and persistent, with lingering stone fruit, red berries, salinity and gentle savoury complexity.

Wine Details

• Vintage: 2026
• Variety: 100% Shiraz
• Region: Wilyabrup, Margaret River, Western Australia
• Vineyard: Fraser Gallop Estate
• Style: Dry, Provençal-inspired Rosé
• Harvest dates: 23 to 25 February 2026
• Fermentation: Stainless steel tanks and stainless steel barrels
• Oak maturation: None
• Alcohol: 13.0%
• pH: 3.20
• Total acidity: 6.7 g/L
• Residual sugar: 1.1 g/L
• Bottled: 22 June 2026
• Closure: Screwcap
• Serving temperature: Approximately 8 to 10°C
• Cellaring: Best enjoyed young, ideally within one to two years

A Rosé Made Entirely from Shiraz

Although Shiraz is usually associated with deeply coloured red wines, it can also produce elegant and exceptionally flavoursome Rosé.

The difference lies in how the grapes are handled after harvest. Red wine receives extended contact between the juice and dark grape skins, extracting deep colour and tannin. For this Rosé, the Shiraz was lightly pressed with very limited skin contact.

This captures only a small amount of the skins’ colour and texture, producing the wine’s ultra-pale rose-gold appearance without extracting the deeper colour or stronger tannins expected in red Shiraz.

Shiraz naturally brings excellent fruit intensity and perfume. In this wine, those qualities appear as pomegranate, bright red berries and rose petals rather than the plum, blackberry and spice usually associated with a full-bodied red.

The result is elegant and refreshing but still has enough flavour and personality to remain interesting throughout the glass.

The Exceptional 2026 Vintage

Fraser Gallop Estate considers 2026 one of its great vintages, drawing comparisons with the outstanding 2018 and 2023 growing seasons.

Warm, sunny days and cool nights allowed the fruit to ripen steadily while retaining natural acidity and freshness. The season remained remarkably clean, with no untimely rain, no significant heat spikes and minimal pressure from birds or vineyard disease.

Flavour development arrived early, giving the vineyard team the freedom to harvest according to balance rather than being forced to pick because of incoming rain or extreme temperatures.

For Rosé, these conditions were particularly valuable. The Shiraz developed clear fruit flavour and perfume while retaining the acidity required to produce a dry, vibrant and refreshing wine.

The fruit was harvested between 23 and 25 February, capturing bright flavour, moderate alcohol and excellent natural freshness.

Winemaking

The Shiraz was harvested during the cool early hours of the morning. Picking while the grapes are cool helps retain freshness, limits oxidation and protects delicate fruit aromas.

The fruit was handled gently to minimise colour extraction from the Shiraz skins. After light pressing, the juice was transferred into a combination of stainless steel tanks and stainless steel barrels.

Fermentation was kept cool and deliberately unhurried, helping preserve the wine’s fresh pomegranate, rose petal, white peach and red berry characters.

Multiple yeast strains were used across the individual ferments. Different yeast strains can emphasise different aromatic, flavour and textural qualities, giving the winemaker more components to work with when creating the final blend.

After fermentation, the separate parcels were blended and allowed time to harmonise before bottling on 22 June 2026.

No oak was used, ensuring the wine’s fresh fruit, mineral character and natural sense of place remained clearly expressed.

Why Ferment in Stainless Steel?

Stainless steel is a neutral fermentation vessel, meaning it does not contribute flavours such as vanilla, toast or spice in the way that an oak barrel can.

This makes it ideal for a wine built around delicate perfume, pale colour and fresh fruit.

Using a combination of stainless steel tanks and smaller stainless steel barrels also gives the winemaking team greater control over individual parcels and fermentation conditions.

The stainless steel protects the clarity of the fruit while the different vessel sizes can help build subtle variations in texture. These components are later brought together to create a more complete and balanced final wine.

For the drinker, this means the Rosé remains bright and pure but has more texture and complexity than a basic, purely fruit-driven style.

Is This Rosé Dry?

Yes. Fraser Gallop Estate Rosé 2026 contains only 1.1 g/L of residual sugar, placing it firmly in the dry Rosé category.

Residual sugar is the natural grape sugar remaining after fermentation. In this wine, almost all the sugar has been converted into alcohol, so it does not taste sweet.

The juicy white peach, nectarine and red berry flavours may create an impression of fruit generosity, but the finish remains dry, precise and refreshing.

Its total acidity of 6.7 g/L and low pH of 3.20 further support its fresh, mouth-watering character.

Serving and Cellaring

Serve Fraser Gallop Estate Rosé at approximately 8 to 10°C.

A normal household refrigerator is usually set at approximately 3 to 5°C, which is slightly too cold for the wine to show its full perfume and texture. Remove the bottle from the refrigerator around 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

If it is served icy cold, the pomegranate, rose petal, peach and nectarine characters may initially appear muted. As the wine gently warms in the glass, its aromas and subtle texture will become more expressive.

The winery recommends enjoying this Rosé young and drinking it within one to two years. Its pale colour, fresh fruit and precise acidity are intended to be experienced while vibrant.

Ray Jordan believes it could cellar for up to five years. Additional bottle age may create a softer, rounder and more savoury wine, but those who prefer bright fruit and freshness should enjoy it between now and the end of 2028.

Food Pairing

• Fresh seafood: Prawns, oysters, crab and grilled fish complement the wine’s salinity and precise acidity.
• Salmon and tuna: The gentle texture and red-fruited flavours work particularly well with salmon, tuna tataki or sashimi.
• Summer salads: Try it with peach, nectarine, tomato, goat’s cheese or lightly dressed green salads.
• Charcuterie: Prosciutto, mild salami and pâté suit the wine’s savoury character and refreshing finish.
• Grilled chicken: Herb-marinated chicken works beautifully with its stone fruit, acidity and subtle savoury edge.
• Mediterranean dishes: Olives, grilled vegetables, hummus and fresh cheeses complement its Provençal-inspired style.
• Thai and Vietnamese food: Its fruit and freshness balance aromatic herbs, chilli and sweet-sour flavours without becoming heavy.
• Soft cheese: Fresh goat’s cheese, feta, burrata and Brie pair well with its acidity and delicate texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fraser Gallop Estate Rosé 2026 sweet or dry?

It is a genuinely dry Rosé with only 1.1 g/L of residual sugar.

The ripe fruit flavours can make it seem generous and juicy, but the wine finishes dry, fresh and savoury.

What does Provençal-style Rosé mean?

Provence is a region in southern France famous for producing very pale, dry and elegant Rosé.

A Provençal-inspired Rosé generally focuses on delicate colour, restrained fruit, refreshing acidity and subtle savoury or mineral complexity rather than sweetness.

How can a pale Rosé be made from Shiraz?

The colour in red grapes comes primarily from their skins.

By lightly pressing the Shiraz and limiting the time the juice spends in contact with the skins, the winemaker can capture a delicate rose-gold colour without extracting the deep purple colour or firm tannins found in red Shiraz.

Why does the wine have so little colour?

Its pale appearance is deliberate and comes from minimal skin contact.

The objective is to extract enough colour and texture to give the wine personality while retaining elegance, freshness and a clean finish.

What does residual sugar mean?

Residual sugar is the natural grape sugar remaining after fermentation.

This wine contains only 1.1 g/L, meaning almost all the sugar was converted into alcohol. For the drinker, this creates a dry style rather than a sweet or confectionery Rosé.

What does salinity mean in wine?

Salinity describes a subtle salty or mineral sensation that makes a wine feel particularly refreshing and mouth-watering.

It does not mean the wine tastes like seawater. In this Rosé, it provides contrast to the white peach, nectarine and red berry fruit.

What does wet riverstone mean?

Wet riverstone describes a clean mineral character similar to the smell of stones after rain.

It is not an added flavour. It is a tasting term used to communicate the wine’s restrained, stony and savoury character.

Why were multiple yeast strains used?

Different yeast strains can influence the aromas, flavours and textures produced during fermentation.

Using several strains gives the winemaking team a wider selection of components to blend, helping create greater complexity than a single uniform ferment.

Does this Rosé contain oak flavours?

No. The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks and stainless steel barrels without any oak maturation.

This preserves its fresh fruit, floral perfume and mineral character without adding vanilla, toast or woody flavours.

What temperature should it be served at?

Serve it at approximately 8 to 10°C.

If it has been stored in a very cold refrigerator, allow it to sit outside the fridge for around 10 to 15 minutes before pouring.

How long will it keep after opening?

When resealed and returned to the refrigerator, it should remain enjoyable for approximately two to three days.

Its fruit will be most vibrant on the first and second days after opening.

How long can I cellar it?

Fraser Gallop recommends enjoying the wine young and drinking it within one to two years.

Ray Jordan suggests it has the balance to cellar for up to five years. For maximum fruit and freshness, we recommend enjoying it by the end of 2028.