Woody Nook Tempranillo 2025

Tasting Notes

The 2025 Tempranillo pours with a deep, vibrant purple colour. On the nose, it presents an alluring bouquet of ripe cherries, Turkish delight, and black jubes, creating a savoury and spicy aromatic profile. The palate is medium-bodied, with soft, chalky tannins that contribute to its easy-drinking nature. The taste is a beautiful blend of Morello cherries and subtle spice, giving the wine a lively, yet smooth character. The 5-month maturation in Oenosylvia French oak staves adds just a touch of complexity, complementing the juicy fruit while maintaining its focus on freshness and brightness.

Food Pairing Suggestions 🍽️

• Tapas: Ideal with small plates of olives, grilled chorizo, or roasted vegetables.
• Grilled Meats: A great match for lamb skewers, grilled chicken, or steak with chimichurri.
• Cheese: Pairs well with semi-aged cheeses like Manchego or a rich Brie.
• Mediterranean Dishes: Enjoy alongside Mediterranean-inspired meals like lamb koftas, moussaka, or fresh tomato-based pasta dishes.

Best Serving Temp:

Serve the Woody Nook Tempranillo slightly chilled at 16°C to allow its vibrant fruit flavours and subtle spice to shine. You can also serve it closer to room temperature of 18c, try both and see what you prefer.

• If storing at room temperature (22°C): Chill the bottle in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving to bring it to the ideal temperature.

Additional Information ℹ️

• Grape Variety: 100% Tempranillo
• Region: Margaret River, Western Australia
• Alcohol: 13.5% by Vol | 8.1 Standard Drinks
• Residual Sugar: 1g/L (Dry)
• Closure: Screwcap
• Cellaring Potential: Will develop nicely over the next 3-5 years.
• Maturation: Aged for 5 months with Oenosylvia French oak staves for added complexity.

FAQ Technical Terms 🤔

• Tempranillo: A red grape variety native to Spain, known for producing wines with bright red fruit flavours like cherry and plum, along with earthy, spicy notes. It’s commonly used in Rioja and Ribera del Duero wines.
• Oenosylvia French Oak Staves: Small pieces of French oak used to age the wine. These staves allow for subtle oak influence on the wine without overwhelming the fresh fruit flavours, providing a gentle complexity.
• Chalky Tannins: A term used to describe soft, smooth tannins that add texture to the wine without being overly astringent. They provide structure to the wine and a pleasant, dry finish.
• Morello Cherries: A variety of tart, dark cherries that contribute a deeper, more intense cherry flavour to the wine.
• Turkish Delight: A sweet, floral-flavoured confection typically made with rosewater, often used as a tasting note for wines that exhibit a floral, sweet-spicy aroma.
• Black Jubes: A type of soft, black licorice confection, contributing a slightly herbal and sweet-spicy note to the aromatic profile.
• Residual Sugar: The amount of sugar left in the wine after fermentation.
• Mediterranean Pairing: Dishes from the Mediterranean region, which often feature fresh ingredients, grilled meats, and vibrant spices, pair wonderfully with this wine, especially given Tempranillo’s natural affinity for bold flavours.

Lean More About Woody Nook Wines

The land now home to Woody Nook Wines was once occupied by a sawmill and sleeper cutters. In 1978, Jeff and Wynn Gallagher saw the potential in the property for a vineyard and began the challenging task of clearing and preparing the land. They planted their first cuttings in 1982, and the inaugural crush took place in 1987, with the winery building completed the year before. Constructed from timber and mud bricks sourced from the property, the original winery and their new home were built by the Gallaghers themselves. Today, around 60 acres of jarrah and marri forest provide a stunning backdrop to the winery and restaurant.

In late 1999, Jeff and Wynn decided to retire to Busselton and put Woody Nook on the market. By May 2000, Peter and Jane Bailey became the proud new owners. Jeff and Wynn’s son, Neil Gallagher, continued as Winemaker and Viticulturist until his retirement in 2020. Jeff passed away peacefully in Busselton in March 2019 at the age of 89, followed by Wynn in May 2021.

Though Peter and Jane had been living in WA for nearly 20 years, they were residing in the USA at the time of purchase. Thanks to modern technology, they were able to stay deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of the winery, with Jane making regular extended visits. In September 2007, after nearly 15 years abroad, the Baileys returned to Western Australia permanently.

Woody Nook now boasts around 17 hectares of vines. About half of these, in the original vineyard, are non-irrigated and handpicked, featuring varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon, and Cabernet Franc. The newer 8-hectare vineyard, planted with rootlings in 2007, produced its first substantial vintage in 2010, adding Tempranillo and Graciano to the mix. This area is irrigated until the vines mature and is currently machine-picked. From a production of 4-5,000 cases over the past decade, output had nearly doubled by 2012. With a crush capacity of 75-100 tonnes, Woody Nook remains firmly within the bounds of a genuine boutique winery.

Woody Nook Wines was pleased to welcome Digby Leddin as chief winemaker, who commenced on 12 October 2020 following the recent retirement of Neil Gallagher. Neil, the son of the founders Wynn and the late Jeff Gallagher, stayed on following the purchase of Woody Nook Wines by the Baileys in 2000. Digby joins us from Riverbank Estate in Caversham where he achieved great accolades for the four vintages of his tenure. Prior to this, Digby’s career developed over a 20-year period with Lamont’s Winery in the Swan Valley, initially as Viticulturist and Cellarhand followed by promotion to Winemaker in 2003, a position he held until 2016. Digby is now the man at the helm to continue bringing you the outstanding Woody Nook Woodcote Chenin Blanc each year.