2013 Express Winemakers Ribera del Frankland Tempranillo

Despite the name, Express Winemakers is not some conveyor belt, mass producing commodity wine company. Rather, as a boutique operation, it's a referral to how selected grapes and terroir express their idiosyncrasies in the final product, exactly the vision of what owners and new kids on the Great Southern block Ryan O'Meara and Pete Pedro have sought to achieve since 2011. 

The Tempranillo grapes are sourced from a vineyard in the Blackwood River Wine region, just north of Frankland, one of the five sub-regions of Great Southern and with a minimal interventional policy to the winemaking, Ryan and Pete have left the grapes and the process do the talking and I'm liking what this Temp is saying.

Under a cool label the wine is a dark ruby red colour. Its lifted aromas remind of dark sour cherries, savoury herbs, cola and red currants. 

Fresh, juicy, plush mouthfeel of plum, tobacco and supple confectionary tastes that are held by a balanced acid structure. Slight hint of vanilla too that added interest but wasn't out of place. Just on medium weight. Powdery dry tannins that coat the palate give the wine a persistent and savoury length. It's joven in style, has a cool and suave character, is enjoyable and has loads of drinking appeal. Difficult to resist. Wine to watch. Muy bien. 

Source: Sample. ABV: 14.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $26.00. Rating: 92 Points. Website: http://www.expresswinemakers.com/

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