Bold move panning out at Montague Estate

A relative newcomer to the Margaret River winescape, Montague Estate nonetheless comes with a rich history based on six generations in Western Australia and a near-40- year-old vineyard in the heart of Wilyabrup.

And recent new releases from the revamped estate point to a promising new chapter in its history.

Montague Estate was created in 2020, when the Montague family acquired the 40-hectare Heydon Estate.

It was a bold move, especially as the world was in the grip of COVID and the industry had suddenly tightened with the loss of China as a market.

From the outset, the intention was to pursue elegant, graceful wines reflective of vineyard and region, while preserving a strong link to the family’s ancestral lands in France, and reflecting the belief that wine speaks of place, time and memory.

The operation was immediately in good hands with the engagement of viticulturist Tim Quinlan, winemaker Jonathan Mettam, and estate manager Ben Lincolne, who jointly set the direction and style of Montague Estate.

Subsequent to the initial purchase, another vineyard within the Wilyabrup subregion was added.

This vineyard, originally planted with cabernet sauvignon and shiraz, was separated out in 2022 and grafted to cabernet franc (1ha) and petit verdot (1ha), leaving a portion of the original cabernet to augment the home estate cabernet vineyards.

Further to this program, all home estate sauvignon blanc was grafted to alvarinho (0.5ha), and the foundations readied for new plantings of cabernet franc, grenache, merlot, mataro and touriga nacional.

A combination of biodynamic, organic and traditional practices is used across all the vineyards (non-certified).

Due to the lack of pesticides, the soils are vibrant and alive with microbes, naturally increasing fertility and ensuring sustainability.

The use of cover crops provides natural mulches to further build soil structure and retain moisture.

The vines are hand tended and no irrigation is used on the home estate cabernet blocks, with very little employed elsewhere.

The wines from Montague are gradually starting to take shape as they have achieved so much in just a few years.

Of particular interest is the expansion into new and alternative varieties to augment the traditional regional stapes, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay.

I named Montague Estate a winery to watch for the future in my recently released WA Wine Review 2024.

The wines are starting to reach out into retail, but a visit to the attractive cellar door off Tom Cullity Drive in Margaret River is well worth it.

Montague Estate semillon 2022 ($42)

This gets six months in older barriques. Fermented in tank and then matured in oak, it has a distinctive and lovely lemon zest aroma with traces of subtle lemon pith and an almost guava-like character. A trace of fresh cut grass brings another dimension to the wine, with its honeysuckle nuances most appealing. I like the weight and palate feel of this wine, which is perfect current drinking but has some cellaring potential. Lower alcohol at 11.8 per cent makes it ideal for current drinking.

Score 93/100

Cellar: Eight years

Montague Estate Pax Reserve chardonnay 2022 ($68)

This gets 44 per cent new French with the balance older oak. Spent nine months in barriques. This is 100 per cent P58 clone. It’s a wine displaying heaps of depth and fruit concentration. The oak is more obvious but still well integrated. There’s a lemon creamy brioche characters with slightly savoury notes as well. Also, this wine does not get malolactic fermentation. There is a slight lemon and lemon pith thing happening here. It is a complex layered wine. Slightly lighter than earlier wines. That dry savoury element is very good and combines neatly with that saline edge.

Score 95/100

Cellar: Seven years

Montague Estate cabernet sauvignon 2021 ($45)

There is 25 per cent new French oak and it gets 14 months. Gets a little bit of malbec with petit verdot and cab franc. Has a meaty blackcurrant fruit with a little black olive and bay leaf character. There is a good tannin structure with neat oak integration. Not a big wine but still with excellent structure and poise. It’s an approachable Margaret River cabernet with plenty of oomph. Has a distinctive oyster shell character, especially on the nose. It’s all from the younger vines planted previously.

Score 94/100

Cellar: Nine years

• Ray Jordan is one of Australia’s most experienced and respected wine journalists, contributing to newspapers and magazines over more than 40 years. In 2017 he co-authored The Way it Was: The History of the early years of the Margaret River Wine Region