The
wines of Evans & Tate, Margaret River, Western Australia
Evans
& Tate, Metricup Road, Wilyabrup, WA 6280, Australia
Phone: 61 8 9213 1799 and Fax: 61 8 9213 1798
E-mail: et@evansandtate.com.au
Website: www.evansandtate.com.au
UK agent: HwCg (Phone: 01279 873500)
Margaret River is an interesting region. A couple of hundred
miles to the south of Perth, it’s the most well known of the wine
regions in Western Australia, and is responsible for some classy,
sophisticated wines. I’ve been impressed in the past by the lush,
seamless Cabernet Sauvignons from the likes of Cape Mentelle, Vasse
Felix and Moss Wood, and the richly textured Chardonnays, in
particular the stunner from Leeuwin Estate. The lively
Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blends are also worth checking out.
Evans
& Tate is one of the bigger wineries in the region. Established in
1970 (old by Western Australian standards), Evans & Tate used to
own vineyards in the hot Swan Valley region (near to Perth), but now
concentrates on Margaret River wines. It’s a sizeable operation,
making some 220 000 cases annually, but they seem to have the knack of
combining commercial quantities with good quality. Many of the grapes
are bought from contract growers, but apparently most of these
vineyards are closely controlled by Evans & Tate. Two tiers of
wine are made: the ‘second label’
Gnangara, and then the main Evans
& Tate range.
There
are two write ups below. The earlier is from January 2002; the second
from January and April 2007. The world needs tasty wines at
affordable prices, and Evans & Tate is delivering.
Wines
tasted in 2007:
Evans and Tate Reserve Chardonnay 2003 Margaret
River, Australia
A striking rich Chardonnay that manages to combine power and balance
to good effect. It has a very rich, herb-tinged melon and toast nose
with some breadiness and a bit of citrussy freshness. The palate is
fat with some bready, buttery softness but also lots of ripe melon and
citrus fruit. The oak is in check, just adding a bit of spice and
vanilla. Very good/excellent 91/100 01/07
Evans and Tate The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Margaret River, Australia
Classic Margaret River aromas of sweet pure blackcurrant fruit
with a nice creamy quality and a bit of spicy minerality. The palate
has vivid, sweet fruit with a savoury, subtly chalky edge. It’s very
ripe with a hint of alcoholic bitterness under the lush fruit, but
despite this there’s good balance here and a bit of restraint.
Finishes spicy with some tannic structure. Good potential for
development. 91/100 01/07
Evans and Tate Shiraz 2003 Margaret River, Australia
Sweet ripe berry and cherry fruit on the nose with a bit of
tarriness, a hint of mint and a liqueur-like richness. The palate is
sweet and dense with nice rich spicy fruit backed up by some tarry
oak. Quite an accessible style, with just a hint of green herbiness.
Overall, lacks a little finesse. 86/100 01/07
Evans and Tate Chardonnay 2005
Margaret
River, Australia
Lots of rich peachy, figgy fruit with a hint of coconut, vanilla
and fresh baked bread from the oak. Vibrant stuff with the emphasis on
the fruit. Good supporting acidity keeps things fresh. A rich,
balanced new world Chardonnay. 89/100 01/07
Evans
and Tate Classic Shiraz Cabernet 2004 Western Australia
Very attractive with fresh berry and blackcurrant fruit, coupled
with nice structure. Supple and not overdone or confected. Potentially
ageworthy. 88/100 04/07
Evans
and Tate Classic Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Western Australia
Very lemony and fresh on the nose, which is sharp, subtly green
and herbal. The palate is fresh, crisp and limey, showing a nice green
herby edge. Delicious stuff. 86/100 03/07
Wines
tasted in 2002:
Gnangara
Unoaked Chardonnay 2001
Fresh modern white; clean and correct. Good/very good
Gnangara
Shiraz 2000
Deep coloured. The nose shows bright fruit with a slightly
confected, liquoricey edge – still, it’s very attractive. Rich,
juicy fruit dominates the palate with a chocolatey richness. This is a
tasty glugger of some class. Very good+
Gnangara
Shiraz 2001 (tank sample)
Lovely dark colour. Deliciously enticing nose with a liqouricey
meaty edge to the berry fruit. The palate shows a good concentration
of juicy, rich, chocolatey fruit. Super glugger, and brilliant
commercial winemaking. Very good/excellent
Evans & Tate Chardonnay 2000
Lovely balanced nose of rich fruit seamlessly integrated with
nutty, toasty new oak. Very rich. Great balance of rich fruit and
creamy, nutty oak on the palate. Tasty, accessible stuff and quite
classy to boot. Very good/excellent
Evans & Tate Chardonnay 2001
More fruity on the nose than the 2000, and the oak is very much in
the background: there’s a modern, boiled sweets edge, but this could
partly be due to its youthfulness. The palate is rich and youthful;
this might need more time to really some together. Very good
Evans & Tate Sauvingon Semillon 2000
Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blends are a speciality of the Margaret
River region (although it’s a mix of grapes commonly found in white
Bordeaux). Fresh, bright expressive nose is grassy with citrus
undertones. Lovely crisp, fruity palate. Very good+
Evans & Tate Sauvignon Semillon 2001
Quite tanky boiled sweets nose with some citrussy fruit. Lovely
intensity of bright, crisp fruit on the palate. Very good
Evans & Tate Cabernet Merlot 1999
Slightly restrained nose of bright berry fruit. Rich, juicy high
acid palate with good concentration and purity of fruit. Lacks a bit
of excitement? Very good+
Evans & Tate Cabernet Merlot 2000
Deep coloured. Lovely forward nose of sweet ripe blackcurrant
fruit with a liquoricey, herby edge. Lush, juicy fruit on the palate
with quite high acidity. A ripe, full style displaying some of the
Maragret River typicity. Very good/excellent
Evans & Tate Shiraz 2000
Rich liquoricey edge to the bright fruit on the nose, with some
chocolatey character. Concentrated palate shows lush-textured berry
fruit with a spicy edge. Quite firm acidity; well made wine. Very
good/excellent
Wines
tasted January 2002
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