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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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