TERROIR PROFILE
Great Southern
Australia's largest GI · cool mountain climate
Great Southern — Australia's Riesling stronghold. Howard Park, Frankland Estate, Plantagenet.
Climate, site & wine
Soils range from lateritic gravelly sandy loam to granite-derived sandy loam; the Porongurup consists of ancient granite ranges. They are low in nutrients, keep yields modest and let the fruit ripen slowly.
Mount Barker and Porongurup are known for taut, citrus- and lime-driven Rieslings; Frankland River, the northernmost subregion, yields spicy Shiraz and Bordeaux-style reds. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the cooler sites are slender and finely structured.
TERROIR PROFILE · Western Australia
Great Southern Australia's largest GI · cool mountain climate
Great Southern — Australia's Riesling stronghold. Howard Park, Frankland Estate, Plantagenet.
SOILS
Graniteelegant, lightly spicy
Weathered granite produces elegant, slender wines with fine, lightly spicy profile.
Loambody-rich, velvety
Loamy soils give wines volume and a soft, velvety mouthfeel.
Gravel / Sandlight, approachable
Gravel and sand drain heavily — vines struggle for water, wines turn fine, light and elegant.
CLIMATE · Cool continental
Maritime-influenced Mediterranean climate with cool conditions, shaped by the Southern Ocean on the coast and more continental inland. Ripening is slow and acidity is retained; Mount Barker is regarded as the cooler and most important subregion.
TOPOGRAPHY · mixed
Spanning about 200 kilometres from west to east, this is Australia's largest geographical-indication wine area: hilly country from the coast at Albany and Denmark to the granite ranges of the Porongurup and the hinterland around Mount Barker and Frankland River. Five subregions: Albany, Denmark, Frankland River, Mount Barker and Porongurup.
WHAT IT MEANS IN THE GLASS
Similar terroirs worldwide
Computed from fingerprint similarity
Ortenau
Baden
94% similar
- Warmth (slightly): Great Southern is cooler → tauter fruit, leaner wines, more acidity (5 vs. 6).
- Freshness (slightly): Great Southern has more freshness → crisp acidity, long ageing (8 vs. 7).
Bourgogne · Couchois
Burgundy
94% similar
- Sun (slightly): Great Southern gets more sun → deeper colour, riper tannin (7 vs. 6).
- Freshness (slightly): Great Southern has more freshness → crisp acidity, long ageing (8 vs. 7).
Wineries on this terroir
See all 6 →This terroir's soils in the glossary