The south west of Western Australia is an extraordinary place.
Pristine blue waves crash against a rugged coastline which extends into the beautiful vineyards of Margaret River, a region renowned for its distinct and remarkable wines.
Fogarty Wine Group’s Evans & Tate wine label appreciates how lucky it is to be located in such a unique part of not only Australia, but the world. And in Evans & Tate’s new release range, this appreciation has essentially been bottled with a true celebration of the raw beauty of WA’s south west.
Wild Cape was born from a combined passion of wine and surfing in the Margaret River region, inspired by the spectacular coastline and superb varietals of the area. It brings together the work of photographer Andrew Semark and Evans & Tate Senior Winemaker Matt Byrne, who share long time experience with the southwest region and a common goal to champion its power, purity and rawness.
Through Semark’s epic and dramatic ocean photography, Wild Cape embodies the essence of the remote pristine home of Evans & Tate, with eye popping artwork that tells the story of the terroir behind the wine within each bottle.
“These new Wild Cape wines have given me a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with Andrew Semark and his images that he creates in the southwest of Western Australia. We’ve done nothing like this before and the synergy between what he captures in his images really relates to how we make our wine and grow our grapes in this really remote and wild part of the world. It matches what I try and achieve in our winemaking, particularly that purity of flavour,” Byrne said.
“Andrew’s extraordinary images that he captures simply stop you in your tracks – they’re a sensory overload in a good way. To make wine that has this same impact was my goal. Both elements I think are so effective in communicating what winemaking in Margaret River means to me without saying a word!”
Fogarty Wine Group’s Marketing Officer championed Wild Cape from the very beginning and added: “What other wine region in the world offers so much. You could never get bored, there is such a diverse range of outdoor activities and not only that, but Margaret River is such an emotive place. The land and sea connect with a raw and powerful beauty. The coast can be wild, intimidating and scary but at the same time it’s pristine and beautiful. Combine that with award-winning wines like Evans & Tate and you find yourself in a truly unique and amazing part of the world.”
Wild Cape launches with three varietals that over deliver at their price point – the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021 Chardonnay and 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, which has just won the trophy for best Sauvignon Blanc at the Sydney Royal Wine Show.
The Wild Cape Cabernet Sauvignon features Semark’s image named ‘Green Glow’, which reflects a darker and moodier style of wine while illustrating the simultaneous power of the coast and of Margaret River Cabernet. Inside the bottle, Byrne translates this essence into a wine that “floods the sense with flavour, perfume and a silken palate.”
The Wild Cape Chardonnay showcases Semark’s ‘Glimmer’ image, described as capturing the richness of Margaret River Chardonnay through the orange glow of the sky and reflection on the ocean. Byrne aims to replicate this with Chardonnay’s “ability to show complexity, texture and fruit power without sacrificing freshness.”
Finally, the award-winning Wild Cape Sauvignon Blanc is represented by the image called ‘Void’, which depicts a wave that Semark describes as “force, rare and relentless.” The relentless wave of unique varietal flavour in Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc is captured in the bottle, with Byrne noting purity and energy in the wine.
Wild Cape is available now – for more information contact your local Fogarty Wines Group rep or visit evansandtate.wine