Two hours south of Perth, on the way to Margaret River, is a pristine piece of land that rises from the coast to form rolling hills, unique to this corner of the world. It’s here the Dewar family dreamed up the idea to grow grapes, establishing Ferguson Valley as one of the most important sub-regions of Geographe Wine Region. Find out more about Willow Bridge Wines and the Ferguson Valley below.
The dam at Willow Bridge Estate sustains a wide range of wildlife. Many animals drink from it, birds float on it, trout swim beneath it. In the late afternoon on the typical warm, calm, Autumnal days of vintage, the air above the dam comes alive in a blue haze of swarming dragonflies, that are appreciated by the trout. The Dragonfly wines have been named to celebrate this spectacle. They’re vibrant, rich, but serious Western Australian wines that offer exceptional value for money.
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Over the years, we have recognized that certain sections within our estate vineyard blocks have special qualities. We make The Estate Series wines from these sections to provide a snapshot of how the grape varieties we grow best express a sense of our unique corner of the world. Each wine’s name is inspired by that part of the estate in which its grapes were grown. We are so proud of these sections of vineyard that we have highlighted them on each wine’s label. Please view where they come from by satellite in their tasting notes.
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The name of the Black Dog Shiraz hails from our second vintage when cellarhands noted that the wine from our most spectacular hilltop block of estate shiraz was, as the old saying goes; “as black as the inside of a dog”. Today – provided vintage conditions deliver us a Shiraz to do the name justice, a new Black Dog is born. With a propensity for plush intensity already, the vineyard is meticulously maintained and restricted to miniscule yields to deliver fruit worthy of this, our flagship wine.
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There’s a reason why Western Australians are called ‘sandgropers’; the coast is shaped by miles and miles of sand dunes. By contrast, the Willow Bridge Estate vineyard enjoys a 285m elevation, and rich, granitic, gravelly loam soil. These natural features single it out it as a premium location within Geographe, a wine region still relatively new itself.
With a warm, maritime-influenced climate, being located much higher than sea level gives Willow Bridge the advantage of being two degrees cooler all year-round than surrounding areas, allowing slower, more even ripening of grapes. The 150-acre property’s three hills also allowed the Dewars to match vine varieties to the best possible combination of slope and aspect to the sun.
