Singlefile’s Great Southern Story

Since 2008, Singlefile Wines has made significant strides in understanding the diverse terroir of the Great Southern, and the importance of site selection to varietal expression. From producing three varietals representing a single vineyard site, to working with vineyards across the Great Southern’s five subregions to showcase the purest expressions found within, the Singlefile story is one that is reflective of the region’s evolution.

Deep within Australia’s South West — stretching 160 kilometres from the north to south where it meets the Southern Ocean, and 250 kilometres from the west to east, bordered by the ancient Porongurup Range — the Great Southern wine region sits within the heart of Wagyl Kaip in Noongar Boodja. Being five hours from the closest capital city, Perth, and four hours from the bustling tourist and wine region of Margaret River, it is one of Western Australia’s tucked away treasures, far from city life. 

To put its size into context, spanning more than 39,000 square kilometres, if the Great Southern wine region were a country, it would sit at 136th in size, just behind Switzerland. It is so large it could fit Burgundy into its expanse 130 times over.

It is this vast scale and its ancient, remote landscapes that make the collection of wines produced in the Great Southern so distinctive in taste and worthy of patiently, progressively-gained critical acclaim. Over time, the region’s producers have developed a collective understanding of the diversity of the terroir within the region, and the vital importance of site selection when it comes to producing world-class wines. 

The Five Subregions of the Great Southern

Home to five unique subregions, defined by dramatically differing landscapes and microclimates, the Great Southern is one of the only wine regions in the world that can produce such a broad range of world-class varieties. With just 23 kilometres of vineyards planted across the region’s great expanse, each of the five subregions offers unique terroir that results in well-balanced, cool-climate wines of purity and elegance.

• Albany: With a maritime climate influenced by proximity to the Southern Ocean, Albany presents ideal conditions for exceptional sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and pinot noir. 
• Denmark: Slightly cooler and wetter, Denmark’s steep hills and valleys create unique microclimates perfect for complex chardonnay, riesling, and pinot noir.
• Mount Barker: The coolest subregion, Mount Barker’s extended ripening period and cool nighttime conditions help fruit achieve ripeness while retaining natural acidity, ideal for age-worthy riesling, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, and aromatic Mediterranean varietals.
• Frankland River: A warmer Mediterranean climate, long stretches of sunlight and significantly cooler nights through the growing season creates fruit ripeness balanced by elegant acidity. Frankland River offers distinguished shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, grenache, and mataro.
• Porongurup: Known for its ancient granite peaks and moderate Mediterranean climate, the Porongurup subregion has a unique thermal zone which reduces frost risk, promoting ideal ripening conditions for cool-climate varieties like riesling, chardonnay, and pinot noir.

Despite the Great Southern’s immense scale, these five subregions account for just 7,000 tonnes, or 0.04 percent, of Australia’s wine production.

Sowing the Seeds of Success

The Great Southern’s reputation for world-class wines wasn’t produced overnight. A great deal of patience, hard work, and progressive learnings paved the way, beginning with the first planting in Mount Barker in 1964.

In those early days, with the exception of a few growers, there was a rudimentary knowledge of the distinctive regional terroir and limited consideration paid to site selection, leading to a ‘fruit salad’ of plantings dispersed across the region. It was a bit of a lucky dip as to what simply grew, what struggled and what flourished.

A lot of trial and error followed before a good grasp of what worked was achieved. With that in mind, good fortune struck in 1986, when chardonnay was planted at a small site in Denmark, along with shiraz and merlot.

The Origins of Singlefile Wines

In 2007 geologists Phil and Vivienne Snowden purchased this 1986 Denmark site and, along with their daughter Pam and son-in-law Patrick Corbett, established Singlefile Wines.

Reflecting the beginnings of the Great Southern region, they inherited a ‘fruit salad’ of varieties planted with limited research. Without knowing it at the time, the success and failures of each variety would form the basis of the winery’s eventual philosophy.

“We entered the industry at a time when this natural evolution and understanding of terroir and site selection in the Great Southern was taking place,” says Patrick.

“Like any wine region, you need to wait seven to eight years for the first substantial yield, which you learn from and improve upon. So, it takes time, hard work, luck, and a lot of patience to mature to a point of understanding the varieties which will best align with your site and express a sense of place.”

In 2008, Singlefile Wines released its first vintage, comprising chardonnay, shiraz, and merlot. Following this much anticipated release, came the recognition of the vital role terroir played in producing premium wines of provenance.

The reception to Singlefile’s chardonnay outshined its shiraz and merlot. Having invested equal effort, time and money; naturally, only one thing made sense — chardonnay simply took to the conditions of the site, being the appropriate soil, microclimate, aspect and all, while the shiraz and merlot belonged elsewhere within the region.

It was these learnings that defined Singlefile’s journey going forward. It ignited an exploration of terroir, a deep dive into understanding the subtle nuances of the vineyards within the Great Southern’s five subregions. It was all about discovering where each existing variety shined with the greatest purity and elegance indicative of the region, and nurturing that to produce a collection representative of the best of the Great Southern.

“We wanted to produce world-class wines that we were proud of, and we were naive to think we could do it all from our first vineyard. I would say we tried every Great Southern vineyard's wine, over multiple vintages, to help us form a clear view as to the sites and vineyards we wanted to build into the Singlefile story,” says Patrick. 

“While the foundations were laid by pioneering producers, we spent time putting together our puzzle of site and variety pairings to produce a range of wines that showcased the capability of our region.” 

The Singlefile Ethos Explained

Having removed the shiraz and merlot at its estate vineyard, replacing them with more chardonnay and pinot noir, and developed long-term partnerships with established vineyards; the foundations for Singlefile’s story were laid. By 2012, Singlefile released a new collection of wines, which expressed the purity and elegance of the sites of the Great Southern.

“Soon after, James Halliday awarded Singlefile the inaugural Dark Horse Winery of the Year for our 2013 collection, and it was a great endorsement that we were on the right path. It gave our family the confidence we needed to persist with this approach,” says Patrick.

Fast forward to 2018, when 2015 ‘The Vivienne’ Denmark Chardonnay was awarded James Halliday’s Best Chardonnay in Australia; solidifying the family’s drive for continuous pursuit of excellence.

“When it comes to the chardonnay, I’ve heard Viv say before that ‘we didn’t choose the site, it chose us’,” says Patrick. “We were incredibly fortunate in 2007 when we purchased that 1986 site in which chardonnay was planted.

“If our journey has taught us anything, it’s that if we truly want to represent the best of the Great Southern region through our Single Vineyard Collection, then understanding site selection and variety pairing is essential.”

For Singlefile Wines, the story of the Great Southern and the region’s potential goes beyond just one small patch of land in Denmark. The sheer size and nuances of flavour to be discovered across the Great Southern demands strong, collaborative partnerships with a range of vineyards to arrive at the best expressions possible.

“To produce a wide range of wines of a critically acclaimed standard isn’t possible in many parts of the world,” says Patrick. “The best compliment for us is for a customer to say, each wine in the range is something they’d take home. That is a testament to our region and its exceptional diversity.”

From the ancient Porongurup Range, rich in history and geological significance, to the influential and fertile Frankland River valley, Singlefile Wines strives to capture the essence of the remarkable and diverse terroirs in the Great Southern region. Each bottle it produces is a tribute to these exceptional landscapes, meticulously crafted to reflect the character of the Great Southern in every sip.