"James
Halliday Australian wine Companion" - 2008 Edition.
Willow Bridge Estate awarded
5 out of 5 stars.
The History
The vineyard is a family owned business that is operated by principals Jeff and Vicki Dewar, who bought the picturesque 180-hectare hillside property in 1996. From day one, the family shared a vision to produce premium quality varietal wines for both domestic and international markets.
The Estate is located in a hidden jewel of the winemaking region of south-west Western Australia called the Ferguson Valley. The environment, climate and soil types sets the area apart from the more traditional wine growing regions of the state and provides an environmental combination never previously utilised for the production of premium wines.
Willow Bridge Estate is an exciting and significant new addition to the World
Wine Industry. In less than a decade, the Estate has produced an impressive
array of outstanding wines, most notably the classic Black Dog Shiraz.
 The Region
The scenic Ferguson Valley is located just 20
minutes from the city of Bunbury. Soil types vary
from deep limestone sands closer to the coast,
to alluvial soils along the riverbanks and rich,
gravelly, red granite loams towards the Darling
Ranges.
The region has a mild, maritime climate. Annual
rainfall is around 800mm and mostly falls during
winter via cold fronts that originate in the Southern
Ocean and Antarctica. This makes the rain some
of the purest and cleanest in the world.
Diurnal variations are moderate, tempered by
the proximity to the coast, with only the occasional
winter frost, which helps achieve adequate winter
dormancy for the vines. Rainfall is rare after
mid-November and the region usually experiences
an Indian Summer until the Autumn break at the
end of April, ensuring perfect ripening conditions
for the vines.
 The Vineyard
Willow Bridge vineyard is sited high on the western watershed (280m) of the Ferguson River, with spectacular views over the coastal plains. The vineyard is 25km from the coast as the crow flies, and receives the cooling afternoon sea breeze during summer. Due to its elevation, the warm days are moderate and more forgiving.
The vines are planted on the top of the ridge line, which helps to avoid the likelihood of spring frosts. Importantly, the region is phylloxera free and this has enabled the vineyard to be planted on its own roots. Deep red clay loams with granite gravels form the basis of soil composition. In places, the vineyard actually has granite stones protruding through the surface. To maximise the wine growing potential of this distinct terrain, specific varieties have been selected for planting.
These include Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
The Winemaker
The appointment of respected winemaker David Crawford has been another vital part of ensuring the family’s vision comes to fruition. Incorporating the highest standards of quality control, and a state of the art winery that is capable of handling up to 1200 tonnes from the estate plantings, the wine styles are classic Australian, with fresh up-front fruit, soft elegant mid-palates and good length of fruit flavours.
Estate Range
Estate wines are contemporary, stylish and exude drinkabilty. All wines show obvious primary fruit characters which typify varietal composition of the area. Viticultural and Winemaking influences, such as oak and low yields, play a support role but not a significant influence on the styles. Overall, they over-deliver upon expectations.
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