OUR STORY
Upon arrival at the cellar door, nestled at the edge of a glass-like dam in a lowland of the Ferguson Valley, you can almost hear the memories of the Robinson Family. Cries of laughter from children jumping off rocks into the icy cold river-fed reservoir. Weekends of bark-and-leaf boats launching from the slippery edges of the water. Aimless afternoons spent adventuring through the bushland, a black brick-resembling walkie talkie for hourly check-ins the only reminder of the outside world and parents.
In the late 1980s Kim and Jenny Robinson were on a mission to find their family the perfect country getaway. Kim, a geologist by trade (and at heart), an uncompromising list of environmental requirements was drafted. He cast his net from Perth to Esperance, and started the search.
After setting foot upon the Ferguson Valley property, and witnessing the beautiful natural waterfall, Kim was sold. The family often travelled down from Perth to the property for weekends with their young children, and Kim came to realise the potential of the land as a vineyard.
Initially established as a contract grower, from 1999 the vineyards produced fruit for a number of award-winning wineries in Western Australia. In 2009, the family made the decision to establish their own footprint, and start the Talisman label.
These days Kim can still be found roaming the vines alongside his daughter Anita Robinson, the winery’s vigneron and the second generation of Talisman.
Formerly a four year old member of the rock-jumping, bark-boat-building and bush roaming tribe – Anita now spends her time between Perth and the Geographe Wine Region managing the vines, and overseeing the winery and cellar door.
Today, the third generation of Talisman’s are now in full flight. Anita’s ten and eight year old daughters, and her older brother Jeremy’s daughters of the same age, relish in the same childhood adventures they once boasted of. The walkie talkies are smaller, and the cellar door now proves enormously entertaining with the girls often helping to take orders, but the same picturesque setting is painting the backgrounds of their childhoods in the Ferguson Valley.
OUR VINEYARDS
Driving around the final bend of a logging track, you arrive at the top of the Talisman vineyard. The view is vast, intoxicating, and of another world. Stretched across undulating hill faces, and hugged by the Wellington National Park, lay the lines of Chardonnay, Riesling, Zinfandel, Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet, Malbec and Sauvignon Blanc.
Scattered between rows of fruit you’ll see macadamia trees growing in an ancient creek bed, and baby emus roaming.
For years the vines were all under contract to larger wineries. The quality of the fruit was exceptional, but the family was unsure of their own wine direction. In 2009 the Robinson’s, with the expert assistance of their trusted vineyard manager, made the leap to establish the Talisman label.
It was John Gladstone’s 1965 industry-renowned paper titled The Climate and Soils of South Western Australia in Relation to Vine growing that first inspired Kim to look at the Ferguson Valley site through a wine lens in the 1990s.
Several years of contemplating, and a very long phone call with John later, Kim decided to follow the author’s advice and ‘just bloody plant some wine grapes in the Ferguson Valley’. The predictable rainfall, Mediterranean climate, stable growing season and consistent seasons make for world class growing conditions.
Some say you get better wine amongst the pines, and Talisman is a postcard perfect example. The western border of the vineyard is a mass of dense pine forest, whilst to the north and east the property is surrounded by pristine National Park. The geography of the 30-acre site creates a series of microclimates for the fruit, the true influence of which can be tasted in each of their wines that pay homage to the vineyard and varietal.
Home to one of the most northern Riesling blocks in Western Australia, almost 2 hectares of fruit is home in a sheltered position on the south east facing slope. The traditional German variety benefits from the cooling properties of the forest and sea breezes off the Indian Ocean.
Deeper in the valley lives two hectares of Chardonnay. Planted down a southern slope, the fruit thrives in the cooler lowlands of the Talisman vineyard. The Gin gin clone produces bountiful loose bunches of diverse fruit, with complex and elegant traits that can be tasted in each glass.
Kim Robinson’s much-loved Zinfandel creeps over the western slope. The vigorous and productive fruit grows in tightly packed bunches, and requires an abundance of attention to build the complexity of flavour that Talisman is renowned for.
Smaller plots of traditional and new varietals make up the remaining vineyard area.
Peter Stanlake, Head Winemaker at Talisman, has been crafting exceptional wines in Western Australia for over 20 years. Moving to Margaret River in the late eighties sparked Pete’s fascination with wine, and stints at acclaimed wineries like Xanadu, Leeuwin Estate and Redgate ingrained his love for the craft.
A self professed Chardonnay lover, it is his favourite varietal to make and to drink. Under his watchful eye, Talisman has built a reputation as one of the foremost Chardonnay vineyards in Western Australia.
Since joining Talisman in 2009 Pete has remained dedicated to creating classy, delicious and rewarding wines. His winemaking philosophy varies from wine to wine. A robust determination to capture the fruit purity and ageing abilities of Riesling. A natural approach to the fermentation of Chardonnay, respectfully pressing whole clusters of fruit to capture the cloudiness of juices. Ripeness focus for reds to sensitively extract colour and tannin, allowing each variety to best show itself. His exceptional knowledge of oak, developed over years working in the barrel stream of the industry, is integral to the finishing of Talisman’s traditional varieties.
Working hand in hand with Anita, the fruit in the vineyard is given the most optimal opportunity to shine in every glass of Talisman wine.
Pete’s appreciation of and personal attachment to the Talisman vineyard is evident in the passionate way he speaks about the varying slopes of the site, unique aspects, and exceptional soil properties.The simplicity and beauty of the vineyard is expressed in his winemaking, a delicate and fruit focused approach with minimal intervention and time on oak for most varieties.
