Winemaking is hard, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. The Wray family has grown a passion for making single vineyard wines from their 12 hectares in Yallingup, a sub region of Margaret River wine region.
They called their winery House of Cards and name every new bottling after playing cards. The family takes bold decisions and always go all-in. Sourcing their grapes from their own vineyards, practicing traditional winemaking methods and caring deeply about their vines; they’re becoming certified organic.
House of Cards wines are no joke, although their portfolio has a few jokers, amongst kings, aces and queens. The quality is high overall, and they are always thrilled to receive guests. On-site, you can enjoy most of their wines collection: sparkling, whites and reds that form together a winning hand.
The Queen of Diamonds is their sparkling Blanc de Blanc, produced from their own Chardonnay grapes. It’s made with the old champagne process, aged on the lees for 36 months and is wrapped up in a crisp brut style. Save this wine for special moments. Aromas of golden apples and ripe pears fuse with citrus notes. Ageing gives the wine an elegant nutty character with hints of vanilla. Fine pearls and zesty acidity make these bubbles a suitable pairing with oysters, tapas and finger food. By all means, a royal wine.
Labelled “Joker”, their Sauvignon Blanc is a refreshing, dry, inviting white wine that fills the glass with intense fruit aromas. Scents of passion fruit, guava and lemongrass awake the palate and the flavours are remarkably persistent. The grapes are collected at night to keep their acidity, and the juice is fermented in stainless steel to enhance its powerful fruit set of aromas. At the table, this wine is a true joker and will play nicely with just about any light-bodied dish, from land or sea.
Three Cards Monte Sauvignon Blanc is represented in a full-body style, fermented on its skins and matured in French oak for almost a year; this Sauvignon is creamy and unctuous, yet vibrant. Yellow lemon and citrus peel aromas with herbal undertones within a rich palate make this wine an attractive pairing with blue fish or white meat. Three Cards Monte was awarded 95 points on this year’s Halliday Wine Companion Guide.
House of Cards excels with their red wines too. A blend of Cabernet and Malbec was released on 2016 under the wineries Joker label, and it’s spectacular. It’s made with time-consuming traditional winemaking methods, which require great care and dedication. The results are dazzling, the wine is a fruit bomb: red and black wild berries, raspberries and plum aromas are held together with by a finely structured palate and round tannins. French oak ageing adds another layer of flavour, over an already complex wine.
House of Cards doesn’t just make wine; they make a statement, a bottle at a time:
Things can be done properly, and that the market will always favour quality over volume. As the Wray family says, “We don’t have plans to get bigger… just better each year.”
