2013 Plantagenet Mount Barker Reisling, 2011 Plantagenet Mount Barker Cabernet sauvignon, 2005 Plantagenet Great Souther Shiraz pic: Guy Bailey Source: TheAustralian I WAS one of a select group that recently travelled to Mount Barker, in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, to celebrate the 40th vintage of Plantagenet Wines. It was a two-day trip, commencing with a 5am (AEDT) alarm on the first day in Melbourne and finishing 21 hours later with a dinner concluding at 2am (AEDT) the next morning, the flight disembarking back in Melbourne at midnight. Having got that off my chest, it was a great day, as full of nostalgia for me as for founder Tony Smith; the first winemakers at Plantagenet, David McNamara (1974-77) and Rob Bowen (1978-88); and Betty Quick, on whose property the first grapes in the Great Southern were planted. I first visited the Great Southern - and its four subregions - in 1982, gathering material for my book Wines and Wineries of Western Australia, with then Ansett pilot and now leading wine distributor Gary Steel as my terrestrial pilot. Variously wearing my journalist and wine show judge hats I have returned on many occasions over the ensuing decades. From the outset, Plantagenet was the focus of my attention, for one simple reason. It was the mothership of 17 Great Southern wine producers whose wines it made when they were in their infancy. It was able to do this because in 1975 Tony Smith had had the vision to buy a very large but disused apple packing shed in the centre of the Mount Barker township for $12,500. It also has two of the most historic vineyards in the region: Bouverie, planted in 1968 to one hectare each of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz, and Wyjup, planted in 1971 to riesling and malbec. While its vineyards have since been expanded to 126ha, riesling, shiraz and cabernet remain its strongest and longest suites, however good the 2012 Chardonnay - a gold medal winner at last month's Royal Adelaide Wine Show - may be. 2013 Plantagenet Mount Barker Riesling Mainly sourced from the Wyjup Vineyard and its 43-year-old vines, fleshed out with lesser amounts from two local vineyards which add complexity to the profile. A bit behind the all-conquering '12 Riesling but still seriously good, with a fragrant, lime blossom bouquet, a long palate gaining strength on the finish, touches of slate and talc. 12.3% alc; screwcap 94 points; drink to 2025; $25 2011 Plantagenet Mount Barker Cabernet Sauvignon First tasted in March '13, the wine seems to have grown, the colour more vivid, the cassis, redcurrant and spice on the bouquet leading into a beautiful, medium-bodied palate, with juicy cassis fruit flavours utterly dominant. Well balanced and integrated French oak and fine-grained tannins. 14.6% alc; screwcap 95 points; drink to 2026; $45 2005 Plantagenet Great Southern Shiraz A re-release from the cellar, marking a policy of holding back wines for later release exclusively from cellar door and restaurants. First tasted in March '08, I gave the wine 96 points; it has fulfilled its promise. Super-complex black cherry, blackberry, licorice and spice bouquet, the palate more of the same. 14.5% alc; screwcap 96 points; drink to 2025; $70