Churchview Estate Silverleaf Merlot

Churchview Wine Estate and Its History

Churchview Estate is an award-winning, family-owned wine producer located in the Margaret River wine-growing region of Western Australia. Founded in 1999 by father-and-son team Spike and Raymond Fokkema, the estate is situated near the locality of Metricup, just off the Bussell Highway. Spike had emigrated from the Netherlands in the 1950s and enjoyed a successful career in business before purchasing the property. Today, the estate is owned and run by Raymond Fokkema and his sister Sharon Bosveld, who joined the family business over 20 years ago. The winemaker is David Longden. Churchview Estate received a 5-star winery rating in James Halliday’s 2016 and 2020 classifications.

Churchview Estate Vineyards

Churchview estate takes its name from the view of the heritage-listed Anglican Church of Saint John the Baptist, which is visible from the property. This single-vineyard estate covers approximately 100 hectares, of which 56 hectares are planted with vines. The site was carefully chosen for its maritime climate, ideal fertile gravelly loam soils, abundant clean water, and north-facing slopes. Sixteen different grape varieties are grown here. The estate achieved organic certification in 2020.

Wine Ranges

Churchview Estate produces several ranges of wine. The flagship wines are the limited-release, handcrafted Bartondale range, named after the dairy farm that originally occupied the site. Next is the St. John’s range, made from more unusual grape varieties and named after the neighbouring church. There is also the fruit-driven Silverleaf range.

Silverleaf Merlot Winemaking Process

• Grapes for the Churchview Estate Silverleaf Merlot are harvested at night.
• The fruit is crushed, and the resulting must is pumped into a tank.
• The juice remains in contact with the skins for 7 days, allowing the extraction of colour, tannin, and flavour.
• During this period, a cultured yeast is added to the must to initiate fermentation.
• After fermentation, the wine is racked off and matured in older American and French oak barrels, with a portion kept fresh in tank.
• These components are assembled following maturation and prepared for bottling.
• The wine is filtered only—no fining agents are used.
• Only minimal sulphur is added before bottling.
• Suitable for vegans and vegetarians.