AMD Chartered Accountants, Bunbury, Geraldton, Mandurah, Accountants House, Western Australia

Client Focus

Flametree growing in touch economic times

Flametree Winemaker and General Manager Cliff Royle
alongside the Jimmy Watson Trophy for 2008.

The brilliant red flowers on a flametree could be what inspires Flametree Winery to make beautiful red wines; and whites and sparkling.

In fact it was its first red, the 2007 Flametree Cabernet Merlot that garnered the wine industry’s most coveted prize, winning the 2008 Jimmy Watson Trophy for the best one-year-old red at the Melbourne Wine Show.

From a business perspective just having your name on the trophy is estimated to be worth a million dollars in marketing.

It was an auspicious start for a fledgling winery situated on Bussell Highway half way between Busselton and Dunsborough in the Margaret River wine district and since then General Manager and Winemaker Cliff Royle has set about building on the success to introduce more people to the Flametree brand.

Cliff believes offering excellent value for money is the key to driving sales, and he has worked to create opportunities to widen distribution channels, increase cellar door sales and create a substantial list of more than 600 Flametree Wine Club members.

AMD Chartered Accountants Partner Stuart Fricker has assisted Flametree with the development of financial and manufacturing models to support business development.

In the two years since winning the Jimmy Watson Trophy, Flametree’s sales have tripled.

Despite the Global Financial Crisis and economic downturn, 4,000 cases in the financial year to June 2009 grew to 9,000 by June 2010 and 12,000 by June this year.

Cliff joined Flametree in 2009 after 12 years working at Voyager Estate. He trained at Charles Sturt University in NSW and after graduating in 1997, Cliff gravitated to WA for two reasons; his winemaking style leans towards the perfumed, cooler climate wines and because his roots are in Fremantle where he grew up.

Cliff’s wine appreciation began with his work at bottle shops in Perth and Melbourne for Phil Sexton of Matilda Bay Brewing Company.

The amazing culture of wine and friendship and the way many Europeans enjoy wine as part of their lifestyle is how he likes to promote the industry.

“Food, wine and music all bring people together,” he said.

At Flametree Cliff is producing four reds, six whites and one rose, three of which are only available at the cellar door or to members.

This will soon be supplemented by a new range known as the Sub Region Series which will highlight the qualities of Sauvignon Blanc from Karridale, Chardonnay from Wallcliffe and Cabernet Sauvignon from Willyabrup.

The limited quantity of high quality wines in the Sub Region Series will be created in an unusual elegant style, making them lean and savoury rather than taking the more usual path of highlighting fruitiness.

The 2012 James Halliday Australian Wine Companion gives Flametree five red stars and rates six of their wines at 94 points or above.