Cliff Royle
Chief Winemaker and General Manager

Cliff has been making world class wines in the Margaret River region for many years and comes to Flametree Wines after twelve years as Chief Winemaker at Voyager Estate.

Amongst a number of impressive accolades, Cliff was awarded Winemaker of the Year by Winestate Magazine in 2003, was a finalist in the Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year in 2005 and has been a senior judge at the Royal Melbourne and Perth Wine Shows over a number of years. Langton’s Master of Wine, Andrew Caillard, said “Winemaker Cliff Royle is regarded by critics as one of the most gifted winemakers of his generation.”

Cliff comments "I think Margaret River is without doubt the number one premium wine region in the country and consistently produces benchmark wines made from the classic grape varieties of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The aim at Flametree Wines is to make a range of wines that play to the strengths of the region and consistently deliver a great drinking experience at any price point. Margaret River wines should exhibit the hallmark characters of structure, perfume and elegance that has made this region famous."

The Towner family are very excited about Cliff's appointment and believe he has all the credentials required to take the business to the next level in its evolution.

Julian Scott
Winery Manager

Julian's passion for winemaking began in 1998 when he moved to Margaret River fresh from completing a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Chemistry and Environmental Science. He soon enrolled at Charles Sturt University as a distance education student, allowing him to study whilst being able to gain valuable industry experience. During this period, Julian worked with Selwyn Wines, Rosabrook Estate and Alexandra Bridge.

His strong background in chemistry, with an emphasis on winery research into techniques and styles, led to positions as Winemaker at both Stella Bella and Hamelin Bay Wines. Over the years he has gained exposure to a variety of winemaking philosophies by completing several vintages in the United States, South Africa, France and Spain.

He brings tremendous experience to Flametree Wines and is passionate about working on this exciting young brand. Working alongside Cliff Royle, the pair are set to make their mark on the highly regarded Flametree range.

David Ogley
Chief Financial Officer

With 35 years' experience in the accounting industry, David has extensive commercial knowledge across a broad spectrum of industries.

In 1998, when he was offered the position of General Manager - Finance & Administration at Amberley Estate Wines, he jumped at the opportunity to make the sea change from Perth to Margaret River. He then moved on to Clairault Wines in 2004 as Director of Operations, before joining Flametree mid 2010. As CFO, David provides financial, administrative and management support to assist in the effective management of business operations.

David relishes working in such a specialised industry as wine, particularly as it is such a complicated manufacturing environment where the product is sold at different stages in its development. He has a Bachelor of Business from Curtin University and is a Fellow of CPA Australia.