Wines

In the short 50 years since planting vines, Margaret River has become a modern classic and rivals Burgundy and Bordeaux in terms of quality.

Four iconic wines of Margaret River.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is the crown jewel for the red wines coming from Margaret River, and it's a bit like Bordeaux on steroids. The unique blend of Forest Grove soils and the Houghton clone of this grape produces wines that are powerful yet elegant.

Ripe cassis, mint and eucalyptus, cedar, tobacco, and cacao are all flavors you can expect from these age-worthy, structured wines. If you're looking for an alternative to high-quality Bordeaux, look no further than Margaret River.

Chardonnay

Looking for something better than white Burgundy? Well, Chardonnay from Margaret River, with its grapefruit, white peach, and subtle oak flavors of toast and chalky minerality, can go head to head with some of the best villages in Burgundy.

The Gingin clone, concentrated fruit flavors with high and refreshing acidity levels, and the ocean's cooling breezes combine to make some of the world's finest Chardonnays.

Semillon & Sauvignon Blanc Blends

Passionfruit, green pineapple, and lychee flavors, along with body from Semillon and citrusy, grassy freshness from Sauvignon Blanc - these two grapes, when blended, create something greater than the sum of their parts.

These refreshing, dry white wines are primarily unoaked and best enjoyed young. However, you can also find hints of toast and spice in some barrel-aged examples, many of which become nutty and honeyed with age. They're fantastic with seafood, as you would expect, being grown so close to the ocean.

Shiraz

Shiraz and Australia are synonymous, but in Margaret River it's only the 4th most planted grape variety. The style here is riper and smoother than what you would find in the Northern Rhône but more floral and elegant than Barossa in South Australia.

Due to the cooling ocean influence, you'll find that beautiful cracked black pepper note and elegance that Syrah is known for, yet because of the sunshine, you'll get ripe tannins and ripe blackberry fruit flavors.

Because of this more elegant style, you can find many producers labeling their wines as Syrah rather than Shiraz.

Margaret River Wine Facts

• Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted grape variety, accounting for 20%
• The Houghton clone for Cabernet Sauvignon and the Gingin clone for Chardonnay help make Margaret River unique.
• 12% of the wines from here are organic.
• Over 60% of the wineries in Margaret River are boutique - producing less than 4000 cases annually.
• Vines were first planted here in 1967