When you read the tourist brochures, you get the impression that Margaret River is a paradise which serves up wonderful wine and food and great surfing in a picturesque landscape surrounded by the most pristine ocean you’ve ever seen. The Mediterranean climate is said to be perfect for making great wine, and so it goes.
The reality isn’t quite as blissful. For one thing, the climate around Karridale in the south of Margaret River is a fair bit cooler than that around Willyabrup in the north, and late ripening varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon can have trouble getting there. Between these two areas, we have micro-climates that are similar to the Medoc, St Emilion and Pomerol in Bordeaux. It sounds like Cabernet and Merlot country, and it is, but it’s just as good for whites. Here’s the short story on the Margaret River sub-regions.
Greenfield Viticulture
Before the mid-1960s, Margaret River was a sleepy place away from the big smoke, and most of the wine in Western Australia was made in the hot Swan Valley near Perth. In the late fifties, horticulturalist Dr John Gladstones saw the potential of Margaret River; Vasse Felix and Cullens were the first to plant vines here, and were soon followed by many others. The rest is history. Check a short summary of the early days here: Margaret River History.
A couple of years ago, Margaret River Cabernets beat Coonawarra Cabernets in a Decanter magazine tasting. ‘The top rank of Margaret River Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon is … in the top rank in the world,’ says Matt Kramer at the Wine Spectator. ‘And … I’m including the likes of Burgundy and Bordeaux and Napa Valley.’
Some serious wines are made by the top wineries over here that sell for $100 or more, but there’s plenty of good wine at the $10 – $25 end of the scale as you can see from the list below.
Margaret River Whites
The region also makes great Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blends, and once again there are plenty of good wines in our price range. There’s great Semillon made here, but it’s easier to sell in a blend, and Margaret River has made this style pretty much its own with the Semillon adding backbone, authority and longevity to the blend. They’re not exactly like the white wines of Graves near Bordeaux, but the 2011 Rosily below shows just how long these wines can improve for.
These days, Margaret River makes some of Australia’s best Chardonnays. Most of the wineries use the Gingin or Mendoza clone which seems to work well over here. The general style tends to be rich but balanced, with the fruit in the white peaches and melon spectrum. The more expensive wines get treated to barrel fermentation, wild yeasts, lees stirring, malolactic fermentation and polished French oak.
Margaret River is surrounded by ocean to the north, the south and the west. The climate is Mediterranean, with dry, warm summers and most of the rain falling in winter. The soils are ancient, and limestone and gravel are common.
Here’s our short list, which forced a lot of tough choices on us:
Hidden Label Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2014 – $11 at Kemenys. Probably made by Franklin Tate, this is a pretty good example of what Margaret River can do with this blend, and great value for money. 92 points
Willow Bridge Dragonfly Chardonnay 2015 – $15 at Kemenys. Haven’t tried this vintage but Halliday’s review is good: ‘50% wild-fermented in used French oak, 50% in tank, an approach that has paid a handsome dividend; the palate has an excellent tactile quality that highlights the complexity of flavours ranging through struck match, white peach and a burst of grapefruit zest on the long finish. 94 points.’
Juniper Crossing Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2015 – $13.50 at bestwinesonline in a straight dozen, or$16 in a mixed six at Summer Hill Wine. I don’t know the first retailer, which says: ‘Best Wines Online is the brainchild of two entrepreneurial mothers who have a love of wine …’ and offers flat rate shipping at $6 a case. This is straightforward, no-nonsense SSB that makes all the right noises without making a fuss. Great value as usual under the Crossing wrapper. 92 points
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Riesling 2014 – $18 at Jim’s Cellars. As a Rieslingfreak, I can hardly let a chance go by even if there’s very little of it made here. Leeuwin Estate has persevered and makes a long, lean, bone-dry style that shows more restraint than aromatics in its youth. Will age well for years.92++ points
Flametree Chardonnay 2013 – $21 at Dan M’s. If you like the more austere style of Chardonnay, this is a great example: slender as a fashion model but not as lean as Twiggy. It speaks softly and shows cool restraint, it offer melons and stone fruit, a hint of citrus and fine French oak. Great length. Will put on weight over a few years. 93+ points
Woodlands Margaret River Chardonnay 2015 – $23 at the winery. A more sunburnt customer but one that went to a classy finishing school. Andrew Watson is excited about the new Delta Oscillys Destemmer which is more gentle on the fruit and leaves ‘shot’ berries, dry grapes and unripe grapes on the stems (and out of the wine). Richer and more forward than usual, ripe stone fruits with a hint of cashews, rich, round mouth feel, intense and dense and great drinking already but has a long future ahead of it. 94 points.
Rosily Vineyard Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2011 – $23 at the winery. It’s rare to find an SSB with some age on it and, like the 80-year-old guy at the gym I go to, this one doesn’t show its age. It’s full of energy and positive tension, it’s still fresh but has that added interest that comes with maturity. 94 points
Deep Woods Margaret River Harmony Rosé 2015 – $12 at Summer Hill Wine. Made from Tempranillo, Shiraz and Cabernet, this is a smart Rosie that shows perfect pitch. Ripe red fruits, rich and round, served on a cool line of acid with a dry finish. An absolute steal at the price. 92 points
Miamup Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 – $11 at Kemenys. What a terrific red this is! Soft and seductive, big and rich, more like a Cab Merlot than a Cabernet but with more backbone. Seamless integration between dark fruits, olives and earthy, dusty notes – classic Margaret River style, off the scale on drinkability, and on value. 92 points.
Devil’s Lair The Hidden Cave Cabernet Shiraz 2013 – $13 at Dan M’s (today), special offer for members (you give them your email address). This red is good value even at its usual $18 price tag. Merlot is the usual sidekick for Cabernet in Margaret River but the trad Aussie blend works well here, and why shouldn’t it? They make some great Shiraz here. Cassis and dried herbs with a pinch of pepper finished off with a sprinkle of gravel dust. Rich and on the big side. 92 points
Ringbolt Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 – $21 at Dan M’s. Yes I’ve raved this great red before. It’s made by Peter Gambetta at Yalumba, one of our best Cabernet makers – The Menzies and The Cigar are examples. Peter has the knack of creating power in his reds without cranking up the alcohol and the heat. The wine serves up a feast of dark fruits and dried herbs, cigar box aromas from a mix of Amercian and French oak, a twist of olive and a hint of gravel. Great intensity and just 13.5%. Fine-grained tannins finish off a classy red that will get better over 5 – 10 years. 94+ points
Woodlands Cabernet Franc Merlot 2014 – $21 at MyCellar. The wine shows that bright, elegant Cabernet Franc tobacco character on a soft pillow of restrained Merlot. The blend is a typical 50/ 50 St Emilion mix, and the wine would cause headaches in a blind tasting I suspect. It’s an elegant red, much to my liking but it may not be to yours so try first. Just got better and better over a couple of days. 94 points
Blue Poles Allouran Merlot Blend 2010 – $23 at Cloudwine. This is two thirds Merlot. Owner Mark Gifford tells Max Allen that Merlot in new world countries has become a caricature, reds that are fat and overripe, and nothing like the elegant merlot-based wines from Pomerol that he’d fallen in love with. This wine is in the old style, slender and elegant, tight and a touch tart, no plum compote here.The 2011 is a much bigger wine, and $28 at Different Drop. In the 93/95 point range, these are unique wines and well worth trying
Rosily Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 – $25 at the winery. One of the most underrated reds in Margaret River, year after year. Mick Scott makes classic Margaret River Cabernet: black and blue berries, cedar, bay leaf, dust, olives, gravel – young and brash, built for the long haul but opened up over a few days to show how rich and gorgeous it will be. If the winemakers in Bordeaux knew that we make wines like these for $25, they’d have a fit. 95++ points.
Woodlands Margaret Cabernet Merlot 2012 – $40 at Winestar. The 2011 is a stunner, I haven’t tried this but Tony Jordan says: ‘Beautiful, exotic leafy tobacco characters open on the nose. There’s a trace of cedar and red berry liqueur chocolate overtones. The palate is sublime, achieving an elegance and poise you really only get with the very best. It’s a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Malbec all held with super fine-grained oak and silky tannins. Most impressive. 96 Points.’ Tyson Stelzer goes one better with 97 points
