WA Wine Review 2027

Margaret River

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

Here’s a neat little SSB blend delivering vibrant, zippy fruit characters throughout. Tropical fruit and citrus combination on the nose. Then a palate showing some nice fruit sweetness and tropical character, but with a clean, defining acidity. Nice current-drinking wine.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

Here’s a wine that shows a degree of sophistication. It was wild-yeast fermented and then partially malolactic fermented, so it’s produced a level of complexity. The aromas show nutty cashew, stone fruit and slightly savoury characters. Then the palate reveals more, with its rich textural feel delivering a little crème brûlée, lemon meringue and quince paste character. A fine, minerally...

Margaret River

White Blend

This ticks all the boxes for the SBS style out of Margaret River, especially for this more youthful and highly fruit-driven expression. Aromas of gooseberry, cut grass and hay with a decent flash of lemony citrus. The palate is flavoursome, with good intensity controlled with fine acid, finishing clean, crisp and long. Nice current-drinking wine.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This is an appealing, nice entry-level chardonnay that delivers everything with a degree of restraint. Lemony, nutty notes on the nose capture the variety, while the palate combines a textural creaminess with a fine, crisp, chalky acidity. Neatly framed and ideal for current drinking.

Margaret River

Pinot Gris

A lighter-bodied pinot gris, but one with good flavour and intensity on that light body. Clean, crisp citrusy, aptly pear notes and then a palate that is lightly framed with fine acidity, finishing with linear precision. Nice current-drinking wine.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

A bold and opulent statement of cabernet from Margaret River in this warmer season. A burst of black fruits with dark plum, some dark chocolate and a subtle, cutting oyster-shell minerality combine on the nose. The palate is plush but firmly structured, as you would expect with cabernet, with those firmish tannins and well-managed oak playing pivotal roles. Lots of...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Firm, structured and typically cabernet. This is from a warm year and typically shows deep concentration, with dark colour, powerful aromas and an intense palate. Has a leafy blackcurrant, lightly plummy combination on the nose. Then a palate that is firmly structured, with more of that blackcurrant-cherry combination working, supported by a firm thread of tannin and some lightly toasty...

Margaret River

Shiraz

This is a more robust, full-bodied shiraz from Margaret River, with plenty of deep, concentrated, quite powerful shiraz characters evident immediately on the nose and then flowing through to a firmly structured palate. Spicy plum and dark chocolate merge seamlessly on the nose, while the palate reveals some firmly controlled fruit flavours harnessed through to an extended finish. Has a...

Margaret River

Shiraz

Soft and supple medium-bodied shiraz bursting with that mix of dark plum and red berry, with a slightly floral, spicy lift. The palate is medium weight but with good fruit concentration. That fine spicy integration, with a little pepperiness and a dollop of chocolate, works well. It’s an easy-drinking wine and ideal in the short term.

Margaret River

Shiraz

Such a good year for shiraz in Margaret River, and this modestly priced wine delivers well beyond its price point. Spicy, plummy, savoury notes with a little black pepper on the nose are what you expect from shiraz. Then a palate that is so rich, with good concentration of fruit, poised with a nice tannin-oak combination and support. Extends effortlessly...

Margaret River

Malbec

As you might expect from this warmer season, the colour is deep, almost impenetrably red-black, but that’s malbec. The nose delivers a real burst of plush plums, a little rhubarb and some mulberry. On the palate, you get a real wave of opulent fruit flavours, all with that very supple, fine tannin influence and just a little bit of oak....

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Delightfully fragrant and perfumed cabernet sauvignon from Margaret River, with a lovely medium-bodied, supple, generous and smooth palate. This is a great-value red wine from a season that produced fruit of good intensity and balance. Bright red fruits, a little blue-fruit nuance and some light florals. There’s a deep intensity on the palate, which is medium weight and bright as...

Margaret River

Cabernet Blend

Smooth, easy-drinking cabernet merlot blend capturing these varieties in a most appealing way as a medium-bodied red. Black fruits with red fruit infusion, lifted leafy notes and a little dollop of chocolate. Balanced with fine chalky tannins and a dab of oak. Made as an approachable current-drinking wine.

Margaret River

Tempranillo

Crisp, fresh, pure and crunchy, this light-bodied rosé captures all the lovely ethereal red fruits of tempranillo. Light raspberry and savoury influences work neatly together. The palate is dry, with a savouriness about it and a crunchy crispness, with subtle watermelon notes. Lightly textured with a lingering pure fruit character. Nice current-drinking rosé.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Some very good cabernets emerged from the 2022 season in Margaret River, and this is certainly one of them. It's a most stylish and refined wine of great poise and elegance. The nose reveals a mix of blackcurrant, oyster shell, graphite and a subtle olive tapenade combination. The palate is still quite tightly wound, with fine, integrated chalky tannins and...

Margaret River

Red Blend

Such an approachable and engaging, easy-drinking, medium-bodied red wine made with the Rhône varieties shiraz, grenache and viognier. Displays some nice red fruits with quite typical blue-fruit influences and that slightly spicy, gingery lift of the viognier. It's medium-bodied, with a juicy, crunchy red-fruit feel on the palate, with some nice dried herbs in support. Scrumptious wine for the short...

Margaret River

Red Varietal

Touriga, of course, is a fundamental part of Portuguese ports and table wines, and it certainly found a home in Australia, where it produces typically aromatic, punchy, vibrant, lively and fruity wines of medium weight. In this case, dark cherry and chocolate liqueur notes are evident on the nose. The palate delivers with sweet cherry and plummy flavours, a little...

Margaret River

Sauvignon Blanc

Few winemakers capture such complexity and intrigue with sauvignon blanc as Stuart Pym, and he's done it again with this excellent wine. As always, he uses oak in the process, and it creates such a compelling and engaging combination on the nose. Lemony, nutty characters merge with the punchy tropical fruit of the variety, along with that little gooseberry lick....

Margaret River

White Varietal

One of the most distinctive of all white grape varieties. It can go a little over the top, but Pym typically handles it extremely well, capturing the lychee, musky and gingery notes of the variety. More importantly, he creates a textural feel that restrains the phenolics and delivers good, rich fruit flavours. He uses ceramic eggs for the fermentation and...

Margaret River

White Blend

This is a white blend of pinot gris, viognier, gewürztraminer and sauvignon blanc, so you're getting an awful lot of aromatics crammed into a fairly tight space. Do they compete? Well, not really. They actually work together rather well, producing a wine that is, as you would expect, wildly aromatic, with all manner of citrus, roses, ginger, pear and musk...

Margaret River

Semillon

Vasse Felix has made this wine for some years now, and it's a lovely example of the dessert style. It's created by cutting the fruiting cane and allowing the bunches to hang and dry out before picking, concentrating the flavours and sugars. It was fermented in French oak. From the outset, it captures so much about this variety. Lemon essence...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Here's a cabernet malbec blend that wedges neatly between the Filius and the Tom Cullity, and once again illustrates how good this blend really is in Margaret River and off this estate. Beautiful aromas of leafy blackcurrant, dark plum, spice, a little black olive tapenade and some nice mineral, oyster-shell characters. The palate is so seamlessly integrated and tightly wound,...

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Consistently among the best-value cabernets released each year in Western Australia. This is largely cabernet with some malbec, which of course is the classic combination of the Tom Cullity blend. It's a wine that's evolved in recent years and now presents with less overt oak and more subtle integration. Blackcurrant and bright red fruits on the nose. And a thoroughly...

Margaret River

Cabernet Blend

Soft, supple, generous, medium-bodied cabernet merlot blend displaying some lovely perfumed notes on the nose. And then a supple, precisely integrated palate with chalky tannins and gentle use of oak, supporting some quite delicious fruit. Its bright red berry flavours carry through to a lingering finish. Quite excellent current drinking.

Margaret River

Shiraz

Beautiful. Just beautiful. An elegant, medium-bodied shiraz that's come out of this very warm vintage, but come out of it really well. Loads of plummy berry and slightly cherry-like aromas, with a subtle earthy savouriness. The palate is medium-weight and bright as a button, delivering with energy and vibrancy. Simply joyous drinking over the next few years.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

I loved this wine when it was introduced a few years ago, and I'm warming to it once again. It's from a single site with the heritage clone chardonnay, so it is quite specific. The aroma is absolutely captivating, a maze of complexity, with savoury meringue, brioche and lightly lemony notes all swirling through an engaging aromatic intensity. The palate...

Margaret River

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

They don't come more classic than this. It's a semillon sauvignon blanc blend exhibiting the lovely, generous flavours of the 2025 vintage. Loads of tropical, punchy stone fruit and zesty lemon essence combine into a thoroughly appealing current-drinking blend. The palate feel is exquisite and the flavour lingers. Great example of the style.

Margaret River

Chardonnay

These chardonnays from Vasse Felix over the last few years are really starting to hit their straps. They seem to be allowed to release more of the flavour intensity, and the result is a wine of immense appeal. At the same time, it retains that essential linear, crunchy acidity that is a feature of the style. This one has a...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

You really are getting some high-class chardonnay at this price. It's a terrific wine, one of the best yet under the label. Slightly nutty, savoury notes on the nose, with a little nectarine stone fruit. The palate has a deep intensity as a result of the vintage, but there's also a delicate restraint that allows the wine to focus into...

Margaret River

Shiraz

Here's a wine that nails it year in and year out. Made from shiraz, which of course suits the style. It's a simple, light, fragrant and racy style with a textural component that sets it apart. Aromas of strawberry and watermelon, with a little cranberry juice. The palate is so deliciously engaging, with crunchy light red fruits and a subtle...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

An immediately more powerful and generous style compared with the slightly more linear Karridale chardonnay. Generous and intense it might be, but there is refinement and restrained poise that captures a distinctive house style. Butterscotch, lime and pear characters on the nose, followed by a more deeply complex palate of ripe stone fruit, a little brioche and a trace of...

Margaret River

Chardonnay

This is a delightfully elegant and keenly refined chardonnay that delivers with Karridale cool-climate restraint. The aromas show nice cut lime and nectarine with a little meringue-like character. The palate is finely crafted, with a mineral, slightly oyster-shell edginess giving it definition and supporting its linear structure. Precise and focused, with chalky, crisp acidity.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

The first cabernet release from Richard Rowe’s new venture, and it impresses. The fruit is sourced from Wilyabrup. Vibrant crimson colour with a nose of pure blackcurrant lifted by florals and violet. The palate is refined, elegant, and ethereal, yet carries the power of Margaret River cabernet. Already showing excellent fruit intensity and complexity, with a long future ahead. Love...

Frankland River

Shiraz

Shiraz was one of the standout performers from Frankland River in 2023. And so, this excellent wine is based on some mighty good fruit. Engaging aromas of dark plum, spice, dark chocolate, and a slight pepperiness. The palate is so delightfully weighted with deep, concentrated fruit flavours rolling relentlessly through to a very long finish. It's sumptuous, but it's balanced...

Western Australia

White Blend

This is an off-dry style of white wine with clean, crisp, fresh aromas of citrus and tropical fruit, with a little orange peel nuance. The palate has a touch of residual sugar, as expected, balanced by clean, zingy acidity. Ideal served chilled with some fresh fruit.

Western Australia

Chardonnay

Crunchy and flavoursome, light-bodied yet generous chardonnay. Nice melony citrus aromas engage immediately, followed by a soft, creamy and deliciously flavoured palate delivering all you could want at this price point. Crisp, fine acidity and a touch of savouriness provide palate definition. Nice current drinking wine.

Western Australia

Rose

Thoroughly delightful young rosé from a season that produced lovely aromatic fruit with a degree of delicacy, yet still good flavour intensity. Beautiful watermelon and strawberry notes on the nose, with a subtle raspberry nuance. The palate is pure and clean, with fine, precise acidity carrying the light-bodied fruit through to a long finish. Surprisingly textured, making this a very...

Western Australia

Cabernet Blend

A beautiful example of this classic West Australian blend, where the firmness of the cabernet is perfectly supported by the warm fleshiness of the spicy merlot. It was a superb season, and that quality has been captured well in this thoroughly engaging current-drinking blended red.

Western Australia

Shiraz

This is simply marvellous current-drinking shiraz from an exceptional year. It's a wine that could quite easily sit in a higher price bracket. Smooth, supple and generous, it's delivered with medium weight and an impeccable balance of tannin and fine oak. But it is that smooth, generous and insistent flavour profile that is such a feature. Terrific wine.

Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon

Such a beautiful example of the quality of cabernet from the long, cool 2023 vintage in Margaret River. This is elegant, refined and stylish, with blackcurrant, dark cherry and slightly blue fruit notes on the nose. Seamless integration is a feature of the palate, with fine tannins and fine-grained oak cradling the beautiful fruit. Elegant yet structured, with the potential...