You may know Margaret River as somewhat of a benchmark for Australian cabernet sauvignon, but the chardonnays produced there are also fantastic and give great bang for the buck. We have always been big fans of the best chardonnays of the region, and some of our favorite bottles include Vasse Felix Chardonnay Margaret River Heytesbury, Cloudburst Chardonnay Margaret River, Deep Woods Estate Chardonnay Margaret River Reserve and Cullen Chardonnay Margaret River Kevin John.
The Margaret River wine region sits on a cape in Western Australia about 270 kilometers (170 miles) south of Perth. It’s surrounded by water on three sides – Cape Naturaliste and Geographe Bay to the north, Cape Leeuwin and the Southern Ocean to the south and the Indian Ocean hugging the western exposure between them. The drive from Perth seems to take forever, but once you’re there it’s a beautiful, unspoiled ocean paradise with savannah-like wilderness and picture-perfect beaches for surfing. James says it reminds him of the North County region of San Diego, California, back in the 1960s and 1970s when he was growing up nearby.
Vineyards were first planted in Margaret River in 1967 by Tom Cullity, who was influenced by a University of Western Australia research paper the year before describing the area as well suited to viticulture – providing proper drainage were available to handle the heavy rains the region can sometimes get. Vasse Felix was the first vineyard planted in the area and was soon followed by Moss Wood, Cape Mentelle, Cullen, Sandalford, Leeuwin Estate, Woodlands and Wrights. You can find Great Value chardonnays from Vasse Felix and Leeuwin listed below.
READ MORE: WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S GREATEST VINTAGE EVER?
Because of the breezy, cool influence of the surrounding water and air currents, Margaret River enjoys a long and slow growing season that really allows producers to zero in on the style of wine they want to make year after year. This brings an enviable amount of consistency to the grape, particularly in comparison with the eastern parts of Australia. The soils vary from place to place within the Margaret River region but overall are some of the oldest in the world, with a good amount of laterite, iron and decomposed granite providing excellent mineral balance.
What we really love about Margaret River is the purity of its fruit expression. While the fruit character is generally ripe, the wines retain their freshness and never come across as overblown or fatty. They are dynamic, concentrated and absolutely delicious.
Below are eight wines we feel reflect the fantastic range of high-quality chardonnay that Margaret River has to offer. From the oldest winery in Margaret River to more up-and-coming names, each of these wines has that purity and clarity from the region that we adore. Once you get your hands on a bottle, do not be surprised to see a screw cap, which is the closure of choice here, even for the highest-end bottles. Winemakers often keep this choice of closure in mind while creating the final blend to make sure they don’t come off as unintentionally reductive when they are opened young, and also so they can age steadily for years to come.
We hope the list below opens you up to the enticing possibilities that Margaret River chardonnays have to offer, and all the bottles are available from any reputable wine retailer for under $40. And stay tuned for our Top 100 Wines of Australia 2021 report, coming soon, which will include a few higher-end chardonnays from the region.
– Nathan Slone, Associate Editor
Cherubino Chardonnay Margaret River 2019 – JS97
International price: $38
Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Margaret River Prelude Vineyards 2018 – JS93
Wine.com: $33.99
Stella Bella Chardonnay Margaret River 2018 – JS93
Wine.com: $29.99
Walsh & Sons Chardonnay Margaret River Burnside 2020 – JS93
International price: $28
Clairault Estate Chardonnay Margaret River Estate 2017 – JS92
KLwines.com: $19.99
Domaine Naturaliste Chardonnay Margaret River Discovery 2016 – JS92
Vivino.com: $20.99
Robert Oatley Chardonnay Margaret River 2017 – JS91
Wine.com: $17.99
Vasse Felix Chardonnay Margaret River Filius 2020 – JS91
Zachys.com: $24.99
Wineaccess.com: $22
