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Margaret River

Australia

About Margaret River

Margaret River is a slim peninsula in the far south-west of Western Australia, with the Indian Ocean on three sides. Its climate is so close to Bordeaux that John Gladstones literally mapped them side by side in 1965 and concluded the same grapes would work. They did. The first vines went in at Vasse Felix in 1967; within a decade Moss Wood, Cullen and Leeuwin Estate were following. Today Margaret River is Australia's other Cabernet capital alongside Coonawarra and the country's premier site for Chardonnay, often blended with Sauvignon Blanc into the regional house style (the SBS). Six unofficial sub-districts run north to south from warm Yallingup down to cool Karridale, with the heartland at Wilyabrup.

Vintage Ratings

Rating:
95+
90-94
85-89
80-84
<80
PeakReadyHold
Year20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005
Red
White

Outstanding Margaret River Vintages

The best recent vintages rated excellent or exceptional.

Red

2024

Ready
95Exceptional

Mild, dry summer with no major heat spikes. Early reports point to particularly strong Cabernet and balanced Chardonnay with good natural acidity.

2023

Ready
94Excellent

Cool, late season after a wet spring. Chardonnay is fragrant and tightly structured, Cabernet is medium-bodied with fine tannin.

2022

Ready
96Exceptional

Outstanding all-round vintage. Even ripening produced concentrated, age-worthy Cabernet and finely detailed Chardonnay.

2021

Ready
97Exceptional

Widely seen as a great vintage. Cabernet shows classic cassis, cedar and bay with firm fine-grained tannin, built for the long haul.

2020

Ready
94Excellent

Smaller crop after windy spring flowering. Wines are concentrated and elegant, with very good Chardonnay across the board.

2019

Ready
95Exceptional

Warm and dry but moderated by sea breezes. Cabernet is ripe and generous, Chardonnay holds bright citrus drive thanks to cool nights.

2018

Ready
98Exceptional

Widely hailed as a great Cabernet vintage. Long even ripening, low disease pressure and ideal tannin maturity produced wines built for two decades or more.

2016

Ready
94Excellent

Warm, generous season. Cabernet is ripe and plush, more approachable than 2018.

2015

Ready
95Exceptional

Excellent vintage with concentrated Cabernet and pure, focused Chardonnay. Top wines are drinking beautifully now.

2014

Ready
95Exceptional

Cool to mild season with classic balance. Cabernet is structured and fragrant, Chardonnay is elegant with bright acidity.

White

2024

Ready
95Exceptional

Mild, dry summer with no major heat spikes. Early reports point to particularly strong Cabernet and balanced Chardonnay with good natural acidity.

2023

Ready
94Excellent

Cool, late season after a wet spring. Chardonnay is fragrant and tightly structured, Cabernet is medium-bodied with fine tannin.

2022

Ready
96Exceptional

Outstanding all-round vintage. Even ripening produced concentrated, age-worthy Cabernet and finely detailed Chardonnay.

2021

Ready
97Exceptional

Widely seen as a great vintage. Cabernet shows classic cassis, cedar and bay with firm fine-grained tannin, built for the long haul.

2020

Ready
94Excellent

Smaller crop after windy spring flowering. Wines are concentrated and elegant, with very good Chardonnay across the board.

2019

Ready
95Exceptional

Warm and dry but moderated by sea breezes. Cabernet is ripe and generous, Chardonnay holds bright citrus drive thanks to cool nights.

2018

Ready
98Exceptional

Widely hailed as a great Cabernet vintage. Long even ripening, low disease pressure and ideal tannin maturity produced wines built for two decades or more.

2016

Ready
94Excellent

Warm, generous season. Cabernet is ripe and plush, more approachable than 2018.

2015

Ready
95Exceptional

Excellent vintage with concentrated Cabernet and pure, focused Chardonnay. Top wines are drinking beautifully now.

2014

Ready
95Exceptional

Cool to mild season with classic balance. Cabernet is structured and fragrant, Chardonnay is elegant with bright acidity.

Curious about Margaret River? Save it to your Discoveries and tick it off when you taste your first wine.

Sub-districts

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Terroir & Character

Climate

MaritimeMediterraneanEven temperatureOcean influence

Terroir

GravelLateriteGraniteFree-draining

Typical Aromas

BlackcurrantCedarTobacco leafBayStone fruitCitrus
Explore the aroma wheel

Map data: Wine Australia GI Register (CC BY 4.0) · Sub-district markers from OpenStreetMap (ODbL); Gladstones 1999 framework