Wine region
Margaret River
Margaret River in south-western Australia: maritime climate between two oceans, with elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Semillon-Sauvignon blends.
- Location
- south-west of Western Australia, about 280 km south of Perth, between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin
- Vineyard area
- about 5,700 hectares, about 2 per cent of Australia’s grape harvest
- Main grapes
- Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Semillon; then Shiraz and Merlot
- Climate
- Mediterranean with strong maritime influence: about 1,100 mm of rain, mostly in winter; dry summers cooled by sea breezes
- Signature wines
- Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet-Merlot blends, Chardonnay, Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc blends
- Milestone
- 1967 Vasse Felix, one of the first modern vineyards; 1996 registered as a geographical indication
Margaret River lies at the south-western tip of Australia, about 280 kilometres south of Perth, on a strip of land between Cape Naturaliste to the north and Cape Leeuwin to the south. The Indian Ocean borders it to the west and the Southern Ocean to the south. The region is small: with about 5,700 hectares it supplies only about 2 per cent of Australia’s grape harvest, yet its wines are among the most respected in the country, and its share of the Australian premium market is said to exceed 20 per cent.
The climate is Mediterranean with a strong maritime influence. About 1,100 millimetres of rain falls a year, most of it between May and September; summers are dry and warm, with cooling sea breezes in the afternoon. Because the oceans even out temperatures, swings between day and night and between seasons are modest, the grapes ripen evenly and keep their acidity. In dry vintages the climate is often compared with that of Bordeaux.
Wine growing here is young. In the 1960s the agronomist John Gladstones pointed to the potential of the area; in 1967 Tom Cullity planted one of the first modern vineyards at Vasse Felix, with Cabernet Sauvignon and other varieties. In the following years Moss Wood, Cullen, Cape Mentelle and Leeuwin Estate followed, and in the 1970s the first Chardonnay vines went in. In 1996 Margaret River was registered as a geographical indication, with legally defined boundaries.
Four varieties dominate the harvest: Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Semillon. Cabernet Sauvignon is the leading red: medium-bodied, perfumed, with blackcurrant, cedar and fine tannins, often completed with Merlot, Malbec or Petit Verdot, in the style of Bordeaux. Chardonnay mostly comes from the Gingin clone and is concentrated, with peach, grapefruit and flint, matured in French oak. Then there is the fresh blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, made in stainless steel, with gooseberry, passion fruit and lime; Margaret River is especially well known for this premium style in Australia.
At the table Margaret River Cabernet goes with rack of lamb, beef fillet and game; it keeps well and can mature for some years. The Chardonnay suits poultry, veal and fish in a butter sauce, the Sauvignon-Semillon seafood, oysters and goat’s cheese. Anyone who likes white Bordeaux and its Sauvignon-Semillon blend will find a fresh, fruit-driven version in Margaret River.