Wine
State Of Play The Best In Margaret River Chardonnay
Margaret River's reputation for serious Chardonnay was cemented over two decades ago, but after a recent Selector tasting, it's clear the tide of quality continues to rise.
When it comes to Chardonnay, we have come a long way in a small amount of time. This assertion only gathers traction as you consider the fact that Australia is now always part of the 'world's best' conversation, and that up until recently 'world's best' was code for Burgundy, and Burgundy has been playing with Chardonnay since the Middle Ages.
Australian Chardonnay became a 'thing' in the 1970s, and as plantings rocketed in the 80s and 90s we started to dream. As we dreamt and projected, our Chardys evolved beyond the tropically fruited, butter-and-wood-garnished examples to today, where character, complexity and elegance take centre stage.
Collectively, regions like the Adelaide Hills, Yarra, Beechworth, North and South Tasmania, Hunter, Geelong, Orange and Victoria's Mornington Peninsula and Macedon have all contributed to this peachy picture, with each having a generous sprinkling of dedicated, passionate producers moving the needle forward.
Margaret River is a significant contributor to this collective, and it's safely arguable that the region has the highest concentration of high quality producers delivering both icons and up-and-coming contenders to the Australian Chardonnay crown. Given the size and age of the region, this is remarkable.
What is unequivocal, however, is that Margaret River is continuing to capture a majority portion of our attention when it comes to exceptional Chardonnay across all styles and price points.
ORIGINS OF MARGARET RIVER CHARDONNAY
The panel assembles: Paul Diamond, Cath Oates, Dave Mavor, Eloise Jarvis, Servine Loga, Feleasha Prendergast, and Emma Gillespie.
Margaret River's Chardonnay competence was established in 1982 when Leeuwin Estate's 1980 Art Series was voted best Chardonnay in the world by the prestigious wine magazine Decanter. It was the first release of this wine and it challenged the then-common perception that Australian Chardonnay lacked depth and didn't age well.
This wine went on to become one of Australia's most collected wines, and added significantly to Margaret Rivers' rapid rise. In 1975, Denis and Trish Horgan, with encouragement and counsel from Robert Mondavi, established Leeuwin Estate with the only real vine material available.
The Chardonnay clone they used was called Gingin, sourced from a research vineyard in the Swan Valley. "Leeuwin Estate pioneered Chardonnay in Margaret River with nursery cuttings planted in 1975," explains Simone Furlong, daughter of Denis and Trish Horgan and CEO of Leeuwin Estate.
"Block 20 was planted in 1976 followed by block 22 in 1978. The first Art Series Chardonnay, featuring a painting of Caves Road by West Australian artist, Robert Juniper, was released in 1980. Denis and Trish then went on to provide cuttings from their original plantings of Chardonnay to other Margaret River producers."
Gingin is central to Margaret River's Chardonnay identity, and was introduced in Australia the 1950s via the University of California, named after the site on which it was first planted. The clone produces loose bunches with 'hen and chicken' (big and small) grape clusters and thick skins. Generally, the vines are low-yielding, resulting in the concentrated, powerful flavours, vibrant acidity, and distinctive texture that have ultimately driven the region's Chardonnay identity and stylistic journey.
This clone's qualities aligned perfectly with the region's cool maritime climate, enabling winemakers to create Chardonnays with a unique combination of power and elegance that has become the region's hallmark.
Severine Logan, chief winemaker at Calneggia Family Vineyards in Margaret River, loves working with Gingin fruit and Margaret River Chardonnay in general. "The fruit is very expressive," explains Severine at the Selector tasting. "It has beautiful natural acidity, power and is a dream for a winemaker to work with because it doesn't need too much intervention, you have to do very little."
STYLE AND SUBSTANCE IN MARGARET RIVER CHARDONNAY
La Kooki winemaker Eloise Jarvis on the pour.
A tasty sea of Margaret River Chardonnay samples.
Talent and clone aside, style and consistency are considerable drivers to the overall success of Margaret River Chardonnay, with its journey mirroring that of Australian Chardonnay as a whole. The region's maritime climate consistently offers generally favourable growing and vintage conditions that allow for a smooth and even transition of style, enabling the evolution from the robust, oak-driven examples of the 1980s to the nice balance of expressions today.
Winemakers have shifted toward restrained use of oak and more careful attention to terroir, resulting in wines that are simultaneously rich and refreshing. Today, Margaret River Chardonnays are a nice balance of power and elegance showcasing bright citrus, stonefruit and red apples, layers of minerality, and a lively, textural acidity that sets them apart from other Australian, French and American styles. Margaret River, due to its blessed terroir attributes, provides us with a unique window into the many stylistic possibilities it can engender.
From the richer, creamier and riper end of the scale, to the struck-match/ wild ferment segment and through to the light, tight and zippy, Margaret River can and does do it all. Encompassing and transcending this multi-faceted array, the region has created a style that is uniquely its own, one that combines the richness and approachability often associated with New World wines with the structure and subtlety of the Old World.
Cath Oates, winemaker at her family's estate Oates Ends, thinks that whilst style potential is broad, experimentation and variation continue pushing the bar higher, forming a flavour identity that sits above style. "Nothing is off the table in regards to winemaking, but I think we really run mostly down the middle of the road," says Cath at the tasting. "There's diversity and consistency, but the wines have a high degree of elegance and linearity but also beautiful flesh and fruit. Lots of complexity and layers from winemaking, but they are easily carried by the fruit weight."
The fruit is very expressive... It has beautiful natural acidity, power and is a dream for a winemaker to work with.
- Severine Logan, Chief Winemaker, Calneggia Family Vineyards
So, with much help from Pip Heaford and Amanda Whiteland from the Margaret River Wine Association, the call was put out across the region and a tasting was held. Expert palates were lent by local winemakers: Cath Oates from Oates Ends, Feleasha Prendergast from Evans & Tate, Severine Logan from Calneggia Family Vineyards, Eloise Jarvis from La Kooki Wines, and Emma Gillespie from Deep Woods Estate joined myself and Wine Selectors panellist and judge David Mavor as we assessed just north of 80 Margaret River Chardonnays.
Overall, the standard across the board was high, very high, with very few faults and a nice array of styles across all vintages and price brackets. From the iconic/ collectable examples, to the stalwarts and through to the emerging players, consistency was a clear positive. What did emerge, despite where each landed on the style graph, was the formation of undeniable regional fruit signatures.
Wilyabrup (considered the region's dress circle) has power, a salt-licked, lime-acid structure, spice and a peach/pear/fig/grapefruit profile. Yallingup, north of Wilyabrup, can have a little less 'oomph' than its cousins to the south, and the fruit has a slightly riper outlook with yellow peaches and honeydew, nuts and fine citrus characters.
South, from the township down towards Karridale, can be finer, allowing more minerality to show with nectarines, white peach and florals adding appeal to the aromatics. Despite the generalisations above, all the wines tasted and reviewed show everything Margaret River and Chardonnay can be in combination, and the excitement around what the future holds for both is delicious and well justified.
Read the full list of Margaret River Chardonnay tasted in the January/February 2025 edition of Selector, available via Subscription, or digitally at PressReader and Magzter.
TOP MARGARET RIVER CHARDONNAY OF THE TASTING
EVANS & TATE REDBROOK RESERVE 2020
RRP $65
A highlight of the tasting. Flinty aromas of lemons, pears, jasmine and apricots flow through to a wonderfully juicy, creamy and elegant palate. Flavours are a complexing mix of pears, grapefruits and cashews, the finish delicious, complex and saline.
HOWARD PARK WINES ALLINGHAM CHARDONNAY 2023
RRP $100
A glorious wine with beautifully complex and elegantly rounded aromatics of lime blossom, cashews, figs and ripe grapefruits. The palate has a lovely savoury/sour balance seasoned with nicely layered and finely textured limes, lime zest, and ripe peach.
CAPE MENTELLE HERITAGE CHARDONNAY 2022
RRP $150
Beautifully crafted, this wine stood out for its length and its creamy, complex melange of white flowers, stonefruits, mineral-laced nashi pear and aniseed flavours. The aromas are beguiling: nectarines, sea spray spritzed with exotic limes.
DOMAINE NATURALISTE PURUS CHARDONNAY 2022
RRP $62
Another star of the tasting, characterised by lifted floral aromas, lime zest, almond kernel and just-ripe pears. The palate is pure, rich, well weighted and glossy with green apples, fleshy pears, cooking spice and minerals.
FRASER GALLOP ESTATE PARTERRE CHARDONNAY 2022
RRP $63
A panel favourite with highly perfumed aromas of citrus, jasmine and lemongrass mixed with struck-match and minerals. The palate is bright, balanced and moreish, driven by salt-licked nectarines, limes, lemons and a savoury finish.