Champagne, Margaret River
Margaret river
Maritime Margaret River is a beautiful mixing pot of nature, surf and wine. It’s a rare place in that it produces some of Australia’s most stylish and prized Chardonnays as well as some of our most elegant and complex Cabernets. On paper it sounds like a lovechild between Bordeaux and Burgundy, but in reality it’s not.
A few hours south of Perth, Margaret River is home to some of Australia’s greatest wineries – Cullen, Vasse Felix, Leeuwin, Moss Wood and Cape Mentelle. In terms of newcomers, we take our hats off to Nocturne, Dormilona and Flametree.
Chardonnay, semillion and sauvignon blanc lead the charge on the white grapes. Oak is favoured in the premium styles which complements a rich core of nectarines, peaches and orchard fruits. For reds, cabernet is the chosen one, and is often blended with merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot. These red blends personify elegance and ageability.
The wines of Margaret River fly the flag for modern Australian wines, a beautiful balance of fruit and workmanship.
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The Margaret River wine region (some 240km south of Perth) is the most important region, alon with the Great Southern in Western Australia. Its viticultural history began in the nineteenth century on a very small scale when the grandfather of Dr Kevin Cullen, founder of Cullen Wines established vineyards at Bunbury in 1890, though the vineyard site has now been absorbed by Bunburys unban suburbs. Contemporary Margaret river viticulture began in 1967 when Perth cardiologist Tom Cullity - inspired by papers written by John Gladstones from the University of WA which suggested Margaret River was a good place to grow grapes - planted the first commercial vineyard at Vasse Felix. Moss Wood, Cape Mentelle and Cullen soon followed and since then Margaret River has grown to become regarded as one of Australia's, and the world's great wine-producing regions and today there are nearly 5,500 hectares under vine and over 120 wine producers in the region.
Though warm, Margaret River's proximity to the Indian Ocean provides a moderating effect ensuring a temperate dry climate which is often likened to Bordeaux, in part due to the moderating influence of its proximity to the ocean and also due to the marked similarities between the average growing tempreture in Margaret River and Bordeaux in a dry vintage. These warm even growing conditions allow for the cultivation of a number of diverse grape varieties, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc (often blended together) does well here, producing fresh textural white wines best condumed in their youth. However, the real heroes are the world class Chardonnays (headed by Leeuwin Estate and Cullen) and Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet blends, Cullen and Moss Wood, that have done much to propel both the region and it's star performers on the world stage. Vasse Felix, Voyager Estate, Cullen, Moss Wood, Lenton Brae, Pierro, Fraser Gallop and Woodlands are just some of the benchmark producers.
Sources:
The Wine Atlas of Australia, James Halliday
Champagne
The chalky soils of Champagne combined with its frigid growing environment create wines that are electric and salivating. But it’s the creation of bubbles that makes these wines stand out.
The bubbles are formed during a secondary fermentation in bottle, known as Méthode Traditionelle. The longer they age, the more nougat and brioche flavours develop and the finer the bead (bubble) becomes.
In terms of who invented Champagne, the English make a strong case as they worked out the formula for purposely making the fizz happen and their stronger coal-fired glass bottles - resulting from the Industrial Revolution - could hold the pressure. Whereas the French were still bottling in wood-fired glass which wasn’t strong enough and they hadn’t cracked the technique of creating bubbles on purpose.
Grapes
White: Chardonnay
Red: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Styles
Nowhere in the world can emulate the fineness and electric detail of these wines. Non-vintage Champagnes should be enjoyed earlier in their lives, while vintage wines have more structure and can age beautifully. House styles differ too. Blanc des Blancs (100% Chardonnay) offer a more elegant and fragile expression while Blanc des Noirs (100% Pinot and or Meunier) are darker fruited with more obvious structure and power.
Favourite Producers
Pierre Peters, Louis Roederer, Vilmart, Andre Clouet, Taittinger, Larmandier, Egly-Ouriet, Jacques Selosse
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Deep Woods Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2023JAMES HALLIDAY'S TOP 100 WINES 2023
There's a special bond between place and variety here that creates a style unmatched elsewhere in Australia. The partial barrel ferment of a richly flavoured mix of snow pea, citrus and passionfruit has a refreshing undercarriage of polished acidity. (95) JAMES HALLIDAYSPECIAL VALUE - It oscillates between showy and bright with varietal flavours of snow peas, lemon balm, lemon-lime juice and passionfruit pith. A neat slip of texture with some creamy lees and slightly sticky phenolics JANE FAULKNER
2022sauvignon BlancAustralia432$26.00 As low as $23.40 -
Higher Plane 'Time for Heroes' Malbec 2024SPECIAL BUY - A seriously gorgeous dark purple colour – tooth staining, but who cares? Youthful and vibrant, smelling of violets, warm bitumen, black pepper and woodsy spices, while flavours of blueberries, boysenberries and black cherries fill the light- to mid-weighted palate. It’s not all upfront fruit – there’s some earthiness/savouriness in the mix with poppy red cherry acidity and raw silk tannins. (93) JANE FAULKNER, Halliday Wine Companion2024MalbecAustralia432$29.00 As low as $26.10 -
Voyager Estate Chenin Blanc 2024Fruit for the Chenin Blanc comes from three organically farmed estate blocks on the Voyager Estate property. Voyager has some of the oldest Chenin Blanc in the Margaret River region, with some of the vines planted as far back as 1978. The vineyard soils are mostly gravelly loams with stony clay subsoils, providing excellent drainage and good moisture-holding capacity. The resulting fruit has exceptional balance.
One of the better chenin blancs from Voyager Estate to date as it has flavour and richness but stays neatly in the dry spectrum. Poached pears and quince, lemon balm and lime curd with an intriguing waft of lanolin and the tug of phenolics add to the palate's shape. There's refreshment throughout but also depth. Lovely. JANE FAULKNER, wine companion2023Chenin BlancAustralia432$29.00 As low as $26.10 -
Voyager Estate Coastal Chardonnay 2023Such a pleasing drink as it’s not too heavy, not too light, but just right. A complete combo of white stone fruit, woodsy spices, creamy, nutty lees and a lick of vanillin/cedary oak. The acidity keeps this vibrant and refreshing. SPECIAL VALUE - JANE FAULKNER, Halliday Wine Companion
2023chardonnayAustralia432$29.00 -
Domaine Naturaliste Discovery Chardonnay 2023Before I tell you that Bruce Dukes' career has spanned over 3 decades and that he's had years of experience both locally and abroad, it's likely a good idea to start at the finish: Bruce Dukes is wholly talented, and while he makes high-quality acclaimed wines for his own estate - Domaine Naturaliste - he also does this for a raft of other, smaller producers in Margaret River and Geographe. His winemaking style is one of fresh, pure fruit over obvious or intrusive winemaking artifact, and the wines routinely possess a polish and eminent drinkability. ERIN LARKIN
Aromas of crushed stones, lemon peel, sliced pink grapefruit and subtle ground spice. Medium-bodied with a lot of pleasant white tea character. Jasmine and leafy herbs come through. Drink now. JAMES SUCKLING
Tasting with Bruce is a pretty remarkable experience. The guy knows his business and he knows he is getting things done, better than most. He is a crazy character though. You have to strap in and get ready for the ride. He runs from jovial and humorous through to intense and stern. Kind of like his wines. Some of them are driven, intense and focused things, some are a little more uplifting and joyous. This one definitely sits somewhere in the middle and we love it!2023chardonnayAustralia432$30.00 As low as $27.00 -
Dormilona Yokel Rose 2023More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2023Australia432$31.00 As low as $27.90 -
Voyager Estate Sparkling Chenin Blanc 2023More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2023Chenin BlancAustralia432$32.00 As low as $28.80 -
Twinwoods Estate Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022Cabernet SauvignonAustralia432$36.00 As low as $32.40 -
Woodlands 'Margaret' Cabernet Blend 2017 375mlDeep, dark red/purple colour, with a profound bouquet of dark fruits, violets, dried herb and dried floral notes interlocked with blackberry, layered with ample tannins and lasting very long on the follow-through. Superb flavour and structure. A statuesque cabernet blend. Margaret seems to build gravitas with each succeeding vintage. (96) HUON HOOKE, The Real Review
Inky, brooding style red, deep, dark berry fruit flavours, warm, brown spice notes, twiggy wood, good sense of tension between acidity and tannin rolled in. Satisfying, savoury-leaning red with earth, truffle and dusty notes creeping in. Good sense of elegance and charm. MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front2017Cabernet BlendsAustralia432$37.00 As low as $33.30 -
Domaine Naturaliste Floris Chardonnay 2023Lifted aromas of grapefruit pith, just-ripe white stone fruit, white lily, melon skin and mineral. Bright, textured and layered in flavour. Nectarine, citrus and a lick of nutty, creamy oak all shaping the wine nicely. Long and satisfying. AARON BRASHER, The Real Review
A very good vintage for Chardonnay in Margaret River.This is a fine-boned and fairly lean expression of MR Chardonnay, and I’m trying to decide if it’s just a bit too lean, or just a cooler style. It’s floral, white fruit and grapefruit, a firm kiss of ginger oak, which subsides with some airing, and slight struck match. It has some sour yoghourt in with white fruit and citrus, almond too, a pleasing chalk dust texture, and a bright finish of good length and tangy citrus zip. Nice wine. Lively. I’d like a bit more substance in the middle, though others may find the light touch just the ticket. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
2023chardonnayAustralia432$37.00 As low as $33.30 -
Fire Gully Chardonnay 2023A wine that has continue to evolve over the years and now has a distinctive style that is all about friendly expression of fruit with a little subtle unobtrusive oak inclusion. Nice melony cashew characters with a gentle hint of stone fruit adding richness. It's a light bodied style that screams out for drinking in the next few years. Crunchy lemony zip on the finish heights the crisp acidity.
RAY JORDAN, WA Wine Review 2025
2023chardonnayAustralia432$38.00 As low as $34.20 -
Nocturne SR Cabernets 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022Cabernet BlendsAustralia432$38.00 As low as $34.20 -
Nocturne SR Chardonnay 2024More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2024chardonnayAustralia432$39.00 As low as $35.10 -
Xanadu Chardonnay 2023Aromas of nougat, nectarine, grapefruit, white flowers and nutty oak. The flavours are mouth-filling, textured and creamy. There's a drive of just-ripe white stone fruit and citrus and the tangy acidity delivers plenty of cut and shape AARON BRASHER, The Real Review2023chardonnayAustralia432$42.00 As low as $37.80 -
Domaine Naturaliste Rebus Cabernet Sauvignon 2023still shy but oh so stunning. Fragrant and heady, a spiced woody note frames the fruit with incense of frankincense and myrrh. This pure Cabernet has lashings of blackcurrant, ribbon-like tannins and oodles of fruit on a bed of oak...A wine of it's place with so much going on in it's youth and much more to come as it matures. 95 CASSANDRA CHARLICK WinePilot2023Cabernet SauvignonAustralia432$43.00 As low as $38.70 -
Vasse Felix Premier Chardonnay 2023One of the best chardonnays yet under this label. But you expect that with mature vineyards, a great vintage and continually refined winemaking. Opens with a slightly savoury cashew aromatic, which is intense and immediately engaging. The palate is deep and multi-layered. Explosive and powerful, it extends with real purpose to a long though still linear and defined finish. One of the best. (96) RAY JORDAN
I was out and about in Leichhardt today, which is surely one of the more difficult suburbs to spell, and decided to pretend I was a normal person and pop into a bottle shop. In this case, Vintage Cellars, and it’s invariably interesting to see what’s on the shelves. Anyway, my partner told me she’d tried this wine earlier in the week, and that it was good. So we bought a bottle.Some struck match, grapefruit, lemon oil, light spicy oak and cashew, honey florals, and fennel. Juicy but tight, with good intensity and flavour, though it’s still pretty light on its feet, a little nectarine and honeydew melon in with citrus, creamy cashew, light struck match, with a bright grapefruit tang on a finish of excellent length. A strong release of this wine, I think. (94) GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
2021chardonnayAustralia432$44.00 As low as $39.60 -
Frazer Woods La Cache Blanc de Blancs 2016More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2016chardonnayAustralia432$44.00 As low as $39.60 -
Frazer Woods La Cache Estate Sparkling ShirazMore product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
NVshirazAustralia432$44.00 As low as $39.60 -
La Kooki Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2020More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2020Cabernet SauvignonAustralia432$45.00 As low as $40.50 -
Dormilona Margaret River Chardonnay 2023Let’s roll in the hay with Chardonnay! Hand-harvested fresh from the Margaret River region’s stunning Burnside vineyard, grapes are whole bunch-pressed into a mixture of large format oak and amphora. Undergoing natural fermentation plus malo, our Chardonnay is then racked simply to bottle on a bright and fruity day! DORMILONA2023chardonnayAustralia432$46.00 As low as $41.40 -
Twinwoods Estate Optivus Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2017Cabernet SauvignonAustralia432$46.00 As low as $41.40 -
Cullen Cabernet Merlot 2024More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2024Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, MerlotAustralia432$48.00 As low as $43.20 -
Walsh & Sons Hamish Chardonnay 2023Named for Hamish David Walsh, and as it happens, my brother is David Arthur Walsh. A blend of Burnside Chardonnay (raised in anfora) and Osmington (three year old oak).
Well, this is a wild one for sure. It’s kind of sweaty and clove spiced, oyster shell, white mushroom, lime and cape gooseberry. It’s saline and savoury, powdery and dusty in texture, some cashew cream in the mix, with a curry leaf finish of good length. It’s kind of dirty, and yet, I find it strangely compelling. Hard to rate, interesting to drink! GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
2023chardonnayAustralia432$50.00 As low as $45.00 -
Walsh & Sons Hamish Chardonnay 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021chardonnayAustralia432$51.00 As low as $45.90 -
Dormilona Clayface Chardonnay 2023No oak at all as Clayface is an amphora wine; the fruit is basket pressed to a single Italian amphora. This started out shy on the aromatic front, even if the palate came out textural and seductive. It’s worth decanting so that all the aromas and flavours are revealed: stone fruit, dabs of Meyer lemon and preserved lemon, too. The palate is invigorating, with ginger spice, galangal, and there’s a tanginess offset by a light layer of butter/cream, but oh-so light. It’s complex, energising and different. Yup, minuscule quantities. (95) JANE FAULKNER, Halliday Wine Companion
Matured in clay amphora from gooder bits of good vineyard in Margaret River.This has some mojo. Succulent texture with a rub of granitic chew, elements of terracotta and briny savouriness amongst peach, nectarine and cumquat sweet-sour tang. Exotic in a way, but pleasingly so, very even and well balanced in flavours, evocatively perfumed and generally, wildly drinkable. Lots of charm and x-factor here. Keen. (94) MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front
2023chardonnayAustralia432$54.00 As low as $48.60 -
Idee Fixe Blanc de Blancs Premier Brut 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021Sparkling WineAustralia432$55.00 As low as $49.50 -
Cullen Metricup Chardonnay 2024Floral with notes of white flowers, elderflower and concentrated fruit, Fresh picked nectarines, sweet chamomile, nashi pear, quince and citrus rind. There’s an abundance of bound ripe fruit, Anjou pear, yellow peaches, red apple skins and citrus curd. Fresh acidity and gentle phenolics envelope around the rich fruit core of the wine. It’s elegant in style, showing a fresh and clean finish. The wine is supported by mineral characters of crushed seashells and coastal salinity that are, for the time being, gently hidden beneath the rich fruit power of the wine, waiting patiently to expand as the wine evolves in the bottle. CULLEN2024chardonnayAustralia432$56.00 As low as $50.40 -
Cullen Cabernet Merlot 20232023 was a brilliant year for Cabernet Sauvignon and proved perfect ripening for Cabernet Sauvignon and merlot and Cullen vineyard. Made from 100% bio-dynamically certified fruit a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot,1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec has created a wine of great depth supported by delicious fine grained tannins.
The wine was matured in barriques of which 20% were new. CULLEN
2023Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, MerlotAustralia432$56.00 As low as $50.40 -
Domaine Naturaliste Artus Chardonnay 2022A touch of funk here, some smoky sulfides and toasty barrel derived character allied with nougat honey and toasted nuts. A wine of refinement and restraint as well as good depth of flavour, the refreshing acidity towing the flavour long through an extended finish. (Karridale fruit, Gingin clone; underwent malolactic). (95) HUON HOOKE, Real Review
Well this is the Gin Gin clone from Karridale, gets the whole malo thing, and 40% new oak. Heavy bottles still, unlike Leeuwin and Cullen, who are leading the way in this respect.Powerful wine, and glossy, and buttery, cashew nut richness, toast. ginger and clove, with some struck match, pear and grapefruit. It’s a slippery viscous and powerful affair, toffee and grapefruit, mango richness, maybe a little bit brassy and bold, but saline and savoury to close, with a finish of fine length and chalky texture. (94) GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
2022chardonnayAustralia432$60.00 As low as $54.00 -
Voyager Estate The Modern Cabernet 2021First poured, a ghastly apparition appeared – as if this had been placed in a corset and cinched tight. In a vinous sense, that means decanting or letting this beauty breathe in the glass. It has all the varietal appeal of Margs: its shapely tannins, supple and ever-so-slightly grainy and its savouriness. Very little oak impact (15% new French barriques), other than offering a complementary light seasoning of cedary spices. 95 JANE FAULKNER, wine companion
2021Cabernet SauvignonAustralia432$61.00 As low as $54.90 -
Hay Shed Hill Block 2BLOCK 2 on the Hay Shed Hill vineyard was planted in 1975 to the Houghton clone of Cabernet Sauvignon. These old dry grown vines have sunk deep roots into the gravelly loam soil profile providing the nutrient basis they need. Block 2 has a steep northern facing aspect maximizing the sunlight interception by the vines providing ideal ripening conditions.
COLOUR: Dense dark red to black colour of great intensity.TASTING NOTES: Ripe berry aromas of great intensity with underlying dusty and earthy characters. There is depth to the nose indicating there are reserves of complex aromas yet to develop. The palate is substantial with intense and fully ripe, fleshy sweet fruit filling the mid palate with great palate extension driven by the ripe and mature tannin. The mouthfeel is robust but the tannins are smooth.CELLARING: This is a strong wine with ripe tannin and strong fruit depth indicating it will benefit from careful cellaring. The expectation is that the wine would benefit from 10 years of maturation. HAY SHED HILL2020Cabernet SauvignonAustralia432Special Price $63.00 Regular Price $74.00 -
Domaine Naturaliste Purus Chardonnay 2023Feeling tired and sluggish? A glass of this pure, racy Purus will bring spark back into your life. It’s more than the refreshing acidity, which is moreish and energising, there’s a light film of citrus and white stone fruit, a little spice, a very fine layering of texture and oak. Superb balance and length. Love it. (96) JANE FAULKNER, Halliday Wine Companion
Bright and lively in the glass. Lifted aromas of grapefruit pith, just-ripe white stone fruit, white flowers, mineral and nutty oak. Concentrated, fine and balanced in flavour. Peach, nectarine, citrus and crunchy acidity are all at play. The finish is dry and grippy and the length is impressive. Tightly wound at the moment and will benefit from cellaring. AARON BRASHER, The Real Review
Purus. Karridale. Dijon clones 76, 95 and clone 5. 40% new oak.White peach, grapefruit, spicy clove and ginger oak, green olive and fennel, white flowers. It’s a tight wine, distinct green olive and lime rind bite, a little sour yoghourt, and quite some acidity here, a powdery chalky texture, with an olive brine savoury finish of zip and good length. It’s shelly and maybe sits on the cusp of ripeness, though it does have energy, and, I feel a bit of upside given a few more years in bottle. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
2023chardonnayAustralia432$65.00 As low as $58.50 -
Andre Clouet Grande Reserve NV 375mlANDRE CLOUET (9/10)
Bouzy and Ambonnay are the epicentre of pinot noir in Champagne, and the Clouet family is the priviledged custodian of eight hectares of estate vines in the best middle slopes of both villages. These are rich and concentrated expressions of pinot noir, wines of deep complexity, multi faceted interest and engaging character, yet with remarkable restraint and sense of control. Recent tastings confirm my impression that this small and relatively unknown grower ranks high among Champagne's finest practitioners of pinot noir - and expresses one of the best value of all.
100% Bouzy and Ambonnay pinot noir. 6g/L dosage
Release after release, year after year, I have always marvelled at the lemon blossom freshness that Clouet manages to capture in pinot noir from two of Champagne's most powerful terroirs. Here it is again, in a captivating interplay of fleshy mirabelle plums, white peaches, crunchy golden delicious apples, and even a hint of pepper. Wild honey and mixed spice join the maelstrom along the way, gliding obediently into a well defined finish of soft minerality and integrated dosage. TYSON STELZER, The Champagne Guide 2014-2015
(100% Pinot Noir)The NV Brut Grande Reserve offers up layers of mineral-infused red fruits on a silky, mid-weight frame, with gorgeous length and a refined, subtle mousse. This impeccable, elegant wine shows terrific overall balance as well as complexity. I loved it. Andre Clouet is based in Bouzy, a village where Pinot Noir speaks with great eloquence, as is evident in these superb, pedigreed Champagnes. ANTONIO GALLONI, Robert ParkerNVChampagneFrance376$66.00 As low as $59.40 -
Corymbia Cabernet Sauvignon 2021More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021Cabernet SauvignonAustralia432$68.00 As low as $61.20 -
Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2023Tim Shand has made such a profound impact since taking over as winemaker in ‘22 and while it’s early days, gee what’s on offer looks very, very good. Vintage ‘23 is his first complete harvest. Already subtlety is apparent, although plenty of flavour here with stone fruit and citrus, wafts of lemon verbena and celery seed. It’s flinty, spicy and creamy with nutty lees. This is moreish and the savoury edge comes through in tandem with tangy and juicy acidity, and almost a pop of saline tang to finish. Impressive. (95) JANE FAULKNER, Halliday Wine Companion
One of the most common misconceptions in wine is that every wine is as absolutely good as it can be. Most wines, rather, are made to their price point, or to their position in the winery’s range of wines. I’m not sure if it’s relevant to point this out here – it may not be – but I loved it when winemaker Tim Shand said this week that he had re-positioned Voyager Chardonnay to simply be “the best wine that it can be. It’s seventy bucks and it has to be worth that, wringing wet, every day, every time.”This is the best Voyager chardonnay in yonks. It’s all by degrees of course but every degree in wine is hard won. This wine has flavour and texture but it’s the length that gets you going. It shows smoke characters, grilled peach, lemon curd and a jasmine element. There are flint notes here, as a whisper – which is interesting, because Voyager Chardonnay generally doesn’t or hasn’t shown flint characters in the past. It works here. 2023 was Shand’s first full vintage in charge of Voyager’s winemaking and if this wine is an indication, we’re in for a ride. (95) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front
2023chardonnayAustralia432$70.00 As low as $63.00 -
Vasse Felix DHJ1 Single Plot Chardonnay 2023In pure quality terms this is right up there with the Heytesbury release. It is though a cleaner, purer style, its grapefruit and stonefruit characters bell clear, its creamy mouthfeel so perfectly played and placed. I loved the 20222 release of this wine and I love this 2023 as well. It’s a wine of genuine power, noteworthy finesse and outstanding length. It is, essentially, chardonnay in all its glory. CAMPBELL MATTINSON2023chardonnayAustralia432 -
La Kooki Wines Boya Margaret River Chardonnay 2021More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021chardonnayAustralia432$72.00 As low as $64.80 -
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Bollinger Special Cuvee NV 375mlMore product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
NVChampagneFrance376$73.00 As low as $65.70 -
McHenry Hohnen Calgardup Brook Vineyard Chardonnay 2019Rock salt, smoke and seaweed on rocks - a wine that smells of the sea. But, oh how it thrills and fills into its fruit on the palate. Hazelnuts, almond blossom, masses of chalk-lined lime; cold white apples, gold-skinned. Long-limbed, rangy, breathtakingly graceful. It has a saline sparsity, yet draws a crescent line through the mouth, filling every corner with a cool lunar glow and the promise of fulness to come. The finest gauze of white pepper, peppermint and pressed-pear sweetness on the finish. Super-subtle complexity. (17.5+) TAMLYN CURRIN, jancisrobinson.com
The 2019 vintage was cool in Margaret River, with no shortage of rain. For those producers that handled the vineyards with detail and agile responsiveness, the vintage was a resounding success. The 2019 Calgardup Brook Vineyard Chardonnay is minerally and layered with graphite and flint laced into the aromatics. In the mouth, the wine is taut and spicy, but it has expanse and shape through the mid-palate onward, too. Through the finish, there's a saline/nougat nutty character: almond skin and walnut. Very smart. A brilliant wine that will only improve. (95+) ERIN LARKIN, wineadvocate.com
2019chardonnayAustralia432$75.00 As low as $67.50 -
L.A.S. Vino Barrels of Metricup Chardonnay 2023The 2023 Barrels of Metricup Chardonnay leads with pineapple and pressed linen, yellow peach and Pink Lady apples. In the mouth, the wine is rich and full, loaded with opulent fruit and exotic spice. Everything is kept in check, and there is a long spool of flavour through the finish. For a mild, long year, this is concentrated, powerful and ripe. It's really good."
(95) ERIN LARKIN, The Wine Advocate
2023chardonnayAustralia432$82.00 As low as $73.80 -
Apollonis Authentic Meunier Blanc de Noir Brut NVBased in the Marne Valley, this producer has a predominance of Pinot Meunier in many of its Champagnes. Winemaker Marie Petit Loriot plays the tanks music as the wine ferments. This fruity wine is vibrant, densely textured and at the dry end of Brut. WINE ENTHUSIASTNVChampagneFrance376$85.00 As low as $76.50 -
Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut NVMore product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
ChampagneFrance376$86.00 As low as $77.40 -
Deep Woods Reserve Chardonnay 2023More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2023chardonnayAustralia432$87.00 As low as $78.30 -
Brimoncourt Regence NVA lightly toasty and flavorful Champagne with notes of praline, candied walnut, lemon peel and grilled orange. Fine bubbles. Pretty balance of toasty nut and zesty citrus. Dry feel. JAMES SUCKLINGNVChampagneFrance376$87.00 As low as $78.30 -
Brocard Pierre Champagne 'Tradition' NVBrocard Pierre's entry-level and only blended-grape expression of Champagne, Cuvée Tradition Brut, spends three years on the lees in bottle before release, which in our opinion, makes it one of the best quality-for-value wine of Champagne.
The Tradition is made of Pinot Noir (80%), Chardonnay (10%) and Pinot Blanc (10%) grapes from vineyards planted on clay-calcareous soil near Celles-sur-Ource. 2018 vintage reserve wine makes up the dominant base, while 30% comes from different réserve vintages. The juice was fermented in oak (15%) and stainless steel (85%) at controlled temperature. The wine then spent 4 months in stainless steel, and it was aged on lees for 2.5 years. It has 6g/l of dosage.
A flattering nose dominated by the Pinot Noir. Good harmony in the mouth, strength associated with freshness but not heavy accompanied by a slightly mentholated finish. Ripe citrus. Unctuous mousse. Chalky, mineral and saline and mouth coating. Generous autolitic notes.
NVChampagneFrance376$89.00 As low as $80.10 -
Thierry Fournier Blanc de Blanc NVJulien explains that the Marne Valley vines sit in clay limestone soils, often giving richer Chardonnay notes than fruit from the Cote de Blancs. That said this is still very, very precise and fine with a rich mid palate for sure but then a precise, linear finish. To describe the flavour profile as ‘Chablis with bubbles’ would be perhaps to over-simplify things but this certainly makes for a sleek yet flavourful NV. Importer CellarHandNVChampagneFrance376$90.00 As low as $81.00 -
Vilmart Ratafia de Champagne 500mlSTAFF PICKS 2024 - KAYLEEN REYNOLDS
Easily the best Ratafia I have ever tasted. Yes, the sample size is not large but it comes as no surprise knowing Vilmart's track record of making fine wines. Ratafia de Champenois AKA Champagne's vin de liqueur.
100% chardonnay from premier cru sites in village Rilly-la-Montagne of Montagne de Reims. Fermentation is stopped before completion by adding young grape spirit resulting in a sweet, full-flavoured wine that is delicate and oh so elegant. A must have for the festive season alongside Nan's pavlova or a stinky wash rind cheese. (serve chilled)
Candied apricots, lemon curd and cashew nut, instantly we know we are onto a great thing here! On tasting, we see wild honey on buttered toast with orange peel and white nectarine, all laced around stoney minerality. The impeccable balance of flavour intensity, residual sugar and grape spirit is remarkable. Persistent length is matched with refreshment. Finesse through and through. KAYLEEN REYNOLDS, pws
The 2013 Ratafia (Chardonnay) is laced with hints of dried fruit, almond, dried flowers and chamomile. It offers gorgeous complexity, along with notable energy and freshness. It is a very fine, elegant Ratafia. ANTONIO GALLONI
NVchardonnayFrance376$90.00 As low as $81.00