Known as one of Australia’s most important winemaking regions at the “edge of the world”, the Margaret Valley is a beautiful and pristinely preserved place – blessed with a mild climate and ancient gravelly soil, at the nexus between the Indian and Southern Oceans.
Located three hours south of Perth, it’s a fantastic addition to any Western Australia travel itinerary. And if you fancy yourself an avid oenophile? Well, in that case, it’s the whole reason you’ll be flying to the Western seaboard to begin with.
Below, we spill the details on eight of the best Margaret River wineries. As ever here at BH, the aim is to give you a well-rounded snapshot of wine in the region: ranging from historic producers in the mould of Cullen and Leeuwin Estate, to young guns doing avant-garde things with the humble Chardonnay and Cabernet grape.
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Leeuwin Estate, Leeuwin
DETAILS
- Address: Stevens Rd, Margaret River, WA 6285
- Contact: +61 8 9759 0000
- Cellar Door: Open daily, 10 AM – 5 PM
Known among Aussie history buffs as one of the “five founding wineries” of the Margaret River region, Leeuwin is – not to put too fine a point on it – renowned for making the best Chardonnay in Australia.
The land around which the brand’s restaurant, winery, and art gallery now sit was identified for its oenological potential by Robert Mondavi in 1972. Trish and Denis Horgan – the company’s founders – were encouraged by the Californian legend to plant the area substantially to Chardonnay: a grape variety now synonymous with Leeuwin Estate (and the Margaret River in general).
Today, Leeuwin’s ‘Art Series’ remains a benchmark in Australian Chardonnay – even new vintages fetch upwards of $100 per bottle, and 99-point reviews, upon release. The winery also produces a Cabernet Sauvignon as part of its top-flight ‘Art Series’, along with more approachable makes of typical Margaret River varieties.
Visitors tend to make the journey to Leeuwin for the estate’s award-winning forest-side restaurant and private art gallery. The latter is home to over 150 works – a large proportion of which appear on the brand’s own ‘Art Series’ wine labels.
Moss Wood, Wilyabrup
DETAILS
- Address: 926 Metricup Road, Wilyabrup, WA 6285
- Contact: +61 8 9755 6266
- Cellar Door: Monday – Saturday (by request), 9 AM – 4 PM
Since the area was first planted in 1969 by the Pannell family, Moss Wood has become synonymous with some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon in the region. Clare & Keith Mugford purchased the estate in 1984, after the latter’s five-year tenure as Chief Winemaker & Viticulturist.
Today, Cabernet and Chardonnay continue to account for the bulk of Moss Wood’s production; although the estate is one of a few Margaret River wineries that has continued to make high-quality Pinot Noir – noted for its intensity and cellaring potential.
Unlike a number of the other inclusions on our shortlist, Moss Wood is only set up to receive visitors at its cellar door by appointment. As such, it’s recommended you make a booking online (with a minimum of 48 hours’ notice). Visits clock in at around $100: though it’s worth pointing out that this amount is redeemable against any wine that you purchase after your tour.
L.A.S Vino, Various Locations
DETAILS
- Address: 4051 Caves Rd, Wilyabrup, WA 6285
- Contact: +61 8 9755 6266
- Cellar Door: Friday – Sunday, 10 AM – 5 PM
Named for the abbreviation of ‘Luck, Art, & Science’, winemaker Nic Peterkin’s L.A.S. Vino is about as far as you can get from the Vasse Felixes and Leeuwin Estates of the world.
The experimental enfant terrible works in a surprisingly trad way: sourcing fruit from growers all over the Margaret River – not unlike a negociant – in order to make wines in as sustainable and low-intervention a fashion as possible.
The results speak for themselves: such as a Pinot Noir/Chardonnay number, recently ranked the #1 rosé
from the region; or a ‘pirate’ blend, vinified using three extremely rare Portuguese grape varieties.
Thanks to Nic’s familial connection to Dr. Mike Peterkin, the L.A.S. team now also operates a cellar-door-inside-a-cellar-door out of the latter’s historic Pierro estate in Wilyabrup. The only drawback is that tasting times are restricted to weekends.
Vasse Felix, Cowaramup
DETAILS
- Address: Caves Road (Cnr Tom Cullity Drive), Cowaramup, WA 6285
- Contact: +61 8 9756 5000
- Cellar Door: Monday – Sunday, 10 AM – 5 PM
Armed with the research of John Gladstones – one of Western Australia’s most respected agricultural scientists – Dr Tom Cullity founded Vasse Felix in 1967. In so doing, he became the first winemaker to put down roots in the now-established Margaret River – on an eight-hectare site that was to become the genesis of Australia’s finest Cabernet.
Today, under the ownership of the Holmes à Court family, Vasse Felix continues to be one of the iconic producers of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon in the region. Helpfully, this winery’s offering is split into four tiers: ranging from ‘Icon’ wines like the Tom Cullity to the value-driven ‘Filius’ Chardonnay.
As is the case with Leeuwin Estate, Vasse Felix attracts a broad church of visitors. Even if a wine tasting inside the property’s super-secure ‘Vault’ doesn’t kidnap your attention, the on-site Art Gallery and signature restaurant certainly will. (The latter has, crucially, been described as “the benchmark winery restaurant in Australia”.)
Cullen Wines, Willyabrup
DETAILS
- Address: 4323 Caves Road, Cowaramup, WA 6280
- Contact: +61 8 9755 5277
- Cellar Door: Monday – Sunday, 10 AM – 4:30 PM
Both a trailblazer and an institution in the upper echelons of Australia’s wine industry, Cullen was originally founded in 1971 and today remains a family-owned institution. Vanya, daughter of founders Diana and Kevin, assumed the role of Chief Winemaker in 1989.
Since then, she has become the face of biodynamic winemaking in the Margaret River: improving soil health, converting whole vineyards to organic certification, and introducing techniques like lunar calendar harvesting.
These would be amusing diversions if it weren’t for the fact that year in, year out Cullen delivers some of the greatest Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon in the country. Vanya’s appetite for experimentation also means that beyond collector-grade releases like the Bordeaux-style ‘Diana Madeline’, visitors can try things like a late harvest Chenin Blanc or limoncello made with the winery’s distilled grape lees.
The Cullen passion for biodynamics extends to the signature restaurant: where visitors are able to enjoy a 4-course menu, largely consisting of ingredients grown in a series of kitchen gardens (literally, in the winery’s backyard).
Voyager Estate, Stevens Valley
DETAILS
- Address: 41 Stevens Rd, Margaret River WA 6285
- Contact: +61 8 9757 6354
- Cellar Door: Monday – Sunday, 10 AM – 5 PM
Easily one of the most beautiful Margaret River wineries to get our stamp of approval, Voyager Estate was founded in 1978. Much like Cullen, it is a second-generation family-owned operation (it also completed its conversion to organic winemaking in 2023).
The estate sits in an area referred to by James Halliday as the “golden triangle” of the Margaret River: surrounded by lush gardens, neatly manicured vineyards and abutting fellow winemakers Leeuwin and Xanadu.
Voyager’s outward-emanating geography makes it a particularly good option for those visitors who wish to explore the estate on foot. Whatever you do, make sure to check out the winery’s Cape Dutch-style manorhouse: home to both its tasting room and signature restaurant.
Cape Mentelle
DETAILS
- Address: 331 Wallcliffe Rd, Margaret River WA 6285
- Contact: +61 8 9757 0888
- Cellar Door: Monday – Sunday, 10 AM – 5 PM
Another of Margaret River’s five founding wineries, Cape Mentelle was established in 1970 and helped to propel the wider region to public attention in the mid-1980s (after its signature Cabernet Sauvignon won the prestigious ‘Jimmy Watson’ trophy two years running).
Unsurprisingly, the variety is still what Cape Mentelle is most acclaimed for, though it also cultivates a number of dry-grown, low-yielding Zinfandel vines – a tribute to founder David Hohnen, who fell in love with the variety whilst studying in the US in the 1970s.
For visitors who should happen to find themselves in Western Australia during the summer months, we’d strongly urge you to make a trip to Cape Mentelle.
The winery lacks a conventional full-service restaurant, but makes up for this with its seasonal outdoor cinema: giving you an opportunity to pair your glass of Heritage Chardonnay with new releases like Better Man or Paddington in Peru.
Pierro, Willyabrup
DETAILS
- Address: 4051 Caves Road, Willyabrup, WA 6285
- Contact: +61 8 9755 6220
- Cellar Door: Monday – Sunday, 10 AM – 5 PM
Pierro won’t necessarily ping your radar if you’re on the lookout for a winery that’s accompanied by a big-ticket art gallery and hatted restaurant. But for visitors who are genuinely militant about experiencing the best winemaking that the Margaret River has to offer, this one’s a no-brainer.
Established in 1979, this winery is the brainchild of Dr. Mike Peterkin – a towering figure of the region, who helped to popularise the practice of blending Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon while working at Cullen Wines (also located in Wilyabrup) in the ’70s.
Today, a third of Pierro’s vineyards are given to these two aforementioned varieties; both of which find their way into what has been described as “routinely one of the great wines of [the] Margaret River”. That it’s under $40 is beautiful, logic-defying stuff. Unsurprisingly, Peterkin’s Chardonnay – particularly the ‘Vintage Reserve’ – is also very good.
Sure, there’s a functional cellar door seven days a week; but if you’re travelling with the sort of spouse/friend who carries a copy of the Halliday Wine Companion on them at all times, we recommend emailing ahead and organising a personalised tour. Only available on Fridays.
If you’ve enjoyed BH’s guide to all the best wineries in the Margaret River, consider reading a few more of our favourite vinous stories:
