New World

Margaret River

Australia · Maritime

Margaret River sits at Australia's southwest tip, a maritime peninsula with consistent rainfall and a very even ripening season — climatically closer to Bordeaux than to most of inland Australia. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet-Merlot blends are the regional flagship; Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon (the SBS blend) lead the whites. Most vines are own-rooted, planted on iron-rich gravel and sandy loam.

Signature grapes

cabernet sauvignon
chardonnay
sauvignon blanc
semillon

Defining styles

still red
still white

Famous appellations

Wilyabrup
Wallcliffe
Karridale

History

A 1965 paper by agronomist John Gladstones identified the area as climatically suited for Bordeaux varieties. The first plantings followed in 1967 (Vasse Felix), with Cape Mentelle, Moss Wood, and Cullen establishing through the 1970s. The region is geographically remote but quality-focused; under 5% of Australian production but a disproportionate share of premium-priced bottlings.