Margaret River is Australia's most distinguished wine region for fine table wines — a narrow peninsula 270km south of Perth in Western Australia, cooled by the Indian and Southern Oceans. The region produces Australia's greatest Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon: the oceanic climate creates exceptional natural acidity alongside full phenolic ripeness, producing wines of extraordinary elegance and longevity. Pioneered in the 1960s by Dr John Gladstones, who identified the similarity between Margaret River's climate and Bordeaux's maritime conditions, the region has fulfilled his vision — producing Cabernet blends and Chardonnays that rival Europe's finest at their best.
| Year | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 90 | La Niña influence brought cooler conditions and good rainfall. Elegant, precise wines with fine natural acidity — excellent Chardonnay vintage with Chablis-like minerality. |
| 2018 | 86 | Warm, dry conditions with some heat stress in January. Well-structured Cabernets; Chardonnay required careful harvest selection for freshness. |
| 2017 | 94 | One of Margaret River's greatest vintages: perfect ripening conditions throughout, excellent acid retention. Outstanding Cabernet and Chardonnay with exceptional longevity. |
| 2016 | 88 | Slightly warmer vintage with early harvest. Generous, accessible wines with ripe fruit; Chardonnay particularly successful with good natural acidity. |
| 2015 | 92 | Classic Margaret River season — long, dry summer with moderate Indian Ocean influence. Exceptional Chardonnay and Cabernet of great elegance and age-worthiness. |