The Not So Wild West: Margaret River in the Groove 

BY ANGUS HUGHSON | SEPTEMBER 08, 2022

The story of Margaret River is rooted in a combination of its ancient landscape and the early dreamers who settled there fifty years ago, drawn by its majestic beauty and extreme isolation. Located in the far south-western corner of the Australian continent, Margaret River historically was a place where counterculture thrived, and adventurers laid down new foundations in search of a better life. It is not difficult to see why, even today, thanks to the natural beauty that still hits the traveller at every bend in the road with old growth forests and their remnants, which are truly remarkable. Margaret River is where towering forests not unlike California’s Redwoods meet the turquoise waters of the vast Indian Ocean with vineyards snuggled in between. Those forests and their wood were Margaret River’s first lifeline to the world.

Today Margaret River is liquid gold, particularly thanks to vineyards planted with Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the region’s curious climate making it one of the few regions in the world that has proven itself to be highly suitable to both Bordelaise and Burgundian grape varieties. It is a chameleon that can, and has, successfully pivoted as styles have changed over the years. Margaret River stretches over 60 miles in length north to south and 17 miles wide with distinctive climactic differences on display. At the same time, it is also a place steeped in indigenous history, with evidence of Aboriginal inhabitants dating back 50,000 years. There is an energy and vibrancy to the land plus rich biodiversity that radiates out of its greatest wines.

Harvest time at Cullen wines.

What Margaret River has achieved in almost 50 years is quite remarkable. From small beginnings and the work of a handful of founding families, many of whom are still in the industry today, it has now laid claims as a world class cool climate region. With Coonawarra and the Yarra Valley, Margaret River was one of the first Australian zones to really explore more marginal climates yet still retains the country’s classic generosity of fruit. While it has grown in stature and reputation, Margaret River has also never lost its humble, down to earth feel. Small family businesses still dominate the landscape with most winemakers and equally CEOs spending their spare time swimming, surfing, fishing or diving for abalone, taking time out of their daily grind to revel in the region’s natural splendour. Unsurprisingly, once winemakers arrive, they seldom leave. The wine industry has over the years also welcomed many locals from all kinds of backgrounds to share the region’s success, including a handful of school teachers who developed successful wineries. This is backed by a small number of more serious players, such as Vasse Felix and Voyager Estate, with significant investment and global aspirations, which has only added to the region’s rich tapestry and spurred all on to reach for the stars. A long history of collaboration between local winemakers and viticulturists continues to this day. This started with the pioneers meeting for barbeques to share their latest creations, another hallmark of a wine region hungry to use all available resources in a quest for greatness. The close bond between Margaret River’s wine industry and the land is also illustrated in the widespread use of sustainable practices as well as organic and biodynamic viticulture, a trend no doubt likely to accelerate in the coming years.

Some of the first wines from Margaret River to gain wide attention were juicy, fruit forward blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon that wowed many with their pungent aromas and flavours. In the Australian market, they were a precursor to the wildly successful Sauvignon Blancs from Marlborough in New Zealand. Highly popular and cheap to produce, these fruity whites showcased regional purity and vibrant fruits which has become the region’s trademark, although in an early drinking package. There were certainly a handful of early premium quality focused wineries, but the real wine stars were few and far between. But slowly, the local vignerons grew in confidence as their neighbours started to gain widespread attention. The 1987 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series in particular, crafted with fruit from vines planted in 1975, made the locals believe that this little wine region, at the end of the earth, could compete with the top end of town. The last 35 years have seen momentum build, and build, with constant refinement and improvement in styles and quality.

Not only is Margaret River a special place but viticultural serendipity has also been very kind with the early propagation of clones that have proven to be very well suited to the region, in fact one of the secrets to its success. The Houghton clone of Cabernet Sauvignon was imported to Western Australia from South Africa in the eighteen hundreds with its low yields and small berries helping to make concentrated wines.

The origins of the widely planted Gingin clone of Chardonnay have also been long discussed. The regular occurrence of hen and chicken, which seems to provide particularly flavoursome Chardonnay, gave many the impression that it was identical to the Mendoza clone. While both the Gingin and Mendoza clones come from UC Davis in California and have some similarities, they are in fact quite distinct. So, what was probably a random choice for importation back in 1957 has proved to be very fortunate and has had a profound impact on Margaret River and the quality of its Chardonnay - sometimes luck is on your side. The lack of Phylloxera in the region has allowed the vast majority of vines to be planted on their own rootstocks. In no doubt, this helps to explain the unique characters and quality of the wines.

As a wine region Margaret River has long been compared to Bordeaux because of its location close to the ocean and the high quality of its Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as white wines made with Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Academics had originally hypothesised a strong similarity, although this is a dramatic over-simplification. The vineyards of Margaret River are planted on a coastal plain which juts out into the sea fed by cooler air from the Southern Indian Ocean and surrounded on three sides by water. It’s exposed to the brutal force of the vast Indian Ocean, the result being that Margaret River is generally spared from the baking seasons occasionally seen further east with fresh afternoon sea breezes as its saviour.

Compared to Bordeaux, the vineyards are relatively exposed to the elements although with a slightly warmer average temperature. For the driest continent on earth, one of the most salient aspects is how unusually even the climate is with few heat spikes, which explains much of the wine style with its mix of bright, sweet fruits matched by marked subtlety. The result is elegant and wonderfully pure Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays.