Chardonnay

One of the pioneers of Chardonnay in the region, the Leeuwin Estate Art Series is, by the reckoning of many, one of Australia's greatest examples of the variety. But Leeuwin is by no means the only producer of outstanding Chardonnay, which seems to acquire an extra dimension that stems from, and is unique to, the Margaret River region. It is more concentrated, more complex, more viscous and more tangy, yet does not cloy nor become heavy. The voluptuous fruit lends itself to the full range of winemaking techniques and the region's winemakers do not shirk from using them.

Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon 

The permutations of these two varieties – used either as single varietals or as blends with one or other component dominant, or supplemented by Chenin Blanc to produce a regional specialty often called Classic Dry White – seem endless. But in most vintages the region welds the two varieties together in a way which no other area does: the Semillon (and even Chenin Blanc) acquires a pleasantly herbal grassy cut which imperceptibly shades into Sauvignon Blanc. Intensity and elegance similarly coalesce in wines that are seldom less than distinguished.

Cabernet Sauvignon 

Wines from the aristocratic red grape Cabernet Sauvignon were the first to win acclaim in Margaret River for their consistently high quality. This is the wine upon which Margaret River's reputation was founded and in no small measure upon which it rests today. Virtually every winery produces a Cabernet although Merlot is an increasingly common blend component. The style has evolved over the decades, with a cross-hatch of winemaker and viticulturist inputs giving rise to a number of distinctive and stylish interpretations of Cabernet and Merlot. The common threads are physiologically ripe grapes that provide a sweet core to all the wines, which are never leafy or herbal, and often with slightly earthy or gravelly tannins. These latter characteristics are very much a product of the local terroir, which needs to be controlled but provides complexity, authority and structure.