The Premium Reds of Australia's Margaret River

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Located deep in the southwest corner of the Australian continent, Margaret River is a region that punches well above its weight when it comes to natural beauty, world-class wines, and outdoor adventure. Though the town itself has a population of just over 9,000, the wider area is home to nearly 200 wineries, making it one of Australia’s premier wine regions. Known for its exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, Margaret River produces around 20% of the country’s premium wines despite accounting for only 2% of its total wine production. This is quite an achievement given that wine production here only started in the late 1960s.

Cullen Wines Vineyards in Wilyabrup, with its Biodynamic Spiral Garden in right foreground

Beyond the vineyards, the region is a paradise for surfers, with powerful swells rolling in from the Indian Ocean, particularly at renowned breaks like Surfers Point and The Box. Further inland, towering karri forests, limestone caves, and scenic walking trails showcase the area’s wild and diverse landscapes. The annual Margaret River Pro surfing competition and the region’s gourmet food scene, which highlights local truffles, cheeses, and seafood, add to its appeal.

Whether exploring the rugged coastline, sampling award-winning vintages, or simply taking in the relaxed atmosphere, it’s accurate to say Margaret River offers a quintessentially Australian blend of laid-back charm and natural splendour – and, of course, some of the country’s most well-regarded wines.

While the geology in this part of Western Australia is some of the oldest in the world, Margaret River is a relatively young wine region that extends from the uncrowded beaches along the Indian Ocean to agricultural land and forests of tall eucalypts. Fresh air, unspoiled country, and gravelly soils combine to create the perfect terroir for grape production. Year-round, the region is swept by clean, cool sea breezes blowing in from the Indian and Southern Oceans. Mild, wet winters and sun-drenched summers complete an ideal viticultural equation.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship red wine variety in the Margaret River, with some of the region’s reds having a lineage back to 1836, when the first vines were introduced to Western Australia. There are now over 200 vineyards and almost as many wineries, mostly small or boutique in size. They are all located on the land of the Wadandi people, who have been its traditional custodians for tens of thousands of years.

With an easy five-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur to Perth, the gateway to Australia’s southwest, Margaret River is one of the most accessible wine regions for Malaysian wine connoisseurs, and it presents superb wine touring opportunities with boutique accommodation, restaurants, and providores. To bide time until you make the journey for yourself, you can enjoy some of the wines of Margaret River here in Malaysia. We only get a small fraction of the region’s prolific output – indeed, many of the wines are not even exported – but some real winners are among what’s available here. We recently tasted four lovely red wines from Margaret River at a wide range of price points, and present our thoughts here.

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon

At some wineries, such as Leeuwin Estate, visitors can dine near or even amid the vineyards

This is one of Australia’s most highly prized red wines that takes advantage of both excellent fruit and the finest winemaking technology. Leeuwin Estate’s Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon is an opulent wine that reflects the estate’s dedication to producing premium wines from the heart of the Margaret River region. Established in 1974, the winery is renowned for its balanced and expressive wines, with a strong focus on both the terroir and the artistry behind each bottle. The Art Series, specifically, is a collection of wines that epitomise the estate’s commitment to quality, with the Cabernet Sauvignon being a standout for its consistency and depth. Each vintage features the artwork of a local artist, and in the case of the 2021 vintage, it is Hymm by Ildiko Kovacs.

While the wine spends 22 months in French oak, fresh fruity flavours reign supreme with the oak providing excellent support that enables vintages to be regularly rated by wine experts in the low to mid-90s. After fermentation, the wine spent another three years maturing in the bottle in the estate’s cool cellars before being released to eager connoisseurs. The result is a wine that is energetic and vibrant on the nose and with elevated flavours of blackcurrant plus a hint of pepper on the nose. These qualities combine with fine tannins to create a smooth and elegant mouthfeel that could well be mistaken for a fine Bordeaux. Indeed, many enjoy this wine for its European rather than Australian styling. It’s a well-structured red with a full-bodied, silky texture and bright acidity. It also has great cellaring potential of at least 15 years. Cabernet Sauvignon can be enjoyed with grilled meats such as lamb or beef, particularly when served with rich, savoury sides like roasted root vegetables or a hearty potato gratin. It would also work well alongside a classic cheese board.

Producer: Leeuwin Estate

Style: Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Witchcliffe, Margaret River

Vintage: 2021

Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (98%), Malbec (2%)

Alcohol Content: 13.5%

Closure: Screwcap

Price: RM313

Evans & Tate Classic Cabernet Merlot

A picture-perfect place for a glass of wine, overlooking the vineyards at Evans & Tate

The classic series from E & T encapsulates the good life offered in Margaret River. The Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend, crafted by senior winemaker Matt Byrne and his team, is made from fruit sourced from the northern and southern parts of the region (the elongated tourism region extends for 100 km north-south and 30 km west-east, but with just 5,725 hectares under vines). Maturation in well-seasoned barriques and hogsheads ensures this wine has well-rounded tannins. It shows vibrant purple with a red rim and cranberry and dried herbs on the nose. On the mouth, blackberry and plums ensure an easy-drinking style. This wine offers great value and is an excellent introduction to the iconic red wine style of Margaret River. It should drink well for the next five years and will make the perfect accompaniment to your next barbecue of lamb cutlets or sausages, or even with several sticks of beef satay.

Producer: Evans & Tate

Style: Classic Cabernet Merlot

Region: Wilyabrup, Margaret River

Vintage: 2019

Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc

Alcohol Content: 14%

Closure: Screwcap

Price: RM100

Fire Gully Cabernets Merlot

That’s not a typo; it really is meant to be ‘Cabernets,’ as both Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are used in this approachable and most enjoyable red blend, along with Merlot. Fire Gully is produced by Pierro, a winery that stands out in so many ways, especially from its growing conditions in the vineyard. Vine density in the vineyard ranges from 4,000 to 5,500 vines per hectare, compared to the conventional Australian vineyard of 1,900 per hectare. Qualified medical doctor, viticulturist, and winemaker Dr. Mike Peterkin established this growing regime to make the vines more competitive while balancing their fruit yield and promoting flavour intensity.

Fresh barrels await filling at Pierro winery

In line with crafting handmade, small-batch wines, the fruit for this wine was tediously sorted by berry, not bunch, to ensure only the best of the best made the mix. The resultant juice from this methodical process was nurtured in mostly mature oak barrels for nine months. This blend of three classic Bordeaux varieties delivers a fine wine with backbone, a gently perfumed fragrance, and a smooth, soft texture. Plum and blackcurrant flavours dominate to make the wine a wonderful accompaniment to fine cuts of premium Australian lamb or beef.

Producer: Fire Gully

Style: Cabernets Merlot

Region: Wilyabrup, Margaret River

Vintage: 2021

Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (66%), Merlot (28%), Cabernet Franc (6%)

Alcohol Content: 13.5%

Closure: Screwcap

Price: RM129

Cullen Wines Diana Madeline

The 2021 vintage marked the 50th year of Cabernet Sauvignon plantings at the Cullen Wilyabrup vineyard. Being a pioneer winery, Dr. Kevin Cullen and his wife Di (Diana), who established the estate, had very little viticultural knowledge of how things would turn out, apart from faith and a vision to make superb wines. In 1981, Di became the winemaker, and Diana Madeline, the estate’s flagship wine, is named in her memory. In 1989, daughter Vanya joined her mother in the winery and guided the grape cultivation down the organic and then biodynamic mode of cultivation. The dry-farmed vines are planted in poor, well-drained ironstone gravel soils, which impart ferruginous elements to the wines produced.

Biodynamic wines go beyond organic practices, following a holistic approach that treats vineyards as self-sustaining ecosystems. Based on the principles of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, biodynamics incorporates organic farming, natural composting, and celestial cycles to enhance soil health and vine vitality. The biodynamic calendar divides days into four types: fruit (best for harvesting), root (ideal for pruning), leaf (for watering), and flower (for resting the vines).

Cullen Wines is a leading example, crafting its renowned Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon using fully biodynamic methods. By avoiding synthetic chemicals and embracing the natural rhythms of the sun, the Earth, and the moon, Cullen aims to produce wines that express the true character of their terroir with minimal to no intervention. Having sampled several of their various wines, we can only say that the results speak for themselves, as Cullen truly produces some of the region’s most beautifully expressive wines.

The grapes for this particular wine were hand-harvested on the biodynamic fruit and flower days across five picks from the middle of March to the super-moon flower day two weeks later. It was then aged in 50% new French oak for 15 months with barriques, puncheons and biodynamic barrels included. It is consistently ranked as one of Australia’s great Cabernets. Despite a difficult and low-yielding vintage, the 2021 release is destined to be one of the finest wines Cullen has ever made. It has a deep, dark purple colour and aromas of blackcurrant, spices, tobacco leaves, herbs, and plums. Its silky, fine tannins provide full flavour, but with smoothness despite the wine’s youthfulness. This will help in the wine’s longevity, with a recommended cellaring of 20 years. (Can we wait that long?) Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate rates it at 96+/100 and comments, “It’s complex, complete, and structured. Gosh, what a wine. What a woman. The perfect combination.” This wine is best saved for a noteworthy event when it should be shared with the closest of friends and the finest grade beef possible. Or, if like us, you believe that in certain situations, the wine itself can be the event, then opening such a magnificent bottle with appreciative friends is all the reason you need.