People Power Individual viticulturalists and winemakers also play an important part in the Margaret River story. Although it is impossible to mention everyone, there are some prominent identities leading the fine wine agenda. Tim Lovett and David Winstanley, at Leeuwin Estate, are successfully building on the work of previous teams. Vanya Cullen sets a very high standard at Cullen, with her staunch biodynamic philosophies and green ambitions. Paula Holmes à Court, at Vasse Felix, has empowered Virginia Willcock to take Vasse Felix to the next level, and is also pushing forward his Idée Fixe project with the highly capable Mick Langridge. Julian Langworthy has been immensely effective in building the Deep Woods brand with his superb winemaking skills and uncanny success at wine shows. Glenn Goodall, at Xanadu, has also enjoyed astonishing success. In this forum, Will Berliner, at Cloudburst, is the classic disrupter, and is taking his own pathway of nurture and winemaking. Recently, his wines were launched through La Place de Bordeaux, highlighting the strength of his personality, purpose, and wines. In this tasting review, I was impressed by the consistency of Larry Cherubino wines, which are perfectly pitched for the fine wine market. The team at Cape Mentelle are harnessing technology and sustainability with great effect. The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was not in this particular review, as it is not yet released, looks magnificent as a barrel sample. Voyager’s Estate wines have also come up a notch, highlighting leadership in vineyard management and sustainability. Although not everyone is mentioned, the blend of vignerons and ambitions in Margaret River is remarkable. The special can-do attitude and collaborative spirit give the region exceptional potential. Scale There are now 200 wine producers crushing Margaret River fruit and 75 wineries in operation. Although the average crush is 158 tonnes, over 60% of producers crush less than 50 tonnes. Some are extremely small family-owned businesses, producing less than 1,000 cases per year. Interestingly, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot only make up around 41% of plantings, (17.3%, 19.5%, and 4%, respectively), yet dominate the fine wines scene. Shiraz (14.5%) tantalisingly shows promise with a few very successful wines, but the styles are still variable. Semillon (16.5%) and sauvignon blanc (18.2%) are often blended. Mike Peterkin at Cullen, and then Pierro, probably made the region’s first classic dry white style. This Vintage Journal review, however, focuses primarily on chardonnay, cabernet, and shiraz.
158 The Wine Journal – 2023
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