Roger Jones, Justin Knock MW and Julia Sewell tasted 61 wines, with five Outstanding and 32 Highly recommended.
Margaret River Chardonnay panel tasting scores
61 wines tasted
Exceptional 0
Outstanding 5
Highly recommended 32
Recommended 22
Commended 2
Fair 0
Poor 0
Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their still, dry 100% Chardonnay wines from any part of the Margaret River region in Western Australia
For such a young wine region, Margaret River – Western Australia’s most important wine GI (Geographical Indication) – has made a big impact.
The first winery, Vasse Felix, was established only in 1967, quickly followed by others, but the focus was then on Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay was not widely planted for another decade, with the first commercial bottling released at the end of the 1970s.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring Margaret River Chardonnays
As with much of Australian wine then, early releases were big and oaky. However, for the past 20 years, Margaret River Chardonnays have shown increasing levels of refinement.
The best may not come cheap, but they do represent exceptional value for money when compared (as they often are) to top Burgundy.
