Western Australia
Please Select a Region:
- Blackwood Valley
- Geographe
- Great Southern
- Manjimup
- Margaret River
- Peel
- Pemberton
- Perth Hills
- Swan District
Blackwood Valley
The Blackwood Valley wine region covers the rolling hills around the towns of Balingup, Nannup, Bridgetown and Boyup Brook. The region is characterised by the Blackwood River which is the longest, continually flowing river in Western Australia. This is the least known and one of the newest of Western Australia’s wine regions. The first vineyard and winery, Blackwood Crest, was established in 1976 in the north-eastern corner of the region.
It has a Mediterranean climate . The region is situated at the same latitude as Margaret River and shares many of the same basic climatic characteristics, most notably wet and relatively warm winters and proportionately cool, dry summers. Typically, the variation between summer and winter daytime temperatures is little more than 10°C (50°F).
The soils are part of the Darling Plateau system with moderately incised valleys providing gravel and gravelly soils on the divides, and yellow soils and red earths on valley slopes. Overall, the result is well-drained, gravelly loam soils that are perfectly suited to viticulture.
Wine Notes
Chardonnay
A considerable part of the production is sold to wineries outside the region. As in the Margaret River region, the style is generous and rich, with ripe melon and peach fruit flavours.
Riesling
While the relatively small plantings prove the suitability of the variety to the region, there is little prospect of increased production in the face of the strength of Great Southern Riesling.
Cabernet Sauvignon
This is the most widely planted red grape, and it regularly achieves full ripeness across the length and breadth of the region. Black currant and dark chocolate flavours are supported by long, fine tannins giving the wines excellent ageing potential.
Shiraz
Plantings here are increasing rapidly from a small base. The first few crops have produced wine with a mix of sweet, round fruit with touches of pepper and spice.
Geographe
The Geographe wine region covers includes the inland towns of Yarloop, Harvey, Collie and Donnybrook west to the coast and south to Busselton. It was formally established in 1999 and takes its name from the French explorer - Nicholas Baudin’s ship – Le Geographe. The Geographe wine region is bounded by the curve of the land on Geographe Bay and produces excellent Shiraz, fine Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The Geographe wine region is now home to a significant number of wineries with Cellar Doors. Each offers something unique and special and visitors are encouraged to come and meet the people of the region whilst sampling some truly fine wines. Geographe is a compact region unified by its warm to hot and mostly maritime climate. In this region, what might in other more continental areas be considered excessively warm temperatures are modified by the prevailing south-west sea breezes coming off the Indian Ocean. Summers are dry but rainfall is generous during winter and relative humidity is quite high. The Harvey River meanders through the northern boundary on its way to the coast. The region is watered by several rivers, chiefly the Capel, Ferguson, Collie and Brunswick rivers which, during their descent from the Darling Ranges in the east over millions of years, have created fertile valleys on their way to the coast. Wholly maritime-influenced by the warm Indian Ocean, its climate is similar to that of the northern part of the Margaret River, although the soil types vary considerably. Overall, this is an area of considerable beauty with a varied topography that results in an impressive landscape; one of the components of which is the Western Australian flora.
Wine Notes
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is propagated everywhere in the region, producing wines that reflect the varying site climates, and of course, the hand of the winemaker. The cooler sites produce wines with intense grapefruit characters, the warmer sites veer through melon to butter and cashews. All develop well in bottle over the medium term.
Semillon
It comes as no surprise to find that Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon tie as the second most widely planted varieties in this region, a tribute to the popularity of the crisp white which is a pleasing product of their union. As in nearby Margaret River, it produces a tangy wine with grassy, herbal overtones; a light touch of oak is an optional extra.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon, whether blended with Merlot or not, tends to be softer and more delicate than that of either the Margaret River or the Mount Barker regions, with lingering, fine-grained tannins. However, the spread of plantings inland from the coast will result in more diverse styles, particularly when the newer vineyards reach maturity.
Shiraz
The Shiraz is by far the most important grape, usually presented as a varietal wine but also used in complex multi-blends. The weight and extract varies substantially, from the more robust to softer and perhaps more elegant styles, but each with a core of cherry and mint fruit.
Great Southern
The sheer size of the Great Southern wine region, with its five sub regions of Denmark, Frankland River, Mount Barker, Porongurup and Albany, is its greatest strength. The influences of the varying soil types and weather conditions across the region produce distinct sub-regional characteristics in many of the classic grape varieties, allowing the Great Southern to be become a region for all tastes. Skirting the south-west Australian coast for over 200 kilometres (125 miles) and pushing northwards back into the hinterland almost 100 kilometres (60 miles), this is a very large region even by Australian standards. It ranges from the coastal, maritime subregions of Albany and Denmark to the unequivocally inland and continental subregions of Mount Barker, Porongurup and Frankland River; from fat country to lean, with large areas untouched by vineyards. In these circumstances it is indeed surprising that there is such a degree of coherence in the wine styles being produced as to make generalizations possible. The potential of the region is vast; its sole physical limitation being that of water availability, the issue of salinity, and the distance from the manufacturing and marketing resources of the eastern states. The predominant soils are similar to those of the Margaret River region; either lateritic gravelly sandy loams (marri country) or sandy loams deriving directly from granite and gneissic bedrocks. They are typically brown to grey brown in colour, with the percentage of clay varying from one location to another. Fertility is moderate, as are typical yields.
Wine Notes
Chardonnay
Elegant, tightly structured, grapefruit accented Chardonnay which ages well is produced in ever increasing quantities. Notwithstanding the shift in climate from south to north, the style is relatively consistent. Perhaps that of the south is a little finer and softer while that of the north is more powerful, but there is little to differentiate between the two.
Riesling
Riesling vies with Cabernet Sauvignon as the most important wine from the region. Its importance derives directly from the quality of the wine, which ranks with the best of the Clare and Eden Valleys of South Australia. Like the Riesling of those regions, it ages superbly, seldom reaching the peak of its development in less than 10 years. While tending to be crisp and lean in its youth, it does have intense flavour, typically in the citrus spectrum on an underlay of herbs. Alas, most is consumed too young and within 12 months or so of vintage.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon thrives across the length and breadth of the region, producing long-lived wines of deep colour, intense flavour and powerful structure. They are in every sense classic Cabernets with an austerity of flavour, and a briary toughness to the young wines, which not only demand patience but are richly rewarding of it.
Pinot Noir
Until recently Pinot Noir was regarded as the preserve of the southern area around Denmark and Albany, but some exciting wines have occasionally appeared from Mount Barker in slightly cooler years.
Shiraz
Demand has served to intensify the pressure on the limited quantities but exceptionally high quality Shiraz produced in this region. Great Southern Shiraz exhibit a compelling combination of liquorice, spice, pepper, black cherry and plum. Happily, almost all producers avoid the temptation of using too much American oak, allowing the spectacular fruit quality free rein to express itself.
Manjimup
A relatively small, yet beautiful, wine region that covers the area around the town of Manjimup in the Southern Forests of Australia’s South West. Manjimup was named for the Noongar Aboriginal words "Manjin" (a type of edible reed) and "up" (meeting place, or place of). Manjimup was first settled in 1856 by timber cutter Thomas Muir. It was declared a town in 1910, and a railway from Perth was completed in 1911. The population expanded when Manjimup became part of the post-World War I Group Settlement Scheme. The Group Settlement Scheme was largely unsuccessful because the land was difficult to clear and many of the new settlers were not experienced farmers. The settlers who stayed became dairy farmers, which ended during the 1930s Great Depression when the price of butterfat collapsed. Within this wine region Pinot Noir is widely planted and its Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are beginning to make a name for themselves. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdelho are also being produced. The dividing line with Pemberton is largely based on soil type, topography and elevation, with Manjimup having red gravelly loams and an elevation of 200 to 300 metres and Pemberton, being lower, with heavier black and much less gravelly loams. The climate is influenced by two oceans, the Indian and the Southern. It has some similarities to Margaret River, although at a higher altitude it is more continental. Cold winters provide true vine dormancy, and plentiful spring rainfall promotes good budburst and early growth. The relatively dry but stress-free summer and autumn conditions are no less favourable. The best soils of the region belong to the Kennan-Queenup series of sandy, gravelly loams created over millions of years by the erosive effects of the Warren River and its tributaries. As with the adjacent Pemberton region, large areas are heavily forested and, on average, only 25 percent of the region is suited to, or available for viticulture. On the other hand, to the extent that irrigation is necessary, there is an abundance of clear, salt-free water available from the streams and rivers that continue to flow throughout the summers.
Wine Notes
Chardonnay
All other white varieties are dwarfed by this grape and there is little or no likelihood of much change in the future. The wines are elegant, light to medium bodied, with the melon, citrus flavours of the cooler grown Chardonnay. It is still to be seen whether more mature vines will bring increased structure and intensity to the wines.
Verdelho
This wine has a greater freshness and more zingy acidity here than is found elsewhere in Western Australia, yet it retains its tropical flavours and rounded mouthfeel.
Cabernet Sauvignon
John Gladstones has observed that both mean temperatures and sunshine hours are very close to those of Bordeaux, although temperature variability is a little greater and humidity a little less. He went on to say, "The wines produced from appropriate grape varieties should be very much in the mainstream of Bordeaux style." It is thus no surprise to find that Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate the plantings and that some very appealing and elegant Cabernet Merlot blends have been produced.
Pinot Noir
Quality and style will be strongly dependent on vintage, but it has already been demonstrated that if conditions are favourable, Pinot Noir with good varietal character and ample weight and texture can be achieved. Restricting the yield and berry size and bunch weight will be of paramount importance.
Margaret River
The Margaret River Wine Region produces only 3% of the nation’s wine but accounts for 20% of its premium wine. The reasons for this are many, but not least the superior growing conditions here in the South West. In 1965 Dr John Gladstone highlighted the region’s suitability for grapes in his report “The Climate and Soils of Southern WA in Relation to Vine Growing”. This was followed by the first significant vineyard plantings in 1967. The Margaret River region is has an elevation of about 40 metres. It comprises the rolling hills of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, extending 90 kilometres north to south between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin. To the west the Indian Ocean is the boundary located at 115°18’E and is approximately 27 kilometres wide. With a constantly varying landscape, soils obviously vary. The most common is that of the ridge, which is predominately a gravelly or gritty sandy loam, formed directly from underlying granite and gneissic rock. The soils are just one of the natural advantages; another is the even temperatures moderated by the coastal influence during the ripening season. The main growing months are predominately rain free with the majority of rainfall occurring between April and September. The climate is strongly maritime influenced, with the most marked Mediterranean climate of any zone. This means vineyards are not affected by frost or extremes of summer and winter temperatures. Humidity levels are ideal during the growing period and the combination of climate, soil and viticulture practices leads to consistently high quality fruit of intense flavour. Margaret River wine is produced from a variety of operations of various sizes, the smallest crushing 3.5 tonne per year and the largest around 7000 tonne. The region is made up predominately of boutique size (or smaller) wine producers, but the larger ones still retain that personalized feel. The best way to determine flavour differences across the region is to visit the wine producers and talk to them, hear their philosophies on regionality and wine making – over a glass of wine! Geographically the Margaret River Wine Region is one of the biggest in Australia, stretching 120km from north to south and 30km west to east. Despite its size it produces just three percent of the nation’s grapes, but it is responsible for more than 20 per cent of the nation’s premium wines. Initially regarded as a producer of powerful yet elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, the region has since also forged a great reputation for its white wines notably Chardonnay and a Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blend. However, it is capable of producing all the classic varietal wines with the possible exception of the continental varieties, Pinot Noir and Riesling. More than any other major Australian region, as might be expected in one surrounded by the sea on three sides, Margaret River has a strong maritime climate. The principal soil type is that of the ridge which runs from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin; it is predominantly gravelly or gritty sandy loam that has formed directly from the underlying granite and gneissic rock. One of the most vibrant and popular wine destinations in Australia, the Margaret River has an exceptional range of restaurants, accommodation and tourist activities.
Wine Notes
Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon
The permutations of these two varieties seem endless, whether they are used 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. 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 acquire a pleasantly herbal, grassy cut which imperceptibly shades into Sauvignon Blanc. Intensity and elegance similarly coalesces in wines that are seldom less than distinguished.
Chardonnay
It is concentrated, more complex, more viscous, more tangy. The voluptuous fruit lends to the full range of winemaking techniques, and the region’s winemakers do not shrink from using them.
Cabernet Sauvignon
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 for 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 which also provides complexity, authority and structure.
Shiraz
The wines are medium-bodied, usually with a generous pinch of spice and black pepper.
Peel
It is located on the west coast of Western Australia, about 75 km south of the state capital, Perth. It consists of the City of Mandurah, and the Shires of Boddington, Murray, Serpentine-Jarrahdale and Waroona. It has a total area of 6,648 km², and a population of about 80,000 people, two thirds of whom live in Mandurah. Before European settlement, the Peel was inhabited by Indigenous Australians, specifically the Pindjarup dialect group of the Noongar people. The European settlement of Peel dates back to 1829 when a visionary named Thomas Peel brought three ships of migrants from England for the Peel Settlement Scheme. In 1846 the first lead, silver and zinc mine was opened in West Australia. However the scheme was poorly administered, and many settlers died of malnutrition in the first few months. The surviving settlers abandoned the area, with some moving inland where they found fertile soil. Although short-lived, it presaged the large-scale mineral sands, gold and bauxite mining and the processing operations that commenced during the 1970s. The first commercial vineyard was established with a planting of Shiraz by Will Nairn at the Peel Estate in 1974. While most other varieties have also now been established, Shiraz remains the flagship variety for the region and Peel Estate its flagship producer. The eastern extension of the Peel region incorporating the Darling plateau around Boddington/Wandering/Mount Saddleback includes very old granite and gravel soils. These are totally different to the limestone sands and fluvial sediments of the coastal area, which have significant ground-water reserves three to 15 metres (49 feet) below the surface. The coastal region has a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and hot dry summers, with sea-breezes moderating extremes; inland and at higher altitudes land-breezes are stronger, rainfall lower and temperatures slightly lower.
Wine Notes
Chenin Blanc
This was the first white grape to be planted in Peel and is a popular variety throughout much of West Australia's wine regions. The wine is produced with or without oak and gains character and depth with short to medium-term cellaring.
Chardonnay
Planted in most of the localities throughout the region, this wine attests, to the versatility of the variety. Character notes range from melon and stonefruit to rich and buttery. Cabernet Sauvignon Planted in many parts and producing a medium-bodied wine, Cabernet is slightly firmer when grown inland at higher elelvations.
Shiraz
Not only is it the longest established, the Shiraz is arguably the most successful variety, particularly around the Peel Estate, which holds an annual Australia-wide Shiraz tasting, a major event in the annual calendar. Overall, the style is medium-bodied with sweet, fine, ripe tannins.
Pemberton
Pemberton wine region is situated in the lower south-west of Western Australia; west of the Great Southern and south-east of the Margaret River regions. The region covers the towns of Pemberton and Northcliffe and is home to many picturesque vineyards. It has a reputation for being one of Australia's most exciting emerging wine regions. Pemberton was originally occupied by the Bibbulmun Australian Aboriginal tribe until white explorers settled the area in the 1880s. The timber industry was established in 1912 and the town grew. Free land was offered to group settlers during the 1920s, however life was tough as clearing the land proved difficult. Named after and centred on the town of Pemberton, this richly timbered region was first planted experimentally in 1977, with commercial vineyards following in 1982, and enjoyed rapid growth in the 1990s. Pemberton is an excellent region for viticulture because of its combination of southern latitude and high altitude, which create a relatively cool climate. This provides the grapes with a sustained ripening period. Except for the months of December to March, Pemberton has a marginally warmer growing season climate than does neighbouring Manjimup, which may seem somewhat surprising but is confirmation that Manjimup has a more continental climate in that it warms and cools more quickly than does Pemberton. While Manjimup is seen as more suited to the Bordeaux varieties, at Pemberton the focus has moved more towards the Burgundian varieties of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Some 85 percent of the Pemberton region remains under native vegetation with magnificent marri forests in the northern half, moving to karri in the south. There are two major soil types. The first are the lateritic gravelly sands and gravelly loams overlying medium clay with moderate water retention capacity. These moderately fertile soils are found on many of the higher slopes around Pemberton. The second soil is the more fertile karri loam which was formed directly from the gneissic country rock and which, together with the abundant winter and spring rainfall, leads to vigorous growth.
Wine Notes
Chardonnay
Not only is this the most widely planted variety, but it is clearly the most successful across the entire region in terms of style and quality. Chardonnay is a forgiving and flexible variety and does not object to being grown in what might be termed easy or soft conditions. At its best, it produces opulently flavoured and structured wines, with an almost creamy texture and which respond well to the generous use of high quality French oak.
Merlot
Either as a varietal in its own right, or blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot may yet prove to be more suited to the region than Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir
Great faith has been pinned on this variety but the results to date have not been consistent in table wines. Substantial quantities of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are used for sparkling wine, with good results in each case. Perhaps the region is too warm, but these are still early days. Some good Pinot Noir’s have been made but work remains to be done, perhaps with clonal selection, perhaps site selection.
Perth Hills
Perth is the capital and largest city of Western Australia. It was founded on 11 June 1829 by Captain James Stirling as the political centre of the free settler Swan River Colony. It has continued to serve as the seat of Government for Western Australia to the present day. The region is on Perth's doorstep, running along the Darling scarp from the town of Bindoon south to the Serpentine Reservoir. The region has four major valleys, Bindoon and Chittering in the north and Kalamunda and Mundaring central and south. The feeder rivers of the Swan, the Avon and Helena flow through the region. Most of the vineyards and wineries cluster around the town of Mundaring. Viticulture has been practised intermittently in the picturesque Perth Hills amidst the Darling Ranges for over a century but on a generally tiny scale. Thus, while Despeissis was able to report in 1902 that grapes grown in the Mundaring-Chidlow subregion ripened two to three weeks later than in the Swan Valley, the earliest of the present day wineries in the region date back only to the 1980s. For a long time very few of the region's wineries crushed more than 50 tonnes (45.4 tons). However, Western Range Wines has now established a vineyard of 100 hectares in the Chittering Valley and a much greater regional production is anticipated. It is an area that is very different to the Swan District and is only 22 kilometres from Perth, making it easily accessible to day trippers. There are no subregions. As expected, the climate varies significantly with altitude, but also with the orientation of the maze of valleys that criss-cross the Perth Hills. The tempering influences which reduce the heat summation and delay ripening for 10 to 21 days (compared to the Swan Valley) are firstly the altitude; secondly, the free air flow, and thirdly exposure to afternoon sea breezes. Rivulets and often dry creek beds, ridges, hills and valleys criss-cross the region in every direction, offering an almost unlimited choice of aspect and slope but those cut off from the sea breeze influence tend to be warmer rather than cooler. The valley slopes have ironstone and gravel sandy loams as well as gravelly loams which overlay clay, similar in type to much of South West Australia and which were once covered with marri forests. They are well suited to viticulture, being of moderate fertility and producing moderate yields.
Wine Notes
Chardonnay
The ubiquitous Chardonnay does not disappoint, and the best white wines from the Perth Hills region have been made from this variety. One would expect the style to be generous, and it usually is, but some are quite tight.
Merlot
These are frequently blended, sometimes released as straightforward varietal wines, and produced by the majority of the wineries in the region. The wines are reliable and pleasant; full flavoured, with chocolaty, earthy and berry flavours.
Shiraz
The winemakers of the Perth Hills are in agreement with their colleagues in many other Australian wine regions in their shared enthusiasm for Shiraz which here, as in other warmer regions, is generously fruity.
Swan District
The Swan District region is an extensive area north of Perth. It runs along the coast just south of Guilderton and it north west boundary extends up to the town of Wannamal . Wineries are found around the towns of Gingin and Yanchep. However, the main concentration of wineries and vineyards are in a narrow band along the Avon River just north of Midland and the head of the Swan River around Guildford. This area is now designated the Swan Valley sub-region. The first vines at Olive Farm were planted in 1829 by Thomas Waters, and the following year he dug out the wine cellar that is incorporated in the present day winery of the same name. Thus, the Swan District predates both Victoria and South Australia in viticultural terms. For almost 150 years it was the only significant wine-producing region in Western Australia and is today also home to the state's largest winery, Houghton. It is an actively multicultural area with the descendants of early Yugoslav, Italian and English migrants continuing the region's winemaking traditions. By whatever yardstick is used, the Swan District proper has a hot Mediterranean climate. It has an extremely high mean January temperature of 24.15°C. In addition, it has an extremely low growing season rainfall, 167 mm, a low relative humidity of 44 percent, and a high 1791 total sunshine hours during the growing season. Its heat summation of heat degree days almost comes as an anticlimax at 1832. However, the district is relieved from the heat by the famous Fremantle 'Doctor' - the south-westerly sea breeze! The Gingin/Moondah Brook area is somewhat cooler, and although still at the very warm end of the climatic spectrum, it has consistently demonstrated a surprising capacity to produce full flavoured, full bodied white whites, particularly with Chenin Blanc, Verdelho and Chardonnay. The region is a flat alluvial plain flanked by the Darling Range and watered by the Swan River and its tributaries. The Gingin and Moondah Brook areas are set on gentle slopes in the north of the region. The soils of the Swan District region are typically young alluvial soils; very deep, with excellent moisture retention capacity. They range from reddish sandy loams through to brown and yellow-brown loamy sands. The other soil type on the lower slopes of the Darling Range is the highly suited gravelly sand to gravelly sandy loam overlying brown clay.
Wine Notes
Chenin Blanc
This variety dominates plantings in the Swan District. Arguably, the region is the only one in Australia where this grape and its resultant wine rises above mediocrity. In this climate the wine produced has a certain luscious richness, which responds well to bottle age, producing a full-flavoured white of almost voluptuous dimensions. It also does particularly well in the Moondah Brook/Gingin subregions, producing wines with an abundance of the fruit salad flavours which are the varietal signature of the grape.
Chardonnay
The plantings are increasing and one or two producers have produced some very good, buttery, peachy wines from this grape--sometimes with an almost Burgundian tang, which comes from a measure of barrel ferment.
Verdelho
This traditional variety was appreciated well before it became vogue in the eastern states during the 1980’s. Many wineries produce a varietal wine from Verdelho and are usually content to allow the rich honeyed, honeysuckle flavours free reign without introducing new oak.
Shiraz
The Swan District region is sharing in the planting surge of Shiraz, which has shown its ability to produce quality wine in virtually all climatic conditions.
Blended White Wines
One of Australia's largest selling and eternally popular white wines is from this area: Houghton White Burgundy. Sold under other names in the export market, it is the result of the coalescence of three principal white varieties. Despite its modest price and very large volume, this blend has the capacity to age magnificently for five to ten years. At its peak it is able to win gold medals and trophies against the cream of the crop of Chardonnays, Semillons and blends from the eastern states.