Dutch explorer Gulden Zeepaard was not the first tall ship to chart the coast of Western Australia but she did predate Captain Cook by a century and a half. Today, Gulden Zeepaard's logo adorns the label of West Cape Howe. Headquartered within the grounds of their undulating home vineyard at Mount Barker, the West Cape Howe team collate parcels of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc from across the finer viticultural precincts of the Australian west, for the construct of an intense wine which would unnerve its laureate siblings from across the Tasman.

From the precious Margaret River soils of Cape Leeuwin, to the balmy, richly endowed vineyards at Cape Howe, harvests of the finest fruit are brought to the estate wineworks near Mount Barker and assembled into a range of distinctly West Australian wines with an unparalleled reputation for quality and consistency. An intensely aromatic accord of Cabernet and Merlot, in an augustly brambleberried, structured and ebullient West Australia styling.

Originally a coach inn for travellers on the three day journey between Perth and Margaret River, Cape Naturaliste also served as a destination for whale ships taking on supplies of vegetable grown to the valley's rich alluvial soil. A holistic, bio-dynamic philosophy, practised amongst the vines at Cape Naturaliste, yields harvests of grapes which are as natural as those picked off vineyards long ago. A brisk fermentation achieves the clean, fresh palate for which this style is so renowned.

Zinfandel is a particularly challenging variety to manage in the vineyard and winery. Introduced to Cape Mentelle via cuttings from California, vines were planted in 1974 to a ridge of free draining lateritic gravel on an east west orientation to minimise the affects of strong westerly sea breezes. This capricious, low density bush vine site requires fastidious attention to detail. A rich, hedonistically dimensional effort makes all the hard work worthwhile and as such has developed something of a cult following among enthusiasts of bold red wines.

Wallcliffe is a tiny production wine from a unique parcel of soil in the middle of the Margaret River region. The wine represents the vagaries of climate, individuality of site, the complimentary characters of the two varieties and a restrained yet evocative winemaking approach. Wallcliffe is crafted to evolve and to develop different characters and complexity. Treat Wallcliffe to scallops or sticky belly of pork.

The topical cepage of Cabernet and Merlot enhanced by the inclusion of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The majority of fruit is harvested from the elite Estate and Kyella, Chapman Brook and Crossroads vineyards. Smaller amounts come from a number of long term growers located within the eminent Wallcliffe and Karridale sub districts. Trinders seeks to capture the charm of the noble Bordeaux varietal mix, grown to the salubrious microclimes along Margaret River, to craft enduring, muscular wines in a fully approachable, modern styling.

Cape Mentelle draws inspiration from the tasty red styles of Vallée du Rhône. Fruit is treated to an old world style of vinification, aimed at retaining all the well defined Margaret River fruit characters, along with the more savoury, spicy elements of the vineyard. Growing season 2008 was quickly recognized by industry pundits as a great vintage year, yielding red wines of excellent tannin structure and exquisite length. The archetypal Margaret River Shiraz, endowed with alluring bouquets, a dense palate and ripe, gripping tannins.

An assemblage of Shiraz from the estate Foxcliffe and Kayella vineyards, fashioned into a style which draws inspiration from the timeless classics of la Vallee Rhône. The wine is treated to the most extravagant techniques, a complete destemming, cold soaking, and a traditional vinification. Aged in a mix of large oak vats and small barriques to retain the refined fruit and floral characters along with the more savoury, spicy elements derived from the vineyard. The result is a highly concentrated Shiraz with great richness and depth.

Cape Mentelle take a minimalist approach towards this classic Margaret River style of white. The aim is to preserve as much fruit intensity and regional character as possible, whilst achieving a soundly structured, finely balanced wine. Cape Mentelle accentuates the freshness and vitality of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, enriched by the added complexity and bonus palate weight, delivered through a measure of barrel ferments and a term of age, infusing flavours and texture whilst resting on sedimentery lees.

A superior backbone of estate grown Shiraz from Cape Mentelle’s Crossroads vineyard, to the south of Witchcliffe, is assembled around harvests from a collation of hand chosen Margaret River sites. Marmaduke is a fruit forward, soft and spicy red wine, offering a mouth filling palate of juicy cherry and black berry flavours, pepper and dusty spice, over a support of firm yet hospitable tannins, the distinctive hallmarks of refined yet approachable Margaret River Shiraz.

A universally appealing expression of Margaret River, the immensely popular Georgiana is pure Sauvignon Blanc, fashioned with the emphasis on style, freshness and vitality. Distinctively textural on the palate with bright and revitalizing, crunchy orchard fruit acidity, striking the perfect balance for the consumate summer white. Georgiana loves dining out on piquant Asian cuisine or a fresh Fritto Misto but she's equally content at home with shucked oysters and cheesey melts.

Margaret River has earned a stellar international reputation for the most statuesque and refined Chardonnay. After decades of the most exacting standards in viticulture, Cape Mentelle is richly endowed with a peerless inventory of the most salubrious sites in the most excellent health, vines which yield harvests of Chardonnay grapes bursting with intense flavours. The Cape Mentelle style draws inspiration from traditional methods to produce a wine displaying aromatic complexity over a finely textured mouthfeel and long, clean finish.

A pioneer of the Margaret River, Cape Mentelle boasts a rich history of singular Cabernet vintages. A benchmark regional red, the style has evolved over time to become a wine of opulence, regional identity, varietal purity, structure and charm.

Outstanding Langtons Classification. A national flagship, from fruit grown to the stately Wallcliffe property, one of the most distinguished vineyards in Australia. For over thirty years, the finest blocks of Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon have been devotedly husbanded to yield harvests of fruit with remarkable concentration of flavour and polished, elegant tannins. The style has evolved over time, defining an articulate Cabernet wine of pristine varietal virtue, true opulence, intensity of fruit character and personable Margaret River charm.

Brooks takes its name from the Chapman Brook Vineyard, established 1994 in the cooler southern half of Margaret River, a main source of Chardonnay for Cape Mentelle. This idyllic location, when combined with a restrained use of oak, best captures the freshness and vibrancy of Chardonnay, producing an appealing, generously flavoured fruit driven style, expressing pristine varietal characters, great concentration and intensity while exhibiting splendid balance.

Great Southern runs inland from the coast along Western Australia's nether region. The sibling maritime mesoclimes and warmer inland sites can vary, from something very like those of Margaret River to conditions which may be familiar to winemakers from Geelong. Scotchmans Hill have identified sites with the ideal conditions to deliver Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes displaying brisk fruit characters and requisite varietal qualities. A chic young wine with excellent weight of palate in the essential fruit driven style of a classic dry white.

When the Scotchmans Hill team embarked on a pursuit to acquire the finest parcels of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in Western Australia, they discovered the magnificent national park of Cape Le Grand. White sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, the most magnificent wildflowers and sunbathing kangaroos were the added bonus in determining the choicest fruit.

Since Margaret River makes Shiraz as good as it gets anywhere in the world, why trifle with nature's finest? Verse 1 is crafted with a minimum of intervention from the best quality fruit. Elegantly structured, an exciting Shiraz exhibting the stylish hallmarks of the region, medium bodied and flavoursome, maintaining true elegance and varietal definition. Expressions of spiced peppery fruit on the nose and palate, notes of berries and plum are enhanced by subtle nuances of cedar and French vanilla oak, the perfect accompaniement to osso bucco and lamb.

A formidable national wine show winner, Brookland Valley's most spectacular success has been in the form of Verse 1, a fruit driven, classically dry Margaret River white. Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc from across five of the six Margaret River subregions are grown to sites that perform exceptionally well. Brookland Valley leads the way, fashioning marvelously balanced wines, with a personality that's just right for everyday enjoyment. Verse 1 is a revitalizing drink at any time, excellent on it's own and superb alongside good food.

Previous vintage claimed Trophy at Cairns Best Wine for Enjoyment in the Tropics! Winemaker Ross Pamment has fashioned a gorgeous Rose, voluminously flavoured in mature adults only styling. The Brookland Valley team gave quite a bit of thought as to an appropriate style for the cool maritime Margaret River and came up with a mainly Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend. A vibrantly pink wine that's undergone short term skin contact, Verse 1 entices the nose with fragrances of raspberry and rose petal, a deeply flavoured palate and pleasant lingering finish.

Brookland Valley operate outstanding vineyards along the length of Margaret River, from Yallingup in the north to Karridale in the south. The picturesque Brookland Valley property on Margaret River is closely managed through sustainable viticultural practices to thrive with the healthiest vines. A superior single vineyard Chardonnay, barrel fermented and treated to the full luxury of wild yeasts and lees stirring battonage, resplendent with opulent textures, brimming with the inimitable charm of the Australian west.

It was in 1881 that a fine gentleman by the name of Daniel McGregor paid 62 pounds and 2 shillings for a Crown Grant of a hundred acres. The yearly rent for Sussex Location 165 on the fertile banks of Willyabrup Brook was a single peppercorn paid each year on the 25th March, or soon thereafter as demanded. In the 1980s it was replanted to vines and today is one of the Margaret River's most inestimable sites for first growth Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon. A long lived wine of luxury and complexity, drinking superbly upon release.

Brookland Valley have consistently led the way with innovation, quality and style. Intensely flavoured Chardonnay grapes are grown to a sunny ridge on an ancient landform, through which a small brook famously known as Wilyabrup, flows to the nearby sea. Brookland Valley wines are considered regional benchmarks, achieving the success that viticulturalists and winemakers dream of. The most superior parcels of estate grown Chardonnay are treated to wild yeast inoculation, luxurious barrel ferments and extended maturation.

Brookland Valley Estate made a conspiuous impression through their stirling efforts at Cabernet Merlot when they claimed several significant trophies, including the hotly contested Qantas Best Wine of Show. Expressing fully the generous palate structure and aromatic richness of the stylish Margaret River Cab Merlot accord, beautifully perfumed, bramble flavoured wine, brimming with the quality and elegance which has earned Brookland Valley Estate a five star reputation. A superior small batch wine that speaks eloquently of its Margaret River provenance.

After twelve years working vintage near some of the world's finest's coastal swells in South Africa and California, winemaker, diver and avid angler Matt Byrne settled amongst the dynamic surfing winemaker communities of Margaret River. He discovered some of the world's greatest beaches and familiarized himself with the most splendid viticulture in Australia. A veracious expression of Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc with animate textural palate, judicious balance of steely fruit and brisk greenery, exquisite as aperitif and superb with Al fresco.

Margaret River conjures up images of windswept capes and maritime life, the Fremantle doctor and balmy nights around a good bottle of chilled Pinot Gris. Breathing Space are all about the fun and funk of the sun and surf, an exciting range of contemporarily styled wines which are designed to escape the chaos of the big city and bring the drinker to a place that's relaxed and perpetually sunny. A fresh and crisp wine, minimally handled, permitting the Margaret River fruit to speak, framed by a judicious influence of leesyness and oak.

The Breathing Space team have made the most out of the vivaciousness and vitality which define Margaret River fruit. Verdelho and Shiraz, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, the region yields the finest harvests in the new world, Breathing Space have assembled a choice parcel of each, to be fashioned into a satiating pink wine of unadultarated savouryness, fleshyness and style. The Verdelho component is treated to a rich course of barrel ferments in French oak puncheons, achieving a delightfully seductive, tittilatingly perfumed, Turkish delight and rose petal bouquet.

The salubrious Cabernet wines of Margaret River are famous around the world for their bold, vivid fruit, statuesque structure and penetrating dark berry characters. A confluence of climate and soils, prevailing westerlies and fine soils seem to emulate the propitious terroirs of Bordeaux. It is here that the grapes fulfill their promise to the Australian continent. Breathing Space take their pick of the crop, minimally handled to capture and preserve the conspicuous Margaret River regionality, ensuring that fruit is the defining feature.

Bellarmine is a fully endowed, auspicuously high quality vineyard that yields restrained, savoury wines full of good flavour and fine balance. Since inaugural vintage, Bellarmine has been recognized for its stunning wines which have earned impressive critical acclaim. The property is an elevated site with gravelly laterite soils, established by Dr Willi Schumacher and his wife Gudrun. The couple are passionate about great wine and searched the world for a great site to plant vines before settling on the sensational property which is Bellarmine Vineyard.

Bellarmine are expert at Riesling and famously produce three different interpretations, each with its own story and appeal. One of very few vineyards in Pemberton to grow Riesling, no doubt indulging the German ancestry of proprietors Dr Willi and Gudrun Schumacher. Grapes are exclusively sourced from the estate property, planted by hand in 2000, vines are trained to receive maximum exposure from sunshine throughout the growing season.

Bellarmine jugs were used throughout the middle ages to carry wine from oak cask to table. The Bellarmine property at Pemberton was planted entirely by hand, vines were trained from ground up, to expose the ripening grapes to optimal sunshine. The terroirs and clime here are a Chardonnay maker's dream come true. Soils are red gravel laterite, offering excellent drainage while providing warmth to the vine root systems at night, courtesy of heat that the gravels have absorbed during the day. A lightly oaked wine, highly evocative of the dry and fruity Chablis style.

Chapman Grove were established in the 1990s, after a decade of search to identify the most propitious terroirs in all Margaret River. A wonderful old vineyard was discovered between Witchcliffe and Warner Glen, an elite site which provided harvests to the most prestigious brands, until the wines of Chapman Grove were ready to be bottled behind their own label. The Atticus Finch range is small in volume yet imposing in depth and breadth, only ever produced of the finest vintages. A Chardonnay of exuberance and profound weight of fruit, treated to a judicious measure of luxury French oak.

Originally a native of Portugal, Margaret River has cordially received and given sanctuary to the wayward Verdelho grape, to make it, it's very own. Small wonder, as the maritime climes and sultry Indian Ocean breezes stimulate the vines with ideal conditions to ripen fully and develop maximum fruit flavour. Ashbrook is one of the oldest producers in Margaret River and has been fashioning Verdelho wines of some import for over a quarter of a century. The vineyard is now fully mature and yielding harvests of the finest Verdelho in the land.

One of the first established vineyards on Margaret River, the balmy maritime climes at Wilyabrup just the north of the township are a bliss for the realization of Rhône styled Shiraz. Bunches are hand picked over the course of a fortnight as grapes achieve complete ripeness, fruit is gently plunged and treated to the extravagance of two years maturation in French oak barriques. A burst of currants and raspberry, cherries and plum, fine tannins, succulence and tremendous depth of flavour, Ashbrook drinks magnificently on release alongside all good fare.

Predominantly old vines Old Houghton clone Cabernet Sauvignon, hand picked off the original 1976 estate block at Wilyabrup. Bursting with red and black currant notes, vivid dark cherries and plum, leatheryness and violet, its comely perfumes of anise and cigar box precede a flood of fruit on the elegantly spiced oak palate, all supported by silky smooth, fine grained tannins. A wine of amazingly disciplined power and astonishing length, a measure of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc introduces wonderful complexity.

Hailed at inaugural release by industry savant James Halliday as the nation's finest Chardonnay, Ashbrook is crafted from harvests of Old Chardonnay Mendoza clone, picked off parcels of forty year old vine and assembled with a small block of Clones 3 and 5 transplanted from neighbouring Leeuwin Estate. The long, balmy ripening seasons at Wilyabrup encourage development of the most intense varietal characters, a big boned, dimensional Chardonnay, enhanced through a course of new French oak ferments and extended term on lees.

Three quarters Wilyabrup Old Cab and Young Cab clones, transplanted from the original Houghton Source Block in Valley Swan, the balance of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Selectively hand picked at vintage over the course of a month, gently plunged in open fermenters and matured two years in French oak barriques. A fully ripe red berry bouquet, cherry plum fruit leather and hints of cassis saturate the palate, fine grained tannins in support of a succulent, velvety mouthfeel, super premium oak imparts elegance, complexity and fragrant spice.