Margaret River is one of Australia’s top three or four wine regions. To many, it would be the region that springs next to mind after Barossa. Of course, the words “Margaret River” immediately evoke “Cabernet Sauvignon” and “Chardonnay”, but in recent times, the region is producing some beautiful takes on Shiraz, Malbec, and other varietals as well.
We recently paid a fairly extensive visit to the Margaret River region. On the basis of wines and wine experience to be had at the cellar door, following were our top five picks for summer 2019.
* McHenry Hohnen – On the basis of wine quality per dollar spent, McHenry has to be our top pick in the Margaret River. They have several wines in the $28 to $38 price range that punch above the weight that other wineries are hawking for $60 and up. But it’s not just value you’ll find at MH. You’ll also find damn good wine! We found more five-star wines here than any other single stop. Loved the 2016 Hazel Chardonnay, the 2017 SGM (a steal at $28), the classic 2015 Tempranillo, the beautiful ruby 2016 Zinfandel, the hyper-polished 2013 BDX blend, and of course the 2014 Cab Sav that actually made us think of the best of Coonawarra. How’s that for a list of recommended wines?!?!
* Vasse Felix – Because it is a larger incumbent in the region with a focus on its (incredible) restaurant business, we always leave Vasse Felix surprised and and grateful. Surprised because most wineries like this just don’t produce great wine anymore (as their focus is elsewhere) and grateful that there remain a few big players out there making serious wines. The focus pays in Vasse Felix’s (relatively) small range of wines. They are great, and the Cab Savs are exeptional, even by Margaret River’s lofty standards. In fact, it’s crazy just how good their entry level (below $20!!) Cab is! Same goes for their Classic Red. You’ll not find a better table red under $20.
* Cullen Wines – Cullen serves up arguably the best tasting experience in Margaret River if you book ahead. The staff are exceptional, the place treats you like royalty, and the range of wines is engaging. On the one hand, we find Cullen’s winemaking style generally quite soft, which makes it unique to the region out of the gates, but then there are some very interesting and unexpected twists on the tasting journey. For instance, their Amber Wine. You couldn’t call the nose pleasant, but gosh is the wine good. For us, the Kevin John Chardonnay was the true standout.. How can such a light and elegant wine still assert its identity so powerfully? The best of French style wine-making achieved!
* Howard Park Wines – Considering the size of their extensive range, we couldn’t believe how many of their wines we just loved on our last visit! With vines in a few wine regions and a label playfully dedicated to letting a French winemaker have a go with their AUS fruit, Howard Park has all the materials for a commanding tasting. In our most recent visit, we loved their Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs (yes, we said Pinot Noir in the same post as Margaret River 
and LOVED their absolutely perfect Cab Shiraz. As for the tasting, abundant side-by-side of the same varietal from different regions as well French vs Australian made makes for perhaps the most enjoyable tasting in the region.
* Mr Barval Fine Wines – Barval is a new entrant into the Margaret River but has already made an impression on us. Notably, they do not own or manage land; they exclusively buy the fruit they want from other producers. For a small enough winery, this is a big advantage, and it seems to be paying dividends at the moment for Barval. Most notable to us was the consistency of the sense of polish and finish across their entire (small) range. As we have noted before, it is uncommon to find a winemaker’s hallmark so consistently applied to a range. We particularly loved the deep polished musk and bright finish of the white field blend Mistral, and their tight-rope-balanced Cab Merlot. We expect great things to come from this place.
These amazing stops of Margaret River Wine are #WhyWeLoveWine!