Margaret River Archives - Young Gun of Wine

Windows Estate, Margaret River

Tucked into the cool coastal pocket of Yallingup on the northern edge of Margaret River, Windows Estate is a certified-organic standout shaped by Chris Davies, who planted his first vines at age 19. Spanning nine hectares out of a 47-hectare farm, this vineyard – planted in tranches from 1996 to 2014 – thrives on three distinct soil types: karri loam, fractured laterite, and granite-clay blends. Chris treats the farm as one living ecosystem, with no irrigation, minimal inputs, and a hands-on ethos –manual whipper-snipping and Guyot–Poussard pruning keep it personal. Over 50% of the land remains a conservation zone, buzzing with biodiversity, while the rest yields a tight lineup: both sparkling and still chenin blanc, chardonnay, semillon, syrah, and ‘Violette’ (a Bordeaux blend), with varietal petit verdot and malbec in select years. Each block is vinified separately, letting the site’s terroir shine through in every bottle. Proximity to the wild rhythm of the ocean and a towering ridgeline create a microclimate that tempers the heat, coaxing out vibrant acidity and layered flavors that speak directly of this unique patch of earth.

Marri Wood Park Vineyard, Margaret River

Nestled in Yallingup at the northern tip of Margaret River, Marri Wood Park Vineyard consists of 6.5 hectares of 30-year-old vines – a rugged standout in a region famous for its manicured wines. Certified biodynamic since 2008 (Demeter), vineyard management here is less about cosmic rituals and more about vigneron Julian Wright letting nature run the show – forgoing irrigation, fertilizers, and cover crops to mimic the wild bush that dominates the rest of his 40-hectare farm. Chenin, cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, and semillon grow here, fed only by rain, leaf litter, and animal droppings rather than any inputs from the conventional growers’ playbook. In a region of over 200 wineries where fewer than 10 hold certified biodynamic status, Marri Wood Park stands as a rare throwback to an unplugged style of farming.

Higher Plane Vineyard, Margaret River

Tucked at the southern end of Margaret River in Karridale, Higher Plane Vineyard sprawls across 15.9 hectares of gravelly loam. Its vines – planted between 1997 and 2018 – average 18 years of age, and are tended to by head growers Ianto Ward and Dan Stocker. Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, fiano, tempranillo, shiraz and more thrive here, with the fruit going on to make Higher Plane Shiraz and the single-site Juniper Cornerstone Karridale Chardonnay – a standout wine in a region of 215 wineries known for their bold cabernets and plush chardonnays. While the northern Margaret River basks in the sun, this cooler southern pocket requires grit to farm regeneratively, with the wines shaped by the influence of two oceans meeting and a hands-on push for balance.

467 Twenty Four Road, Margaret River

Claudia Gant has evolved the 467 Twenty Four Road vineyard – established by her father Graham Lloyd in 1998 – with a rich tapestry of varieties, from Margaret River’s renowned chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon to the less traditional, such as arneis, alvarinho, and touriga nacional. Tucked away in the southern reaches of Margaret River, the cool climes of Karridale, shadowed by the influence of the Southern Ocean, offer a unique microclimate. Combined with Claudia’s vineyard architecture, this delivers grapes of high natural acidity, providing a suite of options for a natural approach in the winery. Here, the fruits of Claudia and Matt Gant’s labor not only fuel their own ‘Gant & Co’ label but also five other local wineries, Domaine Naturaliste, Howard Park, Flametree, Byron and Harold, and Skigh Wine.

Voyager Estate – V9Y Vineyard

First planted in the late 1970s, Voyager Estate is one of Margaret River’s oldest vineyards. Located in the Stevens Valley in the subregion of Wallcliffe, the vineyard now occupies over 100 hectares, but it is a recently planted 1.2-hectare block of cabernet sauvignon that is causing considerable excitement amongst the team. That section, called V9Y, was propagated from the original vines and is one day destined for the flagship cabernet, or perhaps a solo bottling. As with the whole estate, the vineyard is certified organic and managed by Glen Ryan, who has worked at Voyager for over two decades.

Devil’s Lair Vineyard, Margaret River

Established in the 1980s, Devil’s Lair have been making wine from the classic hero varieties of Margaret River since the first release in 1990. The vineyard is situated in the south of the region, surrounded by karri and jarrah forest and fanned by ocean breezes. It’s a cool site marked by variations of aspect in the blocks that lend the wines complexity and a certain elegance, which is further enhanced by clonal diversity. Viticulturist Simon Robertson has cared for the site for 30 years, which has been registered with Sustainable Winegrowing Australia since 2010 and certified since 2013.

Cullen

Cullen wines, led by Vanya Cullen is one of the blue chip names in Margaret River, and more specifically the subregion of Wilyabrup where her parents planted the first estate vines in 1971. Her stewardship has taken the farming from one that was always environmentally sympathetic to having now held biodynamic certification for just shy of two decades – as well as being recently assessed as carbon negative. The original vineyard is responsible for the iconic cabernets, ‘Diana Madeline’, and chardonnay, ‘Kevin John’, as well a raft of bottlings ranging from the classically styled to those that walk a more experimental path.

Vasse Felix – Tom’s Vineyard, Margaret River

Planted in 1967, Tom’s Vineyard was the first commercial vineyard in Margaret River. Vasse Felix now farm over 330 hectares at four sites across the region, including a vineyard in Karridale mostly earmarked for sister sparkling wine label Idée Fixe, but it is the original Tom’s Vineyard parcel within their broader Home Vineyard in Wilyabrup on Caves Road that is reserved for their most prestigious bottlings, producing the Premier and Icon ranges, including the flagship red from the oldest vines – own-rooted cabernet sauvignon and malbec – named after the estate’s founder, Tom Cullity. Bart Molony manages the viticultural operations for Vasse Felix across all four of their sites with an eye towards pragmatic sustainability.

Windows Estate, Margaret River Chris Davies