March 2026

There has been a lot of talk in the industry about the 2024 vintage in Margaret River, with some expressing concerns about the warmer, compressed vintage.
This tasting completely dispels the concerns. 

This is one of the highest pointed brackets of wines that the panel have reviewed.

Reviewed

Piero – Chardonnay – 2024. Oh wow. This is a different style to some here, but no less worthy. More refined, more elegant, yet just as impactful and so so impressive. The palate transition is totally seamless, with different flavours ebbing and flowing over time, caressing and cossetting the taste buds with the highest quality fruit. The winemaking is a mere whisper in the background, framing the fruit and adding a textural backbone, but not impacting in any way. Stunning. 14.0% alc – 97pts – $110

Cullen – Kevin John – Chardonnay – 2024. To quote John Jens: Yes, Yes. YES!!! This is a totally stunning wine. Fine, elegant and restrained, yet somehow, at the same time intense and powerful, with great purity of fruit. Finesse. Mouthfeel. Stunning length and persistence. 13.5% alc – 97pts – $180.

Deep Woods – Reserve – Chardonnay – 2024. OMG, the cracking lineup just keeps on going. The fruit here is a touch riper and with more overt power, and is perfectly matched to the fine oak and supple winemaking inputs. This is a case where the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts. The way the flavours linger on the finish is truly outstanding. One of the greats. Peach, nectarine, grapefruit-like acidity and sublime oak. 13.5% alc – 97. $80.

Peccavi – Cape Falls – Chardonnay – 2024. This is quite superb. Very intense and subtly powerful, this is an amazing amalgam of great fruit, fine oak and sympathetic winemaking. The length and persistence of flavours is quite stunning, as is the mouthfeel/texture. There are stonefruit characters to start, but there is so much more. A sublime, spine tingling wine made in tiny quantities . 13.0% alc – 96.5pts.

Cullen – Flower Day – Kevin John – Chardonnay – 2024. This was the first wine in the line-up and was a superb start to the bracket. This is a much more restrained rendition of chardonnay, with higher acidity and the fruit a little muted at the moment. The palate is crisp and taut, with nectarine and guava fruit notes. This really needs some time to open up, but will be a great wine in time. The winemaking inputs have been superbly managed and there is latent tension and energy sitting behind this. 13.5% alc – 96pts.