Domaine Naturaliste
Just off Caves Road, Domaine Naturaliste is a must if you love chardonnay before you head further south along the Chardonnay Trail. Depending on your preference, taste your way through their lightly oaked, fruit-driven styles and a voluptuous old-world style made from the acclaimed local Gin Gin clone, or go for a style with laser-like purity and acid made from Dijon clones.
Cherubino
An essential stop for chardonnay lovers, Cherubino is the label of award-winning winemaker and grape grower Larry Cherubino, who has earned an outstanding reputation both nationally and internationally for his exceptional chardonnays. A couple of years ago, the winery was honoured with the prestigious IWSC International White Wine Producer of the Year award, alongside the many accolades their chardonnays continue to receive year after year. Enjoy a tasting of chardonnays from the Cherubino and Cherubino Ovale ranges, perfectly paired with antipasto or cheese boards.
Lenton Brae Estate
Lenton Brae’s Wilyabrup Chardonnay has been going strong for 39 vintages in a row – one of the longest running in the region. It’s a true classic Margaret River style, with elegance, texture and that signature Wilyabrup charm. The family-owned winery combines both the history and future of Chardonnay in the region – always evolving, but staying true to place. Stopping in at their friendly cellar door is a great way to discover a hidden gem – relaxed, welcoming and all about the wine.
Churchview Estate
Churchview Estate is well worth the quick detour to Metricup. Operating a certified organic vineyard, they pride themselves on cultivating, crafting and cherishing the land, the grapes, and the wines. Churchview aim to craft each bottle as a reflection of the site, and to speak about the vintage, the climate, and the array of flavour profiles each season brings.
You’ll find a variety of clones and styles of chardonnay to suit any palate and budget. Bring your own picnic or select from a range of locally sourced charcuterie offered at the cellar door, share a bottle of your favourite chardonnay and enjoy the view.
Pierro
Just down the road from Churchview Estate you’ll find Pierro, who very humbly boasts a chardonnay that exemplifies the terroir of the region. Since 1986, the chardonnay style found at Pierro has been racking up accolades internationally. Wine Writer and Critic Jeremy Oliver says of their chardonnay “Pierro is one of the few Australian wineries that could claim to have established a trend that many others have followed… they have crafted a chardonnay of not only monumental power but of simultaneously smooth and silky delivery”.
Vasse Felix
A little further down Caves Road lies the historical centre of Margaret River’s wine industry at Vasse Felix, the region’s founding estate established in 1967 by Dr Tom Cullity. Your visit comes with the opportunity to taste one of the region’s most coveted bottles. Their iconic Heytesbury Chardonnay is one of the most awarded chardonnays in the world. Perched beside Margaret River’s oldest vineyard, the Estate offers wine tastings, an award-winning restaurant, an art gallery, tours and more.
Howard Park
From rich and oaky, lean and mineral to sparkling blanc de blanc, you’ll find chardonnay in all shapes and forms at Howard Park.
Their acclaimed Allingham is made from a selection from the best blocks of chardonnay that grow on the south-facing slopes of their Allingham vineyard in Karridale. Exceptional fruit, traditional winemaking methods and ample maturation in French oak deliver a layered, flavoursome and complex wine.
Book a Chardonnay Styles wine flight via their website, you won’t regret it.
Passel Estate
Passel Estate is a family-owned winery with nature conservation at its heart. Visitors can enjoy a range of guided tasting experiences, a portion of the proceeds of which go directly towards the nature and wildlife conservation program at the estate. Their sustainably produced, single-vineyard chardonnay is acclaimed for its perfume, elegant structure and fabulous typicity.
A museum chardonnay is also available to taste for a small additional tasting fee; go for it!