Margs Cont'd.

After the relatively easy ride round the vineyards south of the town came the much more strenuous trek north. The main concentration of MR vineyards are to be found about 25km north of the town itself, between Cowaramup and Yallingup. The problem wasn't with the distances but with the intermediate activities involved, the collateral damage, of the trek there and back. The south is noticeably cooler than Perth and its environs but 27 degrees is still fairly warm; combine the heat with some alcohol and you're going to get a little bit dizzy. Nevertheless it's an excellent ride – I'd recommend taking the 'Rails to Trails' track from MR to Cowaramup which travels through some of the beautiful forest that the South-West is famed for. Given the greater distances I only visited 4 vineyards by bicycle – Howard Park & Madfish, Juniper, Vasse Felix and Cullen – but added Flying Fish Cove, Saracen and Willespie thanks to my new roommate at the Surfpoint hostel, Ant (and his car), and to whom I'm very grateful. In total I've tasted about 150 wines in the Margaret River and the quality is quite simply stunning. MR is premium chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon territory, and by getting yourself to the vineyards there's a good chance you're going to get the opportunity to taste some of the best examples of these grape varieties the New World – if not the wine producing World in general – has to offer, and it'll probably be free. And if that isn't reason enough to go and visit then the stunning scenery, pristine beaches (with world-class surf) and friendly folk really should be. And if you dive there's a chance you could catch yourself some of the biggest cray-fish I've ever seen*, as the aforementioned Ant did. No joke, it was about the size of a mans torso (*I haven't seen many cray-fish in my time, but I know what's a bit one when I see it).

Given the number of vineyard visited I'm only going to review one in any sort of depth – Vasse Felix. (Also, and I wont lie, I much prefer spending time at the beach/in the river than writing these reviews. Maybe if it rains I'll write much more detailed notes). The wines are of the highest quality and the cellar door is stunning (like most in the Margaret River, it must be said). However, very special mention must go to Cullen wines (the next-door neighbors of Vasse) who also produce some brilliant and very interesting wines (the malbec x petit verdot x merlot cross Magnan in particular). If I get time I'll definitely be adding some reviews of their stuff.

Vasse Felix

2007 Heytesbury Chardonnay – A brilliant example of what chardonnay is capable of. A beautiful blend of ripe stone fruit, fresh citrus and the more savory nuances of french oak. The barrel ferment adds some beautifully soft tannin to give a long, long finish. Apparently wild yeasts are used which really give the wine a quirkiness (a la Au Bon Climat's 'Wild Boy' from California). As with Leeuwin Art Series this is right up there with the very best of them.

2009 Cane Cut Semillon – Cane cutting is another way of creating sweet wines by cutting the cane from the vine thus forcing the build up of fruit sugars (I think, but don't quote me on that). Has a prominent ginger spiciness on the nose with some citrus elements lingering in the background. Both follow though to the palate which also includes creamy lemon-curd and marmalade, but with a fresh acidity to balance the sweetness that also gives a clean finish.

2009 Tempranillo – Tempranillo is one of the main grapes of Rioja, so it's fairly surprising to find it around the MR, although Vasse Felix have managed to produce a very interesting wine. The nose has a notable perfume edge to the prominent fruit driven by cherry and raspberry (Vasse themselves use cherry-cola to describe the nose, and to be fair it's a very good tasting note) and a warm cinnamon spice. The fruit nose follows through to the palate, and subtle oak adds another layer to the wine, but with fairly assertive tannin this wine could do with a few years in bottle and a decent meal to really work.

2007 Shiraz – Another wine with noticeable confectionery on the nose. Blackberry\blackberry jam dominates but there are definite if subtle elements of anise spiciness. The palate, although more medium bodied, is full of soft ripe fruit flavors, complimented (eventually – this wine has real length to its flavors) by coffee, bitter chocolate and subtle oak.

2000 Cab. Sauv – Another wine that I was privileged to have been able to taste. As you would expect with an older wine, time has had a softening effect. Juicy dark berry fruit lingers subtly on the palate with the more savory herb, chocolate and oak-spiciness. The tannins have mellowed considerably, giving and outstanding finish. A really beautiful wine.