Every once in a while a truly special vintage comes along. That is, a year where the vines are set up for success early in the season and then the weather plays ball in terms of flowering conditions, temperature and rainfall. One often misunderstood fact is that this is the final furlong and vine health over the preceding years also has an impact. No matter how good the weather, struggling vines, or those that have undergone a long line of challenging seasons, are never in the condition required to produce great wine.
One vital part of the process is formation of the primordial buds, a full year before firstly flowers and then fruit will follow. And from that point on, the vintage is on a knife edge until the final weeks of ripening. But in particular, late season rain, a burst of heat, hail or even a lack of adequate moisture can all put a vine off balance, each chipping away at its potential quality.
Browse our 2023 Margaret River Collection
Most seasons get the odd curve ball but, very occasionally, the weather gods are kind and a vintage sails through to a perfect conclusion. And the 2023 vintage in Margaret River was for some vignerons almost perfect, particularly for Cabernet Sauvignon, and will go down in history as a great and iconic vintage.
It kicked off with a cold winter and moderate rainfall which helps the vines to rest after vintage. And Spring remained cool which saw a slow start to the season. During flowering the weather was relatively benign which saw good fruit set and then canopy development. From here, the growing season was mild and dry with very little rain. While there was some moisture stress, the lack of a hot Summer meant that old vines with deep root systems could easily cope with the dry conditions. There was also notable variation between day and night temperatures which kept good acidity in the final wines.
While the white wines were picked in dry conditions, a little March rain freshened up the top reds, which, with firm tannins from the generally dry vintage, delivered some benchmark Cabernet Sauvignons well built for the cellar. As is always the case, quality conscious producers with lower yields are often in a better position, as their fruit ripens earlier and they avoid the risk of late season rain. This was very true for 2023 in Margaret River. In mid-April, the rain returned and made life more difficult for vignerons that had not yet picked their fruit for red wines. But for those ahead of the curve, particularly based around Wilyabrup, 2023 will go down as one of the best vintages in recent years particularly for Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnays are also exceptional from 2023 but are just shadowed by the statuesque Cabernet Sauvignons.
Key wines worth hunting down to experience the best of the vintage include:
MOSS WOOD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2023
Moss Wood is in superb form in the 2023 vintage crafting the wine of the vintage in a release that beautifully balances raw power and finesse. Margaret River Cabernet has seldom looked better.
CORYMBIA ‘CALGARDUP VINEYARD’ CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2023
A rising star on the Margaret River scene, Corymbia Cabernet Sauvignon is from southern Margaret River with the vineyards planted close to the ocean. This is a wine with superb elegance, purity and focus with a fine seam of tannins that is already delicious but also has significant aging potential.
LEEUWIN ESTATE 'ART SERIES' CHARDONNAY 2023
This benchmark vintage for Leeuwin Estate is a stunner which bursts out of the glass with explosive fruit well matched to powerful and harmonious oak. A sleeper that will blossom in bottle over the next decade and more.
MCHENRY HOHNEN 'CALGARDUP BROOK VINEYARD' CHARDONNAY 2023
McHenry Hohnen’s rise over the last two decades has been slow and steady but now this winery sits comfortably amongst the region’s best. This stylish Chardonnay combines impressive weight and energy with measured oak influence and supreme length to finish. Delicious now and over the next decade.
