Double Win for Margaret River at the Wine Communicator Awards Plus Plenty More Impressive Accolades

2022 was an impressive year for the Margaret River Wine Region! It shone brightly at the annual Wine Communicator Awards in Sydney with Margaret River Fine Vines Festival crowned Best Wine-Themed Event and Margaret River Wine Guide taking out Best Wine Website or App. Not to mention the countless fabulous wine reviews and recognitions it has accumulated across James Suckling's Top 100, James Halliday's Top 100, Ray Jordan's WA wine review and The Real Review Wine Classifications.

The annual Wine Communicator Awards awards recognise excellence in wine communications and were created to acknowledge outstanding contributions to, and excellence in wine communication in all forms.

Margaret River Wine Association CEO Amanda Whiteland was in Sydney  to accept both awards.

“Both the Margaret River Fine Vines Festival and the Margaret River Region Guide have involved significant regional collaboration, with over 80 wineries participating in both, as well as the support of AHOY Management and Wine Folly,” Ms Whiteland said.

“It is a privilege to work in region which values collaboration so highly.”

“For Margaret River, a region that grows less than 2% of Australia’s wine grapes, recognised in two categories in the Wine Communicator Awards for its contribution to, and excellence in wine communication is fantastic.”

“It is such an honour to accept these awards on behalf of Margaret River Wine Region.”

Margaret River Wine Association saw a huge opportunity to spotlight the region’s world-class wine offering in a festival dedicated to wine and engaged AHOY Management to co-create the Margaret River Fine Vines Festival with the aim of amplifying the region’s rich wine stories and increasing wine drinker’s depth of engagement with the area’s grape growers and winemakers.

Until the conceptualisation of Fine Vines Festival in 2021, there was no consumer wine festival specifically championing the region’s wine, despite the Margaret River Region producing globally recognised and awarded wines.

The festival shines a spotlight on the people, places and passion behind the region offering exclusive experiences, learning opportunities and behind the scenes access not to be found elsewhere.

AHOY Management Joint Director Brianna Delaporte said the team were thrilled that Fine Vines Festival has been acknowledged as one of the stand-out wine experiences across Australia.

Ms Delaporte said, “The festival is a collaboration between more than 80 of the region’s wine producers, so this win is important for the whole region and recognises the collective dedication to the production of top quality wine and customer experiences.”

“The festival has been purposefully curated to ensure it offers up a unique 10-day program that entices visitors to explore all aspects of the Margaret River Wine Region, and not only champions the region’s powerhouse brands but also provides a platform for the smaller producers that collectively add quality and depth to the program.”

The Margaret River Wine Guide was a collaboration with leading global digital wine education platform Wine Folly and is the first comprehensive digital guide of its kind in Asia Pacific. As the eighth Region Guide produced by Wine Folly, Margaret River Wine Guide now sits alongside other global wine destinations such as Napa Valley, Sicily and Bordeaux.

Four weeks from the launch, the guide had reached an audience of 4.3 million globally, making it one of Wine Folly’s most popular guides to date.

The guide’s comprehensive content was created by award-winning author Madeline Puckette, Wine Folly’s Head of Wine Education, Christine Marsiglio MW, Margaret River Wine Association’s comprehensive new 60 page media kit, and data loaded by individual wine producers into a Global Wine Database.

 

Now onto the long list of many amazing accolades...


James Suckling’s Top 100 Wines of the World 2022 - From over 32,000 wines tasted by James Suckling and his team, two Margaret River Chardonnay are featured!  The Deep Woods Chardonnay was also the highest-ranked of the six Australian wines in the Top 100.

⭐ #25 Deep Woods Estate Reserve Chardonnay Margaret River 2021

⭐ #87 Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay Margaret River 2021

James remarked the Margaret River region "...is a unique maritime region making fresh and structured reds and bright and flavorful whites."⁠

 

James Halliday Top 100 Wines, The Weekend Australian - Margaret River featured 11 times and was the #3 highest region after Adelaide Hills with 13 wines, and Champagne with 12 wines.

𝟮𝟬 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 $𝟯𝟬

⭐ Deep Woods Estate Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc 2022 – 95 points

⭐ Cullen Mangan Vineyard Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc 2022 – 95 points

⭐ Amelia Park Margaret River Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2022 – 95 points

⭐ Amelia Park Trellis Margaret River Chardonnay 2021 – 94 points

𝟮𝟬 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 $𝟯𝟬

⭐ Domaine Naturaliste Sauvage Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc 2021 – 96 points

⭐  Windows Estate Petit Lot La Terre Sauvignon Blanc 2021 - 96 points

𝟮𝟬 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 $𝟰𝟬

⭐ Hay Shed Hill Morrison’s Gift 2020 – 95 points

𝟮𝟬 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 $𝟰𝟬

⭐ Hay Shed Hill Block 2 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – 98 points

⭐ Cherubino Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 – 97 points

⭐ Thompson Estate The Specialist Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – 97 points

⭐ Cullen Diana Madeline 2020 – 98 point

 

The Real Review Wine Classification of Australia - The team at The Real Review have just launched a new classification of Australian wine based on a track record of a decade or longer of outstanding results, and Margaret River Chardonnay and Cabernets dominate. Congratulations to all those that received merits.

3 Merit Wines (MMM)

 Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay

Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay

Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon

Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon

Stella Bella Luminosa Cabernet Sauvignon

Cullen Diana Madeline

2 Merit Wines (MM)

 Deep Woods Estate Reserve Chardonnay

Flametree S.R.S. Wallcliffe Chardonnay

McHenry Hohnen Hazel's Vineyard Chardonnay

Pierro Chardonnay

Stella Bella Serie Luminosa Chardonnay

Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay

Xanadu Stevens Road Chardonnay

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon

Fraser Gallop Estate Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon

Woodlands Cabernet Sauvignon

Xanadu Stevens Road Cabernet Sauvignon

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Vineyards Merlot

Pierro Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

Woodlands Margaret

 

Matthew Jukes' 100 Best Australian Wines Report 2022/23, The Seventeenth Edition

2019 Idée Fixe, Premier Brut Blanc de Blancs, Margaret River

2021 Howard Park, Miamup Chardonnay, Margaret River

2022 Robert Oatley, Signature Series Chardonnay, Margaret River

2021 Leeuwin Estate, Prelude Chardonnay, Margaret River

2019 McHenry Hohnen, Calgardup Brook Vineyard Chardonnay, Margaret River

2020 Vasse Felix, Heytesbury Chardonnay, Margaret River

2018 Robert Oatley, Finisterre Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

2020 Xanadu Estate, Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

2018 Moss Wood, Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

2020 Cullen, Diana Madeline, Wilyabrup, Margaret River

 

The Enthusiast 100: The Best Wines Of 2022, Wine Enthusiast

⭐ #57 Leeuwin Estate 2018 Art Series Chardonnay, 94 Points

⭐ #98 Howard Park 2018 Miamup Cabernet Sauvignon, 90 Points

 

Reviewers’ Favorites 2022, The Wine Advocate

Erin Larkin discusses her five favorite wines encountered throughout the year (two from Margaret River).

⭐ 2021 Windows Estate Petit Lot Chardonnay  - "A Producer That's Under the Radar"

⭐ 2020 Deep Woods Estate Reserve Chardonnay - "A Wine That's Especially Good Value"

 

Wine Pinnacle Awards 2022 - announced earlier this month at a glamorous gala dinner at Resorts World Singapore, with Margaret River Chardonnay recognised again!  Congratulations to Leeuwin Estate & Cullen Wines.

Best Recent Release: Chardonnay (ex-Burgundy)

⭐ 2018 Leeuwin Estate, Art Series Chardonnay, Margaret River, Australia (Winner)

⭐ 2018 Cullen, Kevin John Chardonnay, Margaret River, Australia (Finalist)

 

The Western Australian Good Food Guide Awards

⭐ Wine of the Year - Xanadu Stevens Road Chardonnnay 2020

⭐ New Restaurant of the Year - Frui Momento at Cherubino

⭐ Regional Restaurant of the Year - Chow's Table

⭐ Regional Chef of the Year - Dan Gedge at Leeuwin Estate

⭐ Excellence Front of House - Caleb Dreaver at Vasse Felix

⭐ Breakthrough Talent - Albee Lee at Wills Domain

 

Ray Jordan’s Annual WA Wine Review, 2023 Edition

 Sparkling of the Year – Howard Park Jete Grand Vintage 2017

Sauvignon Blanc of the Year – Flowstone Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Small Producer of the Year – Flowstone

Semillon of the Year –  Moss Wood Semillon 2022

Blended White of the Year – Pierro LTC 2022

Chardonnay of the Year – Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2019

White Wine of the Year – Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2019

Merlot of the Year – Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Merlot 2019

Producer of the Year – Cherubino

Cabernet Sauvignon of the Year – Voyager MJW Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Blended Red of the Year – Vasse Felix Tom Cullity Cabernet Malbec 2018