In Decanter's inaugural Margaret River vintage report, the Cullen `Diana Madeline` Wilyabrup (£92) is Cassandra Charlick's joint top-scoring 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon with 96 points and "a jewel in the vintage." Cassandra adds that "there’s no doubt that 2022 was a great year for Margaret River Chardonnay...consistently among the greatest white wines of Australia" and lists Cullen's "classy and impressively persistent" 96-point `Kevin John` Wilyabrup (£117.30) and Nocturne's "fabulous" 95-point `Forrest Vineyard` Wilyabrup (£41.40) among her top 20 examples from the vintage. Ned Goodwin MW features the "extremely intense...showy" 2023 vintage of `Kevin John` in his 12 must-try Australian Chardonnays that demonstrate diverse regional character, alongside the 2022 Tolpuddle Vineyard from Tasmania.

A great value alternative if you fancy a chardonnay is  Nocturne, `Treeton` Wilyabrup Chardonnay 2022, Australia that is rated at 94 points for £29.

Cullen, `Diana Madeline` Wilyabrup Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2021, Australia
96 points, (£92)
Elegant, opulent nose. Rose petals, oriental florals and spice abound, with salted plum, mulberry and cassis fruit pulsing with liquid cacao, sea brine, rosemary blossom and charcoal. Fine acid and plentiful tannins are tightly bound yet in harmony. Fine-grained toasty oak matches the fruit weight and brooding intensity. Refined with effortless energy. A jewel in the vintage. Biodynamic.

(Two reviews) Cullen, `Kevin John` Wilyabrup Chardonnay 2023, Australia
95 points, (£118)
From the first whiff, this is an extremely intense wine. Quintessentially Margaret River, such is the palate-staining nature of it all, with brûlée, white peach, fennel and very classy oak funneling the generosity. The finish is impressively long, dragged by an undertow of maritime freshness. Perhaps almost too much of a good thing in its youth, requiring time and some tertiary complexity, perhaps, to placate the exuberance! But what an impressive sip, with well placed rocky road phenolics keeping excess at bay. A showy wine, right out of the gates.

Cullen, `Kevin John` Wilyabrup Chardonnay 2022, Australia
96 points , (£118)
The plush, inviting nose abounds with candied lemon and lemon zest, rosebud, white florals, ginger root, almond meal and a lime sherbet lift. Oak is understated and elegant, offering light toast and cedar perfume. Wet limestone minerality and lime pith sit on a silvery thread of acidity. Classy and impressively persistent. Certified biodynamic.

Nocturne, `Forrest Vineyard` Wilyabrup Chardonnay 2022, Australia
95 points , (£42)
Creamy, with a considerable whack of funk underpinned by white floral prettiness. Yes, there's cheesecloth, curd, flint and oatmeal pastry, but also plenty of preserved lemon, pith and rock salt. Structured, tailored, driven and powerful on the palate, with brioche creaminess and a layered talcy phenolic grip keeping it grounded. Fabulous.

Nocturne, Treeton Chardonnay 2022, Australia
94 points , (£29)
Flint and cheesecloth, buttery popcorn with a lovely note of jasmine powering through. Nice savoury spice here – cumin and cardamom, dried and crushed. The palate is defined with military structure: acid drive, mid-palate power and weight. Lots of billowy aromatics flow through the mouth, as does white grapefruit pith and grilled lemon. There might be power and phenolic grip, but this sways as it sashays towards the back palate. A solid wine that lingers on the palate and mind. In the words of winemaker Julian Langsworthy, the inland and central Treeton area is 'a weird little area full of hillbillies, dairy cows and, interestingly, some great Chardonnay vineyards'. Cold at night, warm in the day with deep silver-grey sands that we think produce special Chardonnay'. Wild ferment in barrel, 25% new French oak.

Tolpuddle Vineyard, Coal River Valley Chardonnay 2022, Australia
94 points , (£59)
Yellow plum, grapefruit, kaffir lime, salted quince and beeswax. A little high acid-sour and angular across the finish as it stands, but there is concentration and the finish is long limbed. Inchoate and needing time to gel. I may well be underscoring this. While it was tasted blind, it was revealed to be a wine of pedigree and an impressive track record of age-worthiness.
(Available on allocation only - SOLD OUT IN MOST PLACES!. Please speak with your sales representative.)