Margaret River Vintage Vertical Series 4:
Xanadu, Vasse Felix & Moss Wood
Decanter claims “Western Australia’s Margaret River is home to some of the world’s finest Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon”… and we agree!
Our fourth tasting in our Margaret River Mini Series, explores nine wines, from three producers, across six vintages…at one relaxed tasting! Taste 3 mini verticals and compare how Margaret River Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon have evolved over time.
9 Margaret River wines including…
3x Xanadu Chardonnays:
2023 | 2018 | 2015
Glenn Goodall, the chief winemaker & his team have have tallied up an unbelievable 339 gold medals and 127 trophies across regional and national wine shows.
3x Vasse Felix Tom Cullity (& Heytesbury) Cabernets:
2015 | 2009 | 2007
3x Moss Wood Cabernets:
2018 | 2009 | 2001
100 Points - Sam Kim, The Wine Orbit, on the Moss Wood Cabernet, 2018 vintage.
“This is just getting ridiculous…Is it their best? Yes.” - 99 Points - Ray Jordan, also on the 2018 vintage.
“Moss Wood sets the bar at the highest level when it comes to Australian cabernet sauvignon…”
Aaron Brasher, The Real Review, ‘Moss Wood Marvel’ article in Cellar Talk (September 2025).
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Saturday, February 28th
Margaret River Vintage Vertical Series 4: Xanadu, Vasse Felix, Moss Wood
Tasting: 2pm - 3.30pm, 9 Wines and Nibbles | $145.00
[Limited to 15 Pax.]
Margaret River: a true wine history
Any account of the history of winemaking in Margaret River must acknowledge the true father of the region: Dr John Gladstones AM, a scientist of awesome intelligence. Much of his working life as an agronomist was devoted to lupins, a significant source of fodder for cattle. Central to this was unravelling climate, soils and their interaction. The 1960s witnessed the stirrings of viniculture (sic) across Australia after decades of somnolence, a spark that was lit by Max Lake in the Hunter Valley when he established Lake’s Folly in 1963. In 1965 and 1966, Gladstones wrote two scientific papers. The first covered the climate and soils of southwest Australia, and was followed with a paper focusing on the Margaret River-Busselton area. These lit a flame that has burnt bright for 55 years.
At that time, Margaret River was an unprepossessing region, sparsely populated, its beaches the chief appeal to tourists. The three doctors who conducted the early viticultural developments were Tom Cullity (Vasse Felix, 1967), Bill Pannell (Moss Wood, 1969) and Kevin Cullen (Cullen Wines, 1971). They had professional careers and family lives, and were driven men who had to work extraordinarily long hours. In typical Australian fashion they shared knowledge gained the hard way and by 1973, had laid the path for another seven wineries, most notably Cape Mentelle and Leeuwin Estate. Today there are more than 180 regional wineries here. The three doctors (and their wineries) rank first among equals. Not all varieties and wines can be so classified. Few would challenge cabernet sauvignon’s right to be ranked first, but Margaret River’s greatest cabernets are different to each other in the way they disseminate their character.
Denis Horgan established Leeuwin Estate in 1973, and planted a magic block of soil with chardonnay. I have long described this as Australia’s greatest example of the variety. Margaret River is a many-splendoured place.
Printed on The Weekend Australian Magazine, June 17-18, 2023
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Recent judging visits to Margaret River by leading international wine judges have weighed in and reinforced: that this is a region operating at an elite level. International Wine & Spirits Competition global judge Melania Battiston and Sarah Abbot MW, shared their thoughts on the region.
“We are now ambassadors of this region after this trip. It is our duty to communicate how refined these wines are, to source them, to place them on our lists, and to spread the word of Margaret River.” - Melania Battiston, International Wine & Spirits Competition Judge
“It’s an exciting and important time to be judging wines in Margaret River, and to be visiting the Great Southern. The wines have been brilliant for years, with some iconic and world-famous producers. But we are now seeing growing appreciation and valuing of the unique personality and elite quality of the region.” - Sarah Abbot MW, International Wine & Spirits Judging Committee Member
Fellow judge Beth Pearce reinforced the point, describing Margaret River as “almost like an insider secret at the moment in the fine wine world,” recognising not just quality, but the region’s growing global relevance.
Margaret River
Extract from 'Huon Hooke’s ‘Introduction to Margaret River’…
“…It’s a toss-up which variety Margaret River does best: cabernet sauvignon or chardonnay. Cabernet wins if you consider there are relatively few places where cabernet excels. By comparison, chardonnay is a great traveller.
Cabernet wines can be quite leafy in cooler seasons and the less-expensive bottlings. These days, cabernet at the higher quality levels is elegant but seldom shows its greener features, which were evident in many of the earliest Margaret River cabernets that turned heads and won trophies with their highly aromatic style. Today’s cabernets are medium to full-bodied, with tannins that are ripe and supple. One rarely finds over-oaked wines. The preferred clone is probably the Houghton clone, a heritage clone originally sourced from the Houghton Swan Valley vineyard.”
The Producers in Context
Source: Ray Jordan's Margaret River Region Map
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From Xanadu:
Xanadu Reigns as Australia’s Best Cabernet at the National Wine Show of Australia.
Our renowned family-run winery, proudly announces its remarkable achievement of securing the Cabernet Sauvignon Trophy at the National Wine Show of Australia for an unprecedented ninth consecutive year. The trophy was awarded to the 2019 Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon, reinforcing Xanadu’s dominance in producing Australia’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon.
This brings Xanadu’s trophy number to 136, of that, Xanadu’s Cabernet Sauvignon wines have won a staggering 68 trophies and 168 gold medals in wine shows since 2007.
From JJ
Xanadu have won:
9 of the past 10 Best Cabernet Trophies at our National Wine Show in Canberra, & The Jimmy Watson Trophy, and multiple Trophies each for
Best SBS Blends, Best Chardonnays of Show, Best White Wines of Show,
Best Rose’s of Show, Best Cabernets of Show and Best Red Wines of Show … & Tysons Stelzer’s
Best Cabernet Sauvignon of the year … and James Halliday’s second ever
99 point Table Wine,
Cabernet Sauvignon of the Year
& Wine of the Year. etc
~These Guys… are one of the 3 great West Australian wineries dominating the 7 Capital City Wine Show Circuit.
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Margaret River's Founding Wine Estate.
Vasse Felix was established by Margaret River pioneer Dr Thomas Brendan Cullity in 1967 and is the region’s founding wine estate.
Dr Cullity’s original aim for Vasse Felix was simple – to make the best possible wine, and prove the untapped potential of a place that was hypothesised to be superb for fine wine growing. Through ingenuity and tenacity, he made Margaret River’s first serious wines in 1972; a Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec and a Riesling, marking a milestone in Australian wine history.
Since 1987, the Holmes à Court Family have guided Vasse Felix with a steadfast vision: for it, and the Margaret River wine region, to be thriving and world-regarded, 100 years into the future, and beyond.
An exacting focus on quality and excellence for Margaret River’s pre-eminent wine styles, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay sits at the heart of this.
Margaret River and Tom Cullity Cabernet Context:
Margaret River is clearly Australia’s greatest Cabernet Sauvignon region – as is confirmed by the 200+ Eastern States Wine Makers & Wine Reviewers who are our senior & capital city wine show system judges.
1. Margaret River’s 1.6-2% of Australia’s Cabernet Sauvignon crush has won 58 of the 76 (76%) Capital City Best Cabernet Sauvignon trophies awarded since the first show in 2014 till the most recent 5th show in 2025. 79%!!!
2. WA (with 2-2.5% of Australia’s Cabernet) won 16 consecutive Capital City Best Cabernet Trophies from the 4th show 19 2018 till the 4th show in 2021 – finally missing out in 2021’s Sydney & Hobart Shows.
3. Margaret River has won 18 of the 20 Best Cabernet Sauvignon Trophies since 2004 at Canberra, our National Wine Show. (The Great Southern won 1 as well!)
This is dominance.
Within this Margaret River perspective there are three to four truly great Cabernet Sauvignon labels in Margaret River - & the Tom Cullity range is one of these three.
An extraordinary achievement.
The (many!) Tom Cullity Cabernet Malbec vertical tastings illustrate that the cooler 2013, 2015, 2017 & 2019 vintages have provided serious and charming – but more fragrant and elegant - releases than the denser, more powerfully structured – and thus longer living? – 2014, 2016 and 2018 vintages.
The 9 previous Tom Cullity releases to date are truly great Australian Cabernet Sauvignons.
And now … one of the finest two is the just released 2022 …
JJ
Awards & Accolades:
Mattinson 10-Star Winery
Campbell Mattinson, campbellmattinson.com‘New World Winery of the Year’
Wine Enthusiast, 18th annual Wine Star Awards (2017).Five-Star Red Winery Rating
Halliday Wine Companion2026 Halliday Wine Companion Awards
White Wine of the Year - Vasse Felix’s Heytesbury Chardonnay 2023
Chardonnay of the Year – Vasse Felix’s Heytesbury Chardonnay 2023
Winemaker of the Year 2026 - Virginia Willcock
Viticulturist of the Year - Bart Molony
Ray Jordan’s WA Wine Review 2025
Wine of the Year - Tom Cullity Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2020
Red Wine of the Year - Tom Cullity Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2020
Red Blend of the Year - Tom Cullity Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2020
Dr. Tom Cullity, Founder
“The motive for the first planting near Margaret River was not commercial. It was a doubtful proposition without back-up. The only aim was to make the best possible wine. There seemed no reason why this should not be done and it was hard to understand why nobody had done this and why nobody showed any sign of doing it... it seemed obvious that Western Australia should do better.”
Vasse Felix Founder, Dr Tom Cullity -
“For nearly 50 years it has risen to the very highest levels of Australian red wine, with current winemaker and owner Keith Mugford continuing to take it into the rarefied air shared by Australia’s greatest wines.”
- Ray Jordan Wine Reviews, Business News 2023.“Widely regarded as one of the best wineries in the region, producing glorious chardonnay, power-laden semillon and elegant cabernet sauvignon that lives for decades. Moss Wood also owns RibbonVale Estate, the wines treated as vineyard-designated within the Moss Wood umbrella.”
-JAMES HALLIDAYRay Jordan’s Article in the West Australian on the 2018 Margaret River Vintage, specifically on the Moss Wood 2018 Cabernet:
This is getting just ridiculous. From the time the heavyweights of WA wine started to reveal their wines from the 2018 vintage it has been a cavalcade of one great wine after another. A few weeks ago, I got pretty excited about the latest Leeuwin Art Series chardonnay.
Now, I have another problem, albeit it is a good one. Moss Wood have just released their 2018 cabernet sauvignon. And, oh, here’s a shock, it is without doubt one of their greatest – dare I suggest it might be their greatest. Read on for that pronouncement.
Winemaker Keith Mugford reckons that 2018 was just about perfect. “If you couldn’t make a decent wine from this vintage, you only have yourself to blame,” he said.
In some ways the 2018 is the style of Moss Wood that caused slightly negative comments on the earliest Moss Woods suggesting the wines were nice but wouldn’t last. Well, weren’t they seriously off the mark? You see Moss Wood is subtle, refined, understated and almost pretty.
The 2018 is so exquisitely perfumed, almost in the vein of a Margaux, and beautifully poised and refined with an effortless length and power all expressed with that typical Moss Wood polish.
After sipping my Moss Wood tasting bottle, I took it with me to try with friends later. And it was spectacular, even better on the second day. I reckon if it were possible, I would be enjoying it even more in 40 years time.
It is classic Moss Wood that ranks with their best.
Is it their best? Yes.
Moss Wood cabernet sauvignon 2018
As I suspected in anticipation, a great wine from a great vintage. This is a glorious statement from one of the great estates of Margaret River. Classical medium weight in that understated Moss Wood way. Perfectly integrated oak and fine chalky tannins for support. Leafy cabernet notes on the nose with a touch of light bay leaf and brick dust. The minerally edge to the palate holds the line through to the very long finish. The length on the palate is extraordinary.
The Wine List
First Bracket
2023 Xanadu Black Label Chardonnay
Wow, this is a mighty good wine for $40. There is real class here from whichever way you look at it. The aromas are a minerally sea spray and light citrus experience that are so engaging. The energy and bright chalky acidity is a feature which is a result of no malolactic fermentation. But the texture has been built in with regular lees stirring. It results in a pure and so precise linear palate feel with a lift and energy through to the finish.
95 Points - Ray Joran, rayjordanwine.com
2018 Xanadu Black Label Chardonnay
Excellent intensity and length. Green pineapple, stone fruit, steel and cedar wood flavours crash authoritatively through the mouth. No doubting its variety, no doubting its region. There's a piercing aspect to the finish but it brings flavour right along with it.
95 Points - Campbell Mattinson, Halliday Wine Companion
2015 Xanadu Black Label Chardonnay
Light to medium straw colour and a nutty, nougat-like bouquet; the palate rich, powerful, deep and ample. A very flavoursome chardonnay which is also taut, refined and contained. Lemon and grapefruit, citrus-driven palate, tense and finely-tailored, and frisky with acidity. A really superb, pure style of chardonnay.
95 Points - Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Second Bracket
2015 Vasse Felix Tom Cullity Cabernet
The 2015 Cullity is all about finesse and power with subtle aromas and flavors of currants, plums and autumnal leaves. Full body and firm, chewy tannins that give the wine length and freshness. Just keeps on growing on the palate. Better after 2022, but already a gem to taste. Drink in 2022 and onwards. Screw cap.
96 Points - James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
The third vintage of Tom Cullity is the best to date. This premium bottling offers threads of graphite, currants, black olives, nori, tomato leaf and roasted green peppers. These flavors, along with spicy French oak, are tightly woven with fine chalky tannins. Power and elegance share the limelight, and linearity trumps roundness and richness. Cellar through 2039.
96 Points - Christina Pickard, Wine Enthusiast
2009 Vasse Felix Heytesbury Cabernet (pre-Tom Cullity)
Deepish purple/red colour. Fragrant blueberry and floral scents, superb nose. Magic aromas and flavours, excellent line and length, and powdery, fine tannins fill and coat the entire length of the palate. Concentration plus. Superb black and red fruits flavours, violets and other things. A slight touch of malbec herbiness in the mid-palate, and some alcohol warmth on the aftertaste. A great wine and will be exceptionally long lived.
96 Points - Huon Hooke, The Real Review
A 69/16/15% blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and malbec that spent 18 months in 62% new French oak. The tannins resulting from the 30 days post-fermentation maceration of 60% of the blend are in perfect harmony with the dominant blackcurrant fruit on the long palate. A very good example of a great style.
96 Points - James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
2007 Vasse Felix Heytesbury Cabernet (pre-Tom Cullity)
The bouquet reveals an electric array of black fruits, cedar, olive, violets and dried leaf; its complexity and completeness is revealed on the full-bodied palate, as the layers of fruit give way to fine-grained tannins and precise acidity; the finish is long, succulent and thoroughly mesmerising. Cabernet/Malbec/Petit Verdot.
96 Points - James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
Deep red/purple colour, excellent hue. Very good aroma, very precise ripeness and clean berry fruit aromas with a lacing of tomato and leafyness, perhaps from malbec. It does have a high malbec component. Very good flavour and soft tannins, superb structure and length.
94 Points - Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Third Bracket
2018 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
Ray Jordan’s Wine of the Year & Red Wine of the Year – West Australian Wine Guide 2022
Can a Cabernet be any finer, better structured and more engaging? This gloriously composed wine shows crème de cassis, spicy oak, subtle cigar, game and rich floral aromas on the nose, leading to an immensely concentrated palate offering exceptional depth and drive. Offering waves of refined texture and delicious flavours, classically structured by loads of fine tannins, finishing seductively long and gratifying. At its best: 2028 to 2058.
100 Points - Sam Kim, The Wine Orbit
This is getting just ridiculous. From the time the heavyweights of WA wine started to reveal their wines from the 2018 vintage it has been a cavalcade of one great wine after another…Moss Wood have just released their 2018 cabernet sauvignon. And, oh, here’s a shock, it is without doubt one of their greatest – dare I suggest it might be their greatest. Read on for that pronouncement. Winemaker Keith Mugford reckons that 2018 was just about perfect. “If you couldn’t make a decent wine from this vintage, you only have yourself to blame,” he said. In some ways the 2018 is the style of Moss Wood that caused slightly negative comments on the earliest Moss Woods suggesting the wines were nice but wouldn’t last. Well, weren’t they seriously off the mark? You see Moss Wood is subtle, refined, understated and almost pretty. The 2018 is so exquisitely perfumed, almost in the vein of a Margaux, and beautifully poised and refined with an effortless length and power all expressed with that typical Moss Wood polish. After sipping my Moss Wood tasting bottle, I took it with me to try with friends later. And it was spectacular, even better on the second day. I reckon if it were possible, I would be enjoying it even more in 40 years time. It is classic Moss Wood that ranks with their best.
Is it their best? Yes.
As I suspected in anticipation, a great wine from a great vintage. This is a glorious statement from one of the great estates of Margaret River. Classical medium weight in that understated Moss Wood way. Perfectly integrated oak and fine chalky tannins for support. Leafy cabernet notes on the nose with a touch of light bay leaf and brick dust. The minerally edge to the palate holds the line through to the very long finish. The length on the palate is extraordinary.
99 Points - Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot, First Published in The West Australian
Ray Jordan’s Wine of the Year & Red Wine of the Year – West Australian Wine Guide 2022
2009 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
One of Australia’s great cabernets. This from a cooler season highlights and accentuates the typical bright red fruits and blue fruit mix, especially on the nose. It’s aromatic and perfumed with an African violet scent. The palate as always is so exquisitely balanced and refined. Since 1989 the cabernet has been augmented with the floral bright fruit of cabernet franc and the darker robust black fruits of petit verdot. The palate delivers with a gentle restraint yet there is power deep within. The chalky tannins define a long and focussed finish. A deceptive medium bodied wine that will cellar for many years.
98 Points - Ray Jordan
2001 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
There is no doubt the 2001 vintage in Margaret River was outstanding, as even the normal hard to please Keith Mugford is happy to admit. Spotlessly clean this is a gorgeous, silky wine flooded with redcurrant, cassis and blackcurrant fruit in a web of fine tannins. Elegance personified and screwcap guarantees a very long life.
96 Points and Top 100 - James Halliday, The Weekend Australian, 20-21 November 2004
The 2001 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon is arguably the greatest wine yet released from the vineyard. It has a fragrant nose of mulberries, blackberries and violets with a touch of earth and some spicy, cedary notes while the palate is deep, densely flavoured with ripe cassis and mulberry, complexed by chocolate and coffee bean characters. This is a profound, powerful red, opulent and concentrated with impressive weight showing fine, ripe tannins on a long, lingering finish. The oak and densely packed fruit are seamlessly integrated.
Moss Wood Tasting Notes