Darran Stone and his wife emigrated from South Africa to Australia, drawn by the chance to start something new. Their story began with a single discovery: a rare block of vines in Wilyabrup, right in the heart of Margaret River. From the first moment they walked the vineyard, they knew it was different. They didn’t arrive in Margaret River with a legacy, a dynasty or a grand estate. They had a single block and the conviction that it was enough.
Founded in 2022, Stones + Thunder burst onto the Margaret River wine scene shaped by a single site: the Wagtail Vineyard in Wilyabrup, the historic heart of Margaret River and home to its first and finest wines. This small block, rich in ironstone and cooled by ocean breezes, produces wines of precision and natural tension. It is their entire arsenal. Every decision in the winery is made to express the vineyard with clarity of place. Darran and his wife are the outliers, the rebels, the ones shaking the tree because they know the best fruit isn’t always found on the most manicured branches. Stones + Thunder is both a continuation and a new chapter, a way to shape their family’s future in one of the most extraordinary corners of Margaret River.
For them, the magic lies in the balance between art and science, in that constant dance between control and surrender. Finding that fine line is where the joy lives. Taking humble fruit from a single block and guiding it into something that captures power, precision and place is endlessly rewarding. Each vintage brings its own surprises, moments when the wines begin to reveal their rhythm, reminding them why they fell in love with this craft. It is a balance of instinct and patience, of knowing when to act and when to step back. When everything finally aligns, the greatest satisfaction comes in that moment when the land speaks, clear, unfiltered and alive in the glass.
In a world where every corner of the wine map seems to be filled in, true discovery is rare. Every bottle of Stones + Thunder comes from the Wagtail Vineyard. They make just three wines: Calm Before the Storm Chardonnay, Echoes of Fury Bordeaux Blend and Heavens Awaken Cabernet Sauvignon. Each carries the same DNA but tells a different part of the story of their unique place. Production is small, focus is absolute and the approach is minimalist to preserve the purity of place. Fuelled by passion and a relentless drive for excellence, Stones + Thunder is built on the dedication and energy of the couple behind it, a story of determination, creativity and a refusal to settle for the ordinary.
