I have always loved the tannin profile of Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon, and this is something that the region’s best producers have honed over the years. Rounded, silky, plush and fine-grained tannins are hallmarks of the region’s best Cabernets, with just a hint of peppery pyrazine in the background. This comes from the place but also thanks to a specific clone, the Houghton clone, which dominates the region’s plantings. Of unknown origin (possibly from South Africa or Europe), it has small berries, bunches and low yields, which gives real concentration to the wines.

Blessed with a superb consistency of vintages, winemakers could become complacent and formulaic. Yet the finest estates take this as an opportunity to focus on the minutiae of details both in the vineyard and in the winery. Walking through the vibrant and vivacious biodynamic vineyards of Cullen that are bursting with life and vitality is a life-affirming, heart-warming experience. More and more top estates, including Woodlands Wines are now certified organic, and this increased focus on organic and biodynamic practices was very evident during my recent visit.

Likewise, in the winery there has been experimentation with new vessels such as eggs, amphora and suchlike. Yet what I appreciate the most is the region’s steadfast dedication and commitment to Cabernet. While it may have drifted out of fashion over the past 15 or so years, producers chose to hone their work in the winery and focus on drinkability and accessibility. Cabernet can be notoriously difficult and unapproachable in its youth, demanding five to ten years minimum of ageing. Yet here the wines are increasingly more open at a younger age, yet still possessing the ability to age and improve, something of a holy grail for drinkers.

Whilst judging with IWSC in Margaret River, we were treated to a tasting of some of the region’s iconic wines (tasting notes below) form various vintages hosted at Leeuwin Estate. The region is largely blessed with very good conditions and has enjoyed a long run of very good to excellent vintages. 2017 (and 2019 to a lesser extent) was one of the cooler and trickier vintages of recent years, yet still some wonderful wines were made. 2010, 2018 and 2020 are some of the finest vintages of recent years and should be on collectors’ radars.

There are no official sub-regions of Margaret River, despite there being six defined unofficial areas. Essentially these go from warmer in the north to cooler in the south as follows: Yallingup, Carbunup, Wilyabrup, Treeton, Wallcliffe and Karridale. There have been moves to make these official, specifically from producers within Wilyabrup such as Cullen, Moss Wood, Lenton Brae and Woodlands who believe that their Cabernet terroir should be recognised. Much to their chagrin, these have thus far been rebuffed. I also believe that these sub-regions need to be recognised officially to help the region progress and show its diversity.

For collectors, Margaret River offers good value for money in the global context of Cabernet Sauvignon. I tasted the 2005 vintage of the stellar Moss Wood, a wine that is firmly in its drinking window from an excellent vintage. This is available to buy currently for circa £130 per bottle, which when compared to much of comparative quality Napa or Bordeaux is an attractive proposition. Margaret River still flies slightly under the radar for some consumers and arguably lacks the cachet and recognition garnered by some of its competitors – yet qualitatively it more than deserves its place at the top table.