Woodlands, Margaret River

“They are highly recommended”
Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com on Woodlands

Woodlands Winery, located in the picturesque Margaret River region of Western Australia, is a testament to the dedication and passion of the Watson family. Established in 1973 by David and Heather Watson, Woodlands was one of the first five vineyards planted in the area. The vineyards, which are dry-grown and meticulously maintained by hand, adhere to organic and traditional methods, reflecting the family's commitment to quality and sustainability. 

The Cabernet-based wines start with the entry level Wilyabrup range, then each single vineyard is blended and vinified based on the nature of the vintage and named after a member of the Watson family. The 2016 is one of the Margaret River’s finest vintages and is named after Andrew’s daughter who was born that year, Clémentine Eloise Watson, it is a marvelous wine, structured and serious, it will keep for another 10 years happily. For me and for drinking now, the ‘Margaret’, named after Andrew and David’s mother is the pick of the bunch when I tasted the range recently. It was drinking spectacularly, with the classic hallmarks of the Margaret river with ripe, juicy, but elegant fruit, it is my pick of the range.

The Wilyabrup Chardonnay is destemmed, uses wild yeast only, and is fermented in French oak barrels, aged in a mixture of tank and barrels for 7 months. The Brook Chardonnay is a single vineyard wine, whole-bunch pressed in barrel with indigenous yeasts. It undergoes malolactic fermentation and is aged for ten months in a variety of barrel sizes. It’s a traditional Aussie Chardonnay versus the Wilyabrup, with everything turned up a few notches, but wonderfully balanced.