2019 Vasse Felix Chardonnay Filius Margaret River Australia 750 ml

Margaret River is ground zero for Australia’s great Chardonnay, and Vasse Felix’s Filius may be the region’s best value—which is why the last vintages have been so rapturously received by our members. The 2019 lightning in a bottle, with sunny richness allied to a laser-beam of acidity that’s a trademark of the Vasse Felix New-meets-Old World style.

Vasse Felix is the original winery of Margaret River, but you’d be forgiven if you haven’t seen their wines before: 93% of their production is claimed Down Under, leaving precious little for export—and that’s before factoring in their devoted following in the UK. The only reason we’re able to offer this at all is because of the fans the winery has earned among Wine Access members.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate called the winery “one of Australia's treasures,” whose “wines are definitely worth the hunt,” and that certainly describes this bottle. We emailed the winery to request a larger allocation the second we took in the beautiful scents of lemon blossoms, jicama, Kajari melon, and sponge cake. Our first sip was both full and airy, with a tiny kiss of oak and the intensity that marks the best wines.

Very few Chardonnay regions in the world have the luxury of this micro-climate. The famously wild (and notoriously shark-infested) surf breaks nearby provide a maritime influence on the region, and that has a big bearing on this Chardonnay. Cool breezes enable the grapes to retain their fresh acidity and vibrancy, while the sunshine develops all that beautiful fruit-driven intensity.

As the first winery in the region, Vasse Felix has had ample time to plant choice vineyards, but it wasn’t until star winemaker Virginia Willcock came aboard in 2006 that the wines hit their current stratospheric level—and the wine press in Australia has noticed. She’s won the title of “Winemaker of the Year” from three different publications and keeps getting better—as evidenced by this stunning ‘19.

The Filius has all of the trademarks of a master at work. Virginia trades risk for increased complexity, fermenting with native yeasts after a gentle pressing, and tailoring the fermentation program for each parcel of grapes. She then ages the wine for eight months in French oak, only 13% of which is new—creating a perfect balance between richness and fruit purity.

It’s easy to see why James Suckling described the winery as “one of Australia’s greatest modern Chardonnay makers”—impressive words considering the Margaret River terroir is one of the world’s vectors for top-tier Chardonnay. Very few of its qualitative peers are priced anywhere near the Filius though—which is why this isn’t going to last long.