2020 Vasse Felix Chardonnay Filius Margaret River Australia 750 ml

Vasse Felix drove Margaret River to its status as one of the best Chardonnay regions in the world—and they’ve never taken their foot off the gas. They earned New World Winery of the Year honors from Wine Enthusiast and praise from Wine Advocate as “one of Australia’s treasures.” 

With their 2020 Filius Chardonnay, they’ve crafted an estate-grown gem that showcases the kind of sunny richness and striking acidity that helped put Margaret River Chardonnay “in the top rank of the world,” according to Wine Spectator.

When we spoke with three-time Winemaker of the Year Virginia Willcock, she told us that Vasse Felix Chardonnay has “power and weight, yet it’s still got this gorgeous racy acid line” with “intricate layers of complexity.” This Filius fits the bill. We were enchanted by its aromas of yellow apple, lemon curd, white lily, and sea mist, and our first sip was both full and airy, with a tiny kiss of oak and the intensity that marks the best wines from Margaret River. 

In Margaret River’s unique microclimate, the constant cleansing breezes off the Southern and Indian Oceans mitigate temperatures and allow grapes to achieve marvelous physiological ripeness. 

For the 2020 Filius, Willcock fermented with indigenous yeasts after a gentle pressing. She then aged the wine for eight months in French oak (only 13% new), creating a beautiful balance between richness and fruit purity.

Australian critic James Halliday once said Filius was of such quality that many estates would “happily present [it] as their icon.” That’s because few of Filius’s qualitative peers sit anywhere near it in price, making it one of Margaret River’s top values.