2014 Woodlands Margaret Cabernet Blend Margaret River Australia 750 ml

The Cab that Holds Its Own Against the Bordeaux Elite

Located in one of the most remote wine regions in the world, Woodlands is a hidden gem that stands out even amongst Australian Cabernet powerhouses like Vasse Felix, Leconfield, and Leeuwen Estate. Nestled along the remote, rugged coastline outside Perth—a locale that requires multiple flights, harrowing drives, and a sense of adventure to reach—keeps anyone but the most die-hard fans away.

On a recent trip, we wouldn’t be deterred, and Woodlands—a small, boutique winery where grapes are still picked and sorted by hand—proved itself as the kind of hidden tasting room that ended up furnishing the most unforgettable wines of the trip.

Black as night, perfectly structured, bursting with blackcurrant, blackberry, and cedar, this 2014 Woodlands “Margaret” Cabernet Sauvignon which Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate rated  95+ points amply demonstrates why the winery has acquired world-class status. Made from Cabernet grapes grown on Woodlands’ 24-acre vineyard in Margaret River, “this wine could easily hold its own against many of Bordeaux’s top-growth left bank wines,” raves Wine Enthusiast. 

As countless critics have argued, Western Australia’s Margaret River belongs in the pantheon of the world’s greatest wine-growing regions, alongside Bordeaux and Napa Valley. In fact, the verdict on Woodlands Wines is well-established: the winery is “among Margaret River’s finest, producing some of the best Bordeaux-style red wines of Australia,” according to Vinous.

David and Heather Watson founded Woodlands in 1973, making them first wave pioneers of the region and allowing them to purchase what is now one of the most coveted vineyards in Margaret River. The Cabernet grapes for this wine hail from a southern slope of the estate vineyard, which receives powerful sun exposure from morning to afternoon, leading to rich, opulent, full-bodied wines. The Merlot and Malbec are grown on the vineyard’s western side in deep, loamy soils, and are responsible for the Woodlands’ exotic fruit flavors. The vines are dry-farmed, and cultivated by hand according to traditional methods.

2014 capped what has been an almost endless succession of remarkable vintages in Western Australia, each growing season as smooth and sunny as the last. Constant sea breezes helped ensure that grape clusters stayed cool, ripening effortlessly, and when the call to harvest came the results were extravagant. David and Heather told us this might be their greatest Margaret release ever.