Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wineries 2024: 51–75

Best wineries Australia

The list of wineries ranks 51–75 in the Halliday Top 100 Wineries 2024 is bursting with Victorian producers. Across the state, 13 wineries represent eight wine regions, including Heathcote, the Macedon Ranges, Geelong, Sunbury, Pyrenees and the Yarra Valley. If you're after Mornington winery accommodation, Crittenden Estate, ranked number 73, has you covered. When it comes to Beechworth wineries, Savaterre is home to one of the best views in Victoria's High Country (not to mention the chardonnay and pinot noir).

Over in the west, in the Great Southern, Swinney represents the Frankland River wineries, and while there's no shortage of the best wineries to visit in Margaret River, Howard Park, Xanadu and L.A.S. Vino make strong cases. Putting together your McLaren Vale wineries list? Start with SC Pannell and Bondar Wines. For those searching for wineries in Langhorne Creek, Bleasdale planted the first vineyard in the region in 1850.

View the Top 100 Wineries: 1–25

View the Top 100 Wineries: 26–50

View the Top 100 Wineries: 76–100

Jasper Hill | De Iuliis | Yabby Lake Vineyard | SC Pannell | Savaterre | Jim Barry Wines | Cobaw Ridge | Stefano Lubiana | Lethbridge Wines | Howard Park | Craiglee | Dalwhinnie | MMAD Vineyard | Swinney | Xanadu Wines | Wantirna Estate | Bleasdale Vineyards | Joshua Cooper Wines | Mayer | Torbreck Vintners | Garagiste | Bondar Wines | Crittenden Estate | Dominique Portet | L.A.S. Vino

51. Jasper Hill

There are few Victorian wineries as iconic as Jasper Hill. The Laughton’s two vineyards, or ‘paddocks’ are cornerstones of the Heathcote region, stubbornly dry grown, organic certified and incorporating biodynamic practices (not certified). There are two sites, named after Ron and Elva Laughton’s daughters, Emily and Georgia, with the majority of the plantings shiraz. Emily and her husband, Nick, now run the estate, with Emily making the wines. There are small amounts of excellent riesling produced from the original vines, plus a leading nebbiolo, while the benchmark fiano (under the Lo Stesso label) now comes equally off estate vines and locally sourced grapes. But it is the Georgia’s Paddock and Emily’s Paddock (shiraz with cabernet franc) that are the enduring icons of the range, powerfully deep and spice laden, informed by the meticulous farming and ancient Cambrian soils.

5 ★ winery | Halliday profile | Jasper Hill | @jasperhillwines

52. Coldstream Hills

The legacy of James Halliday is talked about a lot. But also, not enough. If you just focused on his work establishing two of this country’s greatest wineries, Brokenwood and Coldstream Hills, that would establish legendary status alone. That Coldstream Hills – founded in 1985 to explore James’s unquenchable passion for the Burgundian grapes – is in such fine health is due in no small part to chief winemaker Andrew Fleming and his 24-year tenure. Of the eight wines submitted for the 2026 Companion, seven were golds, with three 96 point and three 97. It’s a telling tally. Those scores were largely for pinot and chardonnay, but also for the 2023 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a sometimes overlooked gem in the range. The wines are also very fairly priced against comparable Yarra offerings. The consistently excellent Reserve range has a full RRP of $70. And while that’s still a considered purchase, it’s more than supported by the history, quality and handcrafted nature of the wines. One doesn’t want to presume, but that Coldstream Hills is as good as ever would likely be heartening for James. It certainly seems like that part of his legacy is in safe hands.

5 ★ winery | Coldstream Hills profile | Winery website | @coldstreamhills

53. Audrey Wilkinson

One of the Hunter’s most historic properties, Audrey Wilkinson was the first planted in Pokolbin, in 1866. Audrey took control of the family property at the age of 15, when his father died suddenly. Like much of the Hunter, the history runs deep here, with a swag of awards won in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Audrey lived a long and storied life, passing away in 1962 at the age of 85, leaving a significant legacy. The property was bought by Brian Agnew in 2004, who later acquired Cockfighter’s Ghost and Pooles Rock. Brian sadly passed away in 2015, but the group still bears his name. Since 2019, the dynamic Xanthe Hatcher oversees all the brands in the one facility, which was completed in 2012, allowing for the shared winery equipment to be state of the art. The core focus here is classic Hunter, but with lots of roaming to draw in all manner of varieties, including fiano, tempranillo and sangiovese, and styles from sparkling and rosé to eau de vie and dessert wines. The upper tier selections are sourced from prime blocks of older vines, with site selections of semillon from the Marsh and Ridge vineyards excelling, with both classic verve and uncommon flavour depth. The 2024 Marsh and The Ridge semillons both scored an impressive 97 points in the 2026 Companion, with the 2017 Museum The Ridge with 98. Single-site shiraz and chardonnay also excel, and the Winemaker’s Selection wines even exalts verdelho and gewürztraminer, with the former snaring a gold for the 2024. Audrey Wilkinson’s legacy is in very safe hands.

5 ★ winery | Audrey Wilkinson profile | Winery website | @audreywilkinsonwines

54. Nocturne Wines

In a decade, Julian Langworthy’s Nocturne has cemented itself as one of Margaret River’s finest names. That’s a big deal in a region of imposingly totemic wineries, including Deep Woods Estate where he is chief winemaker. He’s worked across the country (still does, as Fogarty’s group winemaker), across the world, but his heart is in his home territory. Julian’s won a Jimmy Watson, the Halliday Winemaker of the Year crown, and numerous other accolades, but he’s never strayed from his affable, down-to-earth and infectiously passionate ways. That shines in wines that feel deeply personal, artisanal. From a category-leading rosé through chardonnay and cabernet suites of single site and multi-site wines (all 95–97 points in the 2026 Companion), these are wines of extraordinary refinement, depth and poise, uncluttered with unnecessary artefact and speaking deeply of place.

5 ★ winery | Nocturne Wines profile | Winery website | @nocturne_sv_ 

55. Toolangi

Toolangi was always an ambitious project, one that originally drew in some of Victoria’s finest winemakers to work their magic on certain varieties and parcels. It was somewhat a dazzling mosaic, but also somewhat detracting from the core message of what is an important site in Dixons Creek. When Helmut Konecsny of Rochford bought the vineyard, some degree of order was established, but it was when Kaspar Hermann (ex-Mount Mary) was appointed winemaker, and across both estates, that everything properly cohered. Kaspar understood the subtleties and potential of each block and has delivered wines that are distinctly Toolangi, nuanced by the vagaries of each block, rather than the making. The block wines are now consistently some of the finest in the Yarra. The 2024 F Block Chardonnay was rated 98 points, and 97 for the 2023, while the 2024 Pauls Lane Chardonnay and Pinot Noir both received gold-medal scores. Toolangi is in great form, but one feels the best is yet to come.

5 ★ winery | Toolangi profile | Winery website | @toolangiwines

56. Coriole

Coriole is rich with history. The 1860s ironstone cellar door speaks to that. So too do the legacy wines from old vines and hero varieties. But anyone that knows Coriole understands that it as much about progression as it is history. More so, perhaps. An early advocate and tireless champion for sangiovese, chenin blanc true believer, fiano and picpoul’s first Australian adopter, and tireless explorer of other Italian and Rhône varieties, there is an energy to Coriole that is infectious. Duncan Lloyd’s winemaking is equally exploratory and respectful. The icon wines have never been better, and the value across the range is exceptional. But it is with the so-called alternative varieties where so much of the excitement lies. Australia’s best Fiano. Long maceration sangiovese. Game-changing negroamaro. The list goes on. A great producer, no question, and one that is only getting better.

5 ★ winery | Coriole profile | Winery website | @coriole

57. First Creek Wines & Silkman Wines

‘If you want something done, give it to a busy person.’ No one proves this adage quite like Liz and Shaun Silkman, who on top of managing the day-to-day at First Creek Wines, where Shaun is chief operating officer and Liz is chief winemaker, making wine under contract for around 20 clients, and raising their young family, also manage to produce an impressive suite of single-vineyard wines from classic Hunter varieties under their passion project, Silkman Wines. But their real skills don’t lie in time-management. Of the 15 First Creek wines tasted for the 2026 Companion, eight scored 95 points or higher, with both the 2024 Single Vineyard Murphy Semillon and the 2017 Museum Release Oakey Creek Vineyard Semillon scoring 98. Of the 11 Silkman wines tasted, eight scored 96 or higher, the 2023 SILK Chardonnay on top with 98. Sixteen gold medals from 26 wines is a solid strike rate, even without considering value – the dearest bottle is $90, and prices start at $30 – and it’s this consistent display of talent, particularly from Liz, that not only saw both wineries make this list with equal billing (we couldn’t separate them), but also saw her named Winemaker of the Year in the 2025 Companion. Toni Paterson MW says it best: “Liz Silkman has a rare ability to create complex, fruit-focused, immaculately crafted wines that satisfy a wide range of wine drinkers... And she praises and applauds her team in the winery and vineyard, as ‘no one can make great wine alone’.” 

First Creek Wines: 5 ★ winery | Winery website | @firstcreekwines
Silkman Wines: 5 ★ winery | Winery website | @silkmanwines

58. L.A.S. Vino

Nic Peterkin is son of the legendary Dr Mike Peterkin, of Pierro fame. It would be easy to look at the two and, aside from both being winemakers, immediately see the differences. Pierro is an established Margaret River icon (Mike did have a head start) working with classic varieties, while Nic is pushing boundaries, never tiring of experimenting. In truth, that boundary pushing is true of both, the times are just different. Both are equipped with endless curiosity and the confidence to not waver. It would also be easy to categorise Nic’s portfolio by the outlier wines, where there are ample essentially classic wines in the range. The defining quality is that he works as lo-fi as possible, retaining purity and freshness but not interfering with additions or layers of oak and winemaking artefact. He intrinsically understands what the region grows well, but he takes it to the bottle with the gentlest of hands, letting the fruit shine. Five of his wines received gold-medal scores in the 2026 Companion, including some of his emblematic lines, the CBDB Chenin Blanc and Albino PNO Rosé both from 2023, while the others were for the decidedly classic Margaret River varieties, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. All the wines sing loudly of variety and region, but in an individual key.

5 ★ winery | L.A.S. Vino profile | Winery website | @l.a.s.vino

59. Serrat

Tom and Nadège Carson established their home Yarra Glen vineyard, Serrat, in 2001, with a bit over five hectares progressively planted to high-density pinot noir, chardonnay, shiraz, viognier, nebbiolo, malbec and somewhat less predictably, grenache blanc and noir, and barbera. Tom is one of our most storied winemakers, with his current role as winemaker and general manager of Yabby Lake and Heathcote Estate beginning in 2008. It’s a big role, but Serrat is no afterthought. Indeed, it is one of the Yarra’s most awarded young wineries, with barely a glint of silver amongst the gold. The decision to plant grenache may be out of the box for the Yarra, but the rewards have been great. But it is with the pinot noir, chardonnay and shiraz viognier that Serrat makes the biggest impact, with the 2024s scoring 97, 97 and 98 respectively. Along with importing some excellent Burgundy, Tom and Nadége also make négoce wine from the Yarra and Tasmania. Serrat is the epitome of small but beautiful, the only downside being how swiftly the wines sell out.

5 ★ winery | Serrat profile | Winery website | @serratwines

60. Pierro

Dr Mike Peterkin is somewhat of a maverick. A polymath, and a fiercely driven and productive one at that. His Pierro vineyard was first planted in 1980 with a density of vines up to 5500 per hectare. There are naturally much higher density plantings now, but it is sill well up on today’s averages, and it was generally anathema at the time. Mike was no doctor that dabbled, though. After his medical degree, he studied winemaking and viticulture at Roseworthy and worked at both Cullen and Alkoomi. His were informed decisions. He is famously credited with making the first Margaret River semillon sauvignon blanc while working at Cullen in 1979. That morphed into his L.T.C blend, which took that concept and added ‘a little touch of chardonnay’. It’s an enduring classic of the region, and it is as good as ever. Naturally, cabernet-based reds are made here, and they are excellent, as is a leading example chenin blanc, but it is with chardonnay that Pierro’s greatest acclaim is reserved. The Pierro style has always been one of intense detail, texture, expressive fruit and power, but not at the expense of balance, nuance and thrilling drive. The 2023 Pierro Chardonnay was awarded 97 points by Jane Faulkner: "I’ve tried this quite a few times because I can’t get enough of it, as it’s the most detailed and finely tuned chardonnay from Pierro to date. It is beguiling, precise and elegant." Enough said.

5 ★ winery | Pierro profile | Winery website | @pierro_vineyards

61. Savaterre

For a relatively compact region, Beechworth has several feted labels, Savaterre among them. It also has its fair share of highly individual, driven makers. Keppell Smith fits that brief, too. In 1996, he sunk the resources made on the money market into granite and clay soils at around 440 metres elevation. The key drivers here are chardonnay and pinot noir, with both estate and sourced editions, the latter always under the Frère Cadet label, along with younger vine estate fruit. The vineyard also grows shiraz and a small plot of the Umbrian grape sagrantino. In the 2026 Companion, both the Estate and Frère Cadet chardonnays were accorded gold-medal scores. As Jeni Port says of the 97-pointed Estate: "A double wow kind of chardonnay, such is the level of deep concentration and the purity of flavour and delivery." That’s the theme at Savaterre, wines of idiosyncratic character but held together with classic architecture.

5 ★ winery | Savaterre profile | Winery website | @savaterre

62. Stella Bella Wines

Stella Bella’s Suckfizzle and Luminosa ranges excel in the key Margaret River varieties, but it is with chardonnay that Luke Jolliffe consistently elevates the wines to the sublime. Both the 2023 versions received 97 points from Jane Faulkner, with her remarking on the Luminosa: "This is outrageously good. It’s stately, a powerhouse of a wine, yet is perfectly poised and stylish." That neatly sums up those wines across vintages, with depth perfectly allied to drive. The 2026 Companion registered half a dozen gold-medal scores, including for the 2023 Suckfizzle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon. Luke presides over a broad portfolio, delivering across the ranges and delving into varieties and blends less familiar, always keeping things interesting and accessible in both price and style. 

5 ★ winery | Stella Bella Wines profile | Winery website | @stellabellawines

63. Murdoch Hill

Michael Downer has reshaped the family business, which started as a farming property in 1939, then was diversified with wine grapes in 1998. It was in 2012 that he settled back home, with a wealth of experience. The addition of a site in Lenswood a few years back expanded the holdings, which most importantly gave Michael a vineyard that he could manage himself that could produce chardonnay of the highest calibre. That’s one of his strong suits, and one he perhaps gets pigeonholed with at times. No harm there. Standing out in one of our most competitively excellent categories is no small achievement. The reality is that Michael excels across many varieties, with his 2021 Landau Shiraz taking out its varietal category in the 2024 Companion. That’s no small thing for a wine that retails for $50. More recently, his 2023 Orion Oakbank Shiraz, the top-tier bottling, and from the home vineyard, which is ideally suited to the grape, was accorded 97 points by Katrina Butler, along with four other golds in the 2026 Companion, including for his Orion Pinot Noir, which is helping to redefine what is possible for pinot in the Adelaide Hills. Most of those wines were from 2023, which was not the easiest year in the Hills. But Murdoch Hills turns out excellent wines in the toughest of years, and soars to the stratosphere in those more benevolent. An excellent address.

5 ★ winery | Murdoch Hill profile | Winery website | @murdochhill_wines

64. Medhurst

When Rohan Smith took the reins from Simon Steele in 2023, ‘pressure’ was too mild a sentiment to describe the expectation he felt to maintain the trajectory. But Rohan has excelled. The Yarra Valley winery, hell bent on staking a claim of accessibility, has managed to strike gold year on year. The portfolio isn’t particularly vast, but that’s a good thing, as it has allowed the estate to focus on the region’s varieties of note. Pinot noir, chardonnay, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, with a little malbec for good measure. Out of eight wines reviewed for the 2026 Companion, seven were awarded gold. Seven, too, were stamped with the special value rosette. Rohan hasn’t lost sight of what Medhurst set out to do. The wines are as good as ever, and they remain a choice option for both the enthusiast and the everyday punter. Owners Robyn and Ross Wilson must also be applauded for their ‘no expense spared’ approach and deep understanding of the region. To sit on the hillside of the cellar door, a glass of rosé in hand, is surely one of life’s simple pleasures. Medhurst is a shoo-in for the Top 100.

5 ★ winery | Medhurst profile | Winery website | @medhurstwines

65. Paralian Wines

When it was announced in late 2024 that Paralian’s Skye Salter and Charlie Seppelt had bought the prized Springs Hill Vineyard in Blewitt Springs, that vintage’s wines were still in barrel. It would prove to be a year to celebrate across the board. Not only is the acquisition an important step for the pair, who have been working from the site since 2018, but also that the suite of 2024 wines – both from the Vale and a chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills – were the best yet at this address. All six 2024s submitted received gold-medal scores, topping out at 97 for the Springs Hill Shiraz, with their 2023 Springs Hill Cabernet wrapping up the clean sweep. Paralian has been a name to watch for some time, but the quality and value (a finalist for Best Value Winery in the 2026 Companion) make the wines must buys.

5 ★ winery | Paralian Wines profile | Xanadu Wines | @paralianwines

66. Jim Barry Wines

The Clare Valley has few better advocates than the Barry family. From the old days when Jim Barry became the first qualified winemaker in the region to today, where they are constantly striving to celebrate the Clare in all its detail. Jim’s Armagh vineyard, which he planted in 1968, and the iconic bottling from it are arguably the touchstones, but the careful collection of vineyard sites makes for a rich catalogue of assets. The Florita vineyard is a notable one, that most revered riesling site, where John Vickery produced countless outstanding and heavily awarded wines. But the Barrys have also been increasing the focus on their cool Spring Farm vineyard, first planted by Jim in 1977. Riesling is released after 10 years maturation, while elegant cabernet and shiraz come to market a little quicker, and are made in the modern Barry way, with a gentle hand and minimal new oak. Add in the collabs with the Mosel legend Erni Loosen, and a malbec and cabernet malbec pair made to evoke the medium-weighted Clare wines of a distant time, then there’s the only planting of assyrtiko in the country, with a decade of releases under their belt. It’s busy at the Barry’s, and with Jim’s son Peter now officially handing over the tiller to his sons, Sam and Tom, it’s looking to get even more hectic. Bring it on, we say.

5 ★ winery | Jim Barry Wines profile | Winery website | @jimbarrywines

67. Cobaw Ridge

There’s a bit of a Cooper dynasty in Macedon and surrounds, with Alan and Nelly Cooper’s son Joshua well-established in the wine world, winning the Best New Winery award in the 2024 Companion for his eponymous label. The brands are discrete, but the influence is felt in both directions. At Cobaw Ridge, conditions are cool in the natural amphitheatre at a lofty 600-odd metres, and the soils are ruggedly granitic and hungry. Certified biodynamic in 2011, the expression of place, of minerality, in the Cobaw wines is a defining feature, with the winemaking decisions feeling like they are refined year on year in small measures. The Coopers make this country’s finest lagrein – that is without question. Their saline, mineral yet powerful chardonnay is a star of the region, the rosé acclaimed by many as the benchmark, and the syrah at its best having Cornas echoes, while being uniquely reflective of the Cobaw Ridge site. Add in a charming high-density pinot noir that is just in its second release, and we have an estate with some serious credentials.

5 ★ winery | Cobaw Ridge profile | Winery website | @cobawridge

68. Garagiste

A finalist for Best Value Winery in the 2026 Companion, Garagiste’s superb wines have always overdelivered. To put that in perspective, the recently released 2024 Merricks Chardonnay (an emblematic wine for the maker and one of the region’s best), which was given 96 points by Jane Faulkner, has an RRP of $50. If you go back 10 vintages to the 2015 (97 points – also Jane), the RRP was $45. The same test with the Le Stagiaire Chardonnay, and it’s all gold again, and $35 now, $30 then. Consistency of quality, and of price. It’s a rare combination. That aside, Barnaby Flanders is making some of Mornington Peninsula’s finest wines, from the growing Le Stagiaire range through the single-site wines and up to the micro-production pinnacle wines, Terre de Feu Pinot Noir and Terre Maritime Chardonnay. As Jane Faulkner says of the latter’s 2024 vintage: "Again, tops the charts as the finest chardonnay on the Peninsula. The benchmark.’" (It’s never had a price rise, by the way.)

5 ★ winery | Garagiste profile | Winery website | @garagiste_wines

69. Clarendon Hills

Change is afoot at Clarendon Hills. That phrase may make some lurch from their armchair – but fear not! The estate was built largely on old-vine plots planted to frugal, hungry soils. Self-taught winemaker and biochemist Roman Bratasiuk launched Clarendon Hills in 1990, and he did so with an unusual focus for the time: grenache. It would be over two decades before the grape would start to be celebrated as it is now. Roman’s wines were no precursors to the styles of today, but his championing of the variety, his faith in grenache, was certainly ahead of its time. The flagship shiraz, Astralis, was first made in 1994, coming off 1920-planted vines rescued from neglect in 1990. Roman’s style has always been pitched towards longevity, with ample French oak and powerful structures – wines to decant and to age, which they did impeccably. Today, with his son Alex by his side, that style is softening a little, with more emphasis placed on the primacy of fruit and detail, with oak less impactful. The grenache wines are clearly evolving, but it was with the shiraz suite of 2023 that the impact was most keenly evident, right up to a refined and fragrant Astralis that still has typical gravitas and rugged mineral inflection. There were seven golds accorded to the latest release, and across varieties, with the three flagship wines each registering 97 points. Clarendon Hills looks to be on the cusp of a very exciting new chapter.

70. Frankland Estate

Frankland Estate’s Isolation Ridge Vineyard name was a jocular suggestion that stuck. Judi Cullam and Barrie Smith first planted the site in 1988, which as the adopted moniker suggests is somewhat remote. That doesn’t bother the family, though. As the website notes to potential visitors: "Located just four hours south of Perth…" Just. It’s worth the trip. Sometimes, wineries lacking neighbouring peers can become insular, deeply entrenched in their ways and with an unbudgeable cellar palate. Frankland Estate is the opposite of this, and always has been. Riesling is a strong suit, growing in the clay soils littered with ironstone gravels – locally called coffee-rock – and the family tirelessly promote the grape, while also constantly refining farming and making. From classic beginnings, Brian Kent’s riesling winemaking has evolved considerably, starting with picking a little later and then proceeding to a range of small ferments, with wild and inoculated yeasts and a combination of steel and barrels. Today, the Frankland rieslings are unequivocally some of our finest. But it’s not just about riesling, with superbly fragrant, medium-weighted syrah and cabernets, along with fine examples of grüner veltliner, cabernet franc and touriga nacional, and even pinot noir, from a neighbouring organic property, excels. They also make one of the country’s most compelling straight mourvèdres. Frankland Estate may be isolated, but it is no stretch to say that it is one of the most progressive, proactive and exciting producers in the country.

5 ★ winery | Frankland Estate profile | Winery website | @franklandestate

71. Fighting Gully Road

Mark Walpole (the 2024 Viticulturist of the Year) has a philatelist-style obsession with grape varieties. That fixation came early, with the vast catalogue planted on his family property over time, including tracking down tempranillo in the Hunter that was being ripped from the ground in the 1980s, likely the only patch in the country at the time. Today, Mark’s interests are still broad, but his focus is sharp. Beechworth's hero varieties are excellent at this address, but sangiovese is taken to another level, from the superb and eye-wateringly well-priced estate bottling to the ageworthy Block 2, planted to a clonal selection based on Mark’s immense experience with the grape. Aglianico and tempranillo reach great heights, too. The unfairly neglected verdicchio is allowed to shine like no other Australian example, and gros manseng and petit arvine (a new addition from Valle d’Aosta, with the first release from Chalmers fruit, although 2026 will be estate fruit) also get their moment in the sun. It is no small part of the charm that Mark is one of the most gentle and generous people in the game, sharing his encyclopaedic knowledge freely and mentoring too many to count. That alone makes him somewhat of a legendary figure, but wine quality alone easily confirms his inclusion in the Top 100.

5 ★ winery | Fighting Gully Road profile | Winery website | @fightinggullyroad

72. Tapanappa

Brian Croser AO was inducted into the James Halliday Hall of Fame for the 2026 Wine Companion. His accomplishments are too numerous to mention, changing the course of the Australian wine industry for the better on numerous occasions, from revolutionising the way wineries are managed and introducing winemaking techniques, to laying the foundation for rigorous education that underpinned the success of Australian in the 20th century, and beyond. That’s a profound legacy, and only part of the story. Those accomplishments are extraordinary, yet they are academic. But Brian's legacy is also very much still tangible. Tapanappa, with its distinguished sites (one of Brian’s terms) in Wrattonbully, the Adelaide Hills and the Fleurieu, is one of Australia’s most important labels. Brian was a modern pioneer in the Adelaide Hills with his Tiers Vineyard one of this country’s great chardonnay sites, while Wrattonbully was identified as ideal for Bordeaux varieties and shiraz. The Fleurieu is where Brian planted the Foggy Hill Vineyard against the prevailing wisdom, perhaps, but Brian does his research. That site has proven the value of his diligence, with rich returns. Tapanappa is the distillation of the experience of one of Australia’s greatest wine brains, an intensely personal project to make the best wine possible distinguished by those special sites.

5 ★ winery | Tapanappa profile | Winery website | @tapanappa

73. Mayer

Just saying Timo Mayer’s name generally puts a smile on the faces of those that know him. Timo is one to make an impression. Many of wine’s best exponents are staunchly individual. Timo certainly is, with a lovable ratbag quality that has generated many a story. Ask him about his winemaking, and he’ll tell you if you insist, but the focus is on is it delicious or not? Do you want to drink it? And yes, Timo, we do. There’s no act in his approach, and there’s also nothing casual or haphazard about how he makes wine, but his is not the way to polish and tweak the character out of a wine, rather to embrace it, with ample whole-bunch, pedal off the oak, character-laden but never distracting from grape and place. To take the highest rating wines, the Mayer Syrah has been awarded 98 in the last two vintages, and 97 in the two prior, while the Dr Mayer Pinot Noir has taken home 97 for the last two years. Based out of his Bloody Hill vineyard (a joke on his German accent on the Oz expression 'bloody hell', and a testament to the steep slope), his son, Rivah, looks after the label of the same name, mainly with sourced fruit, and it’s one of the best value ranges in the Valley. The website, a one-page business card, captures the feeling: “Our aim is to make wines with a point of difference. By the way, we don’t do back labels and barcodes. Bring back the Funk.”

5 ★ winery | Mayer profile | Winery website 

74. Domaine Naturaliste

Bruce Dukes makes a lot of Margaret River’s finest wines, and not just his own. His winemaking facility caters to makers large and small, which gives him the capacity to manage his own production exactly as he pleases. And that’s a feature of the Domaine Naturaliste portfolio, with wines that don’t cater to prevailing trend, and indeed don’t stick to their own script. The wines explore the capacity of each variety as expressed in its site to dictate stylistic directions. Chardonnay here can be deeply flavour and textural (Artus) while maintaining keen balance, or it can be pretty and elegant (Floris), or racy and mineral (Purus), and all are excellent, all gold medals in 2023. The other wines follow a similar arc, leaning into fruit to determine style, then leaning into style, but never too much, always keenly tuned, finely crafted and deeply thought out. Bruce is making thrillingly individual and characterful wines, inescapably Margaret River, but also decidedly unlike anyone else’s.

5 ★ winery | Domaine Naturaliste profile | Winery website | @domainenaturaliste

75. Patrick Sullivan Wines

Longtime friend, collaborator and colleague of Bill Downie, Patrick Sullivan is to Gippsland chardonnay what Bill is to pinot noir. It’s as if they divided the spoils of some biblical battle: 'You take the lands east of the Euphrates…’ In truth, it’s just where their passions lie. Emerging from a career making approachable wine with an edgy bent, the end goal was always to craft the finest, classically styled, site-reflective chardonnays made from the ground up with best-practice farming. That took shape in 2013, and today Pat is very much a top-tier exponent of the grape. The wines are mainly from Gippsland, though he also stretches to the Yarra Valley, Henty and Mount Gambier, the connective thread beyond variety being volcanic soils. Winemaking is classic yet detailed, with as much thought given to fine phenolic tension as flavour. If you were to drink one wine to understand just how good this address is, it would be his flagship Ada River bottling. As Jane Faulkner said of the 97-pointed 2024: "My, my, Patrick Sullivan, this Ada River is something else." 

5 ★ winery | Patrick Sullivan Wines profile | Winery website | @patricksullivanwine

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Cloudland, Fortitude Valley
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Join Halliday Wine Club to drink the very best of Australian wine 

Are you an explorer, enthusiast or collector? No matter the Halliday Wine Club plan you choose, each month we'll deliver two bottles of 95+ point wines direct to your door. From $89 per month. You can skip, pause or cancel anytime. Join now.

Top image: Coriole