Chardonnay Of The Year | 99 Points - Halliday Wine Companion 2026
Vasse Felix is one of Margaret River's biggest names, regularly delivering benchmark expressions of the styles synonymous with this highly acclaimed region. Their flagship Heytesbury Chardonnay is made from a selection of the most unique and distinguished vineyards. An iconic Margaret River wine, the 2023 vintage was named 'White Wine Of The Year' and 'Chardonnay Of The Year' in the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion. A wine that is already in high demand, our limited remaining stocks will sell out fast.
"99 Points. 2026 White Wine of the Year, Chardonnay of the Year. Score awarded by the Halliday tasting panel at the annual Awards judging. JF writes: When it comes to the best of the best, provenance is paramount. And taste memory utmost, especially when tasting Heytesbury made under Virginia Willcock’s tutelage (in ’26 she clocks up 20 years as chief winemaker at Vasse Felix, during which time she has transformed chardonnay in the region and beyond). Her influence is here in this wine, and ’23 will be known as one of the finest. It's hard to explain because it’s still very tightly wound, yet it has depth and volume. Oscillating between power and refinement, intensity and pure drinking pleasure. Grapefruit, Meyer lemon, a crushed oyster shell note, flinty, moreish sulphides, texture, mouth-watering, pure acidity and so much more besides. Nothing else to say other than that this is outstanding. $140. Drink: 2025 - 2036. Screwcap"- Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion 2026.
"97/100. If you had this 2023 release of Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay on Spotify, you’d click the loop icon so that it played over and over. It is, essentially, a rolled gold example of Ausstralian and indeed of Margaret River chardonnay. I reviewed it on The Winefront back in April, noting that style-wise it’s been set for the long term, and concluding that it will “turn out magnificent”. There’s such power to this release; coiled. There’s both melody and counter-melody, in a context of drama and length. Vasse Felix winemaker Virginia Willcock is a sensei master of chardonnay. We’ve had ample proof of her artistry over the years but this release puts an exclamation mark on it. There’s just so much power here, so much complexity, and such a soar to the finish."- Campbell Mattinson, campbellmattinson.com.
