Woodlands Wilyabrup Valley Chardonnay 2023

Winemaking and Drinking

A Wine Born in Time and Place

Nestled among the rolling hills and gravelly soils of Wilyabrup Valley, Woodlands Chardonnay is a wine that wears its home on its sleeve. The story begins with David and Heather Watson, who planted vines at Woodlands in the early 1970s on what was then still rugged bushland. Their ambition wasn’t just to join the ranks of Margaret River producers, it was to coax something singular from the valley: Chardonnay that spoke of salt tinged sea air, fossils in the soil, and long afternoons.

Fast forward a few decades: vines matured, techniques refined, and the Mendoza (Wente) clone of Chardonnay was leaned on as a champion. The combination of that clone, carefully chosen vineyard site, and minimal intervention (native yeast ferments, gentle handling in press, and selective barrel work) gives the Woodlands Chardonnay a voice that feels both classic and alive.

Tasting 

Pouring from the bottle, this Chardonnay is pale gold with just a whisper of straw at the rim. On the nose: it opens modestly, at first a shy blush of white peach and nectarine, then slowly expands into light honeysuckle and manuka blossom. If you give it air, you’ll discover hints of struck match or flint, oak influence revealed not by shouting, but by a flicker of smoke and char.

On the palate, there is a tension between richness and liveliness. Orchard fruits, peach, maybe a rounded pear are framed by zesty citrus peel and lemongrass. The oak gives texture: toasted brioche, just enough creamy weight, but never masking the mineral bedrock beneath. 

Accolades 

Over the years, this wine has earned praise from critics and collectors for its balance and ageing potential. Earlier vintages have picked up high scores scores that reflect both fruit purity and oak integration. Historic vintages show that with proper cellaring, the Chardonnay gains complexity: honeyed notes, deeper stone fruit, gradual softening of texture without losing its backbone of acid and mineral clarity. Woodlands doesn’t make massive quantities of this wine; scarcity enhances its reputation. It has become one of those bottles that wine lovers seek out when they want an ambassador for Margaret River Chardonnay a wine that can prove when well made, Chardonnay in Australia needn’t choose between power or elegance, richness or restraint.

What makes the Woodlands Wilyabrup Valley Chardonnay especially compelling is precisely that it embraces contradictions. It is generous yet disciplined; oak‐informed yet terroir expressive; fruit rich yet saline. It’s also a wine that rewards patience. While enjoyable young, it reveals hidden layers with 5-10 years of ageing. Think about bringing it out for a beastly seafood platter, or something creamy with herbs, or even roasted chicken with mushrooms any dish that lets both fruit and savoury elements sing.