THE ORIGINAL WINE ESTATE OF MARGARET RIVER Vasse Felix was established by Margaret River pioneer Dr Thomas Brendan Cullity in 1967. Dr Tom Cullity was a man of intellect, slightly eccentric, and a well-respected Western Australian Cardiologist. He discovered the great table wines of Europe when working at Britain’s National Heart Hospital in the 1950s. Upon returning to Western Australia, Tom set himself a mission to make fine wines in his home state. He struck out alone and searched obsessively for his perfect plot of land, digging holes in paddocks that showed promise of, ‘red gravel in redgum country, with clay about 18 inches below the surface.’ This was the ideal, according to the research of Professor Harold Olmo (1955) and Dr. John Gladstones (1965 & 1966). Eventually, he struck gold with a small knoll beside the Wilyabrup Brook. Here, he planted 8 acres with Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Shiraz and Riesling, using mass selection cuttings by WA wine legend Jack Mann, from the famed Houghton Vineyard. Tom established rudimentary winemaking facilities in a small shed which also served as his sleeping quarters, and toiled away, often alone, and in spite of local naysayers. He was known for his intellectual and unconventional approach, including a brief foray into falconry, to overcome the many challenges that arose. In 1972, Tom Cullity made Margaret River’s first serious wines; a Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec and a Riesling, marking a milestone in Australian wine history.
WINE EXPERIENCES
VISIT VASSE FELIX Everyone is welcome at the highlyawarded Vasse Felix Estate, which offers a curated selection of experiences to fully immerse oneself in Margaret River wine. Culture and history can be explored in The Vault, a capsule of Margaret River wine history, including every vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon made at Vasse Felix. The original winery was converted to an Art Gallery and showcases a seasonal exhibition program from Australia’s celebrated Janet Holmes à Court Collection.
The Vasse Felix Restaurant is one of Australia’s most critically acclaimed as a benchmark of its kind. The modern menu showcases superb regional produce in a contemporary, winefocussed style. For the ultimate regional experience, explore beyond the Cellar Door with a specialised Tour or Tasting, while the Wine Lounge and Tasting Bar offer a relaxed setting to discover and enjoy the wines, vineyard and forest surrounds.
“Vasse Felix is leader of the pack when it comes to a sophisticated cellar door experience.” GOURMET TRAVELLER WINE
A RELENTLESS PURSUIT
A SINGLE FOCUS SPANNING GENERATIONS Since 1987, Vasse Felix has been owned and operated by two generations of private, family-owned company, Heytesbury. Current owner, Paul Holmes à Court is a firm believer in Margaret River’s significance as one of the great wine regions of the world, and steers Vasse Felix to honour Dr Tom Cullity’s simple and singular founding aim, “to make the best possible wine.” In this pursuit, Vasse Felix has invested in unrivalled assets over time, to enable every component of the winemaking
process, from vine to vinification, bottling and beyond, to be controlled within the Estate. This ensures we are able to achieve excellence and consistency in every bottle of wine made. The wines have been recognised with a full-spectrum of critical acclaim, beginning with a Gold Medal at the 1972 Perth Wine Show, through to being named in Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 Wineries of the World in 2017, the same year Vasse Felix celebrated its fiftieth anniversary.
We will not rest in our mission, and innovation is encouraged in all operations, and no expense is spared to improve wine quality. We align with suppliers and coopers whose ethos is commmensurate with this approach. Vasse Felix is part of Sustainable Wine Growers Australia, providing collectors further confidence that our processes are underpinned by responsible principles. The Vasse Felix collection is available in all of the world’s major wine markets.
WINE PARADISE
A THRIVING REGION FOR LONG TERM SUCCESS Margaret River is a pristine coastal region that sits within one of the world’s 35 Biodiversity Hotspots in the south-west of Australia. These important conservation zones represent just 2.5% of the Earth’s land surface, yet support more than half of its endemic plant species. Over 46% of the region is natural vegetation (vine area is 2.7%), and at 1,130 to 1,600 million years old, the geology is possibly the most ancient of any of the Earth’s wine regions.
is fundamental to achieving the long term aspirations we have for Vasse Felix to be thriving, in one of the world’s great wine regions, 100 years from now, and beyond.
Nurturing this environment and the close-knit community in which we live
Vasse Felix is a significant employer within the Margaret River region,
Our vineyards are farmed to organic standards, as we believe this appoach is better for our natural environment, our people, and most importantly, it supports healthier, more resilient vines. We don’t use synthetic fungicides, pesticides or fertilisers.
and during vintage and the peak Summer season, our team swells with committed wine enthusiasts from all around the world, in jobs ranging from fruit picking through to logistics, administration and hospitality. Since day one, our Estate’s development and that of the Margaret River region have grown, hand in hand. We enjoy doing what we can to showcase Margaret River to wine collectors near and far, while supporting the local wine, tourism, arts and community groups that contribute to our vibrant region.
HEALTHY, BALANCED VINES, IN A HEALTHY, BALANCED ENVIRONMENT Vasse Felix owns specialty vineyards on exceptional sites throughout the region, including Margaret River’s oldest. We believe that great wines are made in healthy vineyard environments, must be authentic expressions of their place, and are the work of a great team of passionate people. Our viticulture and winemaking principles consider the unique requirements of Margaret River’s pristine environment, and we’ve modelled a specialised approach that is sensitive to nourishing soil health, vine longevity and natural biodiversity within our ecosystem. This draws upon over 50 years of balancing organic principles and careful, targeted and tactical inputs to maximise quality and long-term sustainability. Most of the year is dedicated to the ‘soil season’, where nutrition, replenishment and microbiology of our ancient soils is priority. During the ‘growing season’, we work intuitively and intensively with each vine’s structure and canopy to maximise the quality and natural resilience of our grapes. CHIEF VITICULTURIST BART MOLONY Bart joined Vasse Felix in 2004 and has a breadth of knowledge from working internationally. An award winning viticulturist, Bart oversaw the conversion of the Estate’s 300 hectares of vines to organic practices. CHIEF WINEMAKER VIRGINIA WILLCOCK Virginia has an insatiable curiosity for the role vineyard microbiology plays in making more expressive wines. Virginia joined Vasse Felix in 2006 and since then has become one of the most awarded winemakers in Australia.
ICON & PREMIER VINEYARD
ICON & PREMIER VINEYARD
HOME VINEYARD Wilyabrup Brook
1
HOME VINEYARD
2
GNARAWARY VINEYARD
HOME VINEYARD FIRST PLANTED
FIRST PLANTED
1967
1997
Wilyabrup Brook
LOCALITY
LOCALITY
WILYABRUP
WALLCLIFFE 200M
COORDINATES
33°49’S, 115°02’E
COORDINATES N
33°99’S, 115°05’E
ALTITUDE RANGE
80-110M
ALTITUDE RANGE
75-95M 93
SOILS
GRAVEL LOAM OVER CLAY
VINE AREA
52HA
GNARAWARY VINEYARD
SOILS
GRAVEL & SANDY LOAM OVER CLAY
VINE AREA
37 HA (WEST) & 56 HA (EAST)
200M N
93
GNARAWARY ROAD
GNARAWARY VINEYARD
DA GRO FO
Wilyabrup Brook GNARAWARY ROAD
BUS SELL
B U SS WAY
WAY
H IG H
H IG H
E LL
Boodjidup Brook
Bo Br
200M
200M
N
N
93
200M
MALBEC ADAMS ROAD VINEYARD
SHIRAZ
BOALLIA R
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
N
PETIT VERDOT
MERLOT
CHARDON
FILIUS & CLASSIC VINEYARD
AUSTRALIA
BRISBAN
D
Hunter Valle
PERTH
SYDNEY
ADELAIDE
Margaret River Wine Region
Wilyabrup Brook
Barossa Valley
MELBOURNE
Coonawarra Yarra Valley
HOBART Tasmania
3
ADAMS ROAD VINEYARD 200M N
93
P D
FIRST PLANTED
1998
LOCALITY
CARBUNUP
3 GNARAWARY ROAD
1
33°46’S, 115°16’E
ALTITUDE RANGE
35-45M
SOILS
DEEP RED TO SANDY LOAM, GRAVEL AND CLAY IN AREAS
VINE AREA
146HA
B U SS
COORDINATES
E LL
H IG H
WAY
WARMER
Boodjidup Brook
COOLER
2
200M
MARGARET RIVER WINE REGION
N
BOALLIA ROAD
OAD D
WatershedVineINDIAN OCEAN
Buoyonup River
JAM ISO NS ROA D
NNAY
ADAMS ROAD
200M N
SAUVIGNON BLANC
Vasse River
Blackwood State Forest
SOUTHERN OCEAN SEMILLON
LEEUWIN-NATURALISTE RIDGE
T H E I CO N S . R A R E CO LLEC TO R W I N E S F RO M O U R M O ST S I G N I F I C A N T V I N EYA R D P LOTS
TOM CULLITY
HEYTESBURY
CABERNET SAUVIGNON MALBEC
CHARDONNAY
TOM CULLITY is a pure expression of Margaret River’s original Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec vines, planted by Vasse Felix founder and wine region pioneer, Dr Thomas Brendan Cullity in August, 1967. TOM CULLITY is the pinnacle of Vasse Felix.
A striking Margaret River Chardonnay, known for its inimitable wild ‘Heytesbury’ character, with power and ‘al dente’ tension; characters exclusive to only a handful of revered blocks in the Vasse Felix vineyards. It is a deep and layered, terroir-led Chardonnay.
Sourced from Home Vineyard Clones: Tom’s Houghton mass selection Cabernet Sauvignon & Malbec.
Sourced from Home and Gnarawary Vineyard Clones: Gingin
“...Vasse Felix has reached the top echelons of Australian winemaking philosophy and practices...” ANDREW CAILLARD MW
PREMIER. DEFINING EXPRESSIONS OF MARGARET RIVER FROM OUR FINEST VINEYARD PLOTS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON The archetype. A distinct style displaying the hallmarks of fine Margaret River Cabernet: elegance, power and ageability. Made every year since 1972, it is the original Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Margaret River. 100% wild fermented with 30+ days on skins and 18 months maturation in French oak barriques. Sourced from Home Vineyard Clones: Tom’s Houghton mass selection Cabernet Sauvignon (80%+), Clone 125 & 126, Tom’s Houghton mass selection Malbec
CHARDONNAY A Chardonnay of intensity and poise; the inherent varietal characteristics of Margaret River. Its terroir-led expression, focused natural acidity and subtle wild complexities are hallmarks of all Vasse Felix Chardonnays. 100% wild fermented with unclarified juice, matured in French oak then harmonised on lees. Sourced from Gnarawary and Home Vineyards. Clones: Gingin (80%+) and Bernard 76, 95, 96
SYRAH An elegant, cool climate style, crafted from parcels of southern Margaret River Syrah (Shiraz). 100% wild fermented, with a portion of whole bunch fermentation and carbonic maceration, this aromatic, fine-boned Syrah is luscious, spicy and beautifully complex. Sourced from Gnarawary Vineyard
SAUVIGNON BLANC A textural, ageworthy and progressive expression, inspired by the vinification of Sauvignon Blanc’s genetic mother; Cabernet Sauvignon. Wild-fermented in large format oak and a portion of full skins contact, this Sauvignon Blanc is crisp, savoury, exotic and intriguing. Sourced from Gnarawary and Home Vineyards
ICON
FILIUS. CONTEMPORARY & VERSATILE HOUSE STYLES PREMIER
FILIUS CABERNET SAUVIGNON FILIUS
A new-age Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Malbec. It is graceful and succulent, with attractive, earth-expressive characters and fine tannins. 100% wild fermented and relaxed in French oak.
CLASSIC
C L A S S I C . P O P U L A R A LL O CC A S I O N S B LE N D S
FILIUS CHARDONNAY A pure and modern Margaret River Chardonnay with subtle wild complexities and mouthwatering natural acidity. It is fruit expressive, with mild funk and alluring savoury characters. 100% wild fermented and lees aged in French oak.
FILIUS SHIRAZ A poised Margaret River Shiraz with lively fruit, subtle spice characters and a plush, light to medium-bodied palate. 100% wild fermented and relaxed in large and small format French oak.
FILIUS SAUVIGNON BLANC SEMILLON A dynamic Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon with enticing minerality and savoury undertones. It is a quenching style that is crisp and textural, from the precise balance of French oak and stainless steel fermented fruit.
CLASSIC DRY ROSÉ A delicate, dry and refreshing Provençal-style Rosé. Crafted from Shiraz, it is lightly perfumed with a pure-fruit palate and gentle natural acidity.
CLASSIC DRY RED A soft and sumptuous, mediumbodied Margaret River Shiraz blend with a delicate French oak influence. It is bright, lightly perfumed and succulent.
CLASSIC DRY WHITE A popular, pure-fruit blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc made by Vasse Felix since 1987. It is zesty, fresh and crisp.
Vasse Felix Classics are available primarily in the Australian market.
Caves Road (Cnr Tom Cullity Drive), Cowaramup WA 6284 Enquiries +61 (0) 8 9756 5000 Restaurant +61 (0) 8 9756 5050 PO Box 32, Cowaramup WA 6284 Open Daily 10AM - 5PM
3 X CLASSIFIED WINES ‘OUTSTANDING’ TOM CULLITY ‘EXCELLENT ’ Heytesbury Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon
WINE STAR AWARDS 2017 NEW WORLD WINERY OF THE YEAR
TOP 100 WINES 2018