Stellar Reviews for Vasse Felix in the 2024 Halliday Wine Companion

We are thrilled with the excellent reviews of the entire Vasse Felix collection in the 2024 Halliday Wine Companion, released today. Five wines received 95 points or more, maintaining our 5-Star Red Winery Rating; 

"Outstanding winery regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity. Will have at least two wines rated at 95 points or above, and has typically held a 5-star rating for the previous three years."

We were particularly excited to see both the 2019 TOM CULLITY and 2021 Heytesbury Chardonnay included in the Top Rated Wines of their varietal categories at 98 points apiece. 

The Margaret River Wine Region also performed exceptionally well as a whole in the 2024 Top Rated Cabernet Sauvignon and Family Collection.

Of the 88 wines included in the Top Rated Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Family categories, over a quarter (26) were from Margaret River. While in the Chardonnay Top Rated, the total of 54 Australian wines included no less then 13 Margaret River Chardonnays. An incredible testament to the quality of this region's core varieties, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Vasse Felix TOM CULLITY 2019 - 98 Points | GOLD RATED
Trepidation over tasting a flagship wine so young lasted a nanosecond before turning to “oh my, this is awesome”. In this seductive youthful stage, it’s fragrant with florals from violets to lavender, blueberries and bramble all wonderfully savoury with lots of warming spices. The palate offer charm, detail and excellent structure with velveteen tannins and a fine acid line to a long, long finish.

Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2021 -  98 Points | GOLD RATED | SPECIAL VALUE
Excellent fruit and second-to-none level of detail. This is an evocative wine. Funky sulphides rockin’ while a gossamer thread of acidity holds everything in line – the citrus flavours, the texture, the wine totally enveloping the oak and, while it’s a powerhouse of flavour, there’s a purity to this. It’s such a contrast. How does it achieve that? 

Vasse Felix Chardonnay 2021 - 93 Points
A tight, linear style with all manner of lemon and grapefruit flavours awash with tangy acidity. Lemon thyme pops up, a smidge of texture for good measure, and it builds with some white nectarine, a sprinkle of spice and oak judiciously integrated. This has precision and the right amount of complexity, so it’s moreish and ultimately very satisfying.

Vasse Felix DHJ1 Single Plot Chardonnay 2021 - 96 Points | GOLD RATED | SPECIAL VALUE
A new chardonnay and the note accompanying it states Virginia Wilcock and her team ‘were blown away by the jasmine florals, oyster-like salinity and a logic-defying limestone minerality, an outstanding parcel, too special not to share.’ Well, who am I to argue? It’s also linear, fine and long, a pure style without any new oak only excellent fruit and Usain Bolt-like acidity yet all wound up to create a savoury style. Funky, flinty and fabulous, too. Oh, by the way, DHJ1 stands for Darch vineyard J plot 1.
 

Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 - 96 Points | GOLD RATED | SPECIAL VALUE
A marker of great Cabernet is being seduced by the aromas and flavours, which need to be in harmony and lets not forget beautiful tannins matched to fine acidity. Does this fall into that class? Too right it does. Varietal flavours are pitch-perfect and not quite understated, this is a cabernet after all, and the result is a certain elegance and class. A gorgeous rendition.

Vasse Felix Syrah 2021 - 94 Points | SPECIAL VALUENot the easiest vintage in Margaret River, but you wouldn’t know it with this buoyant yet savoury offering. It’s highlighting the exuberance of youth with its poppy dark fruits all spiced and tarted up with cranberry juice flavour. As it opens in the glass more layers are revealed, the texture of fine sandy tannins and lots of them, there’s a stony quality in a positive way as this is still tight. Savoury, complex and appealing.

Vasse Felix Sauvignon Blanc 2021 - 95 Points | GOLD RATED | SPECIAL VALUE
Serious sauv blanc that’s seriously good, but not as you know it. Wild fermentation in oak with some skin contact creates a structured, savoury wine with an absence of overt tropical flavours. Instead, phenolics add shape and mouthfeel while textural tale-like acidity ensures this remains refreshing. It is complex, flavoursome and moreish.

Vasse Felix Filius Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 - 89 Points
A tight, leaner style off this vintage. It feels a little jangly with the acidity showing a brashness of youth and more time needed for it to behave. Cedary oak popping through the more savoury tones and tannins firm on the finish. Come back to this in a year or two. If you can, buy up the 2020 cabernet. It is a stunner.

Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay 2021- 90 Points
For a chardonnay reflecting regional attributes, and perhaps a bit of house style, this works well. It’s well made, managing the citrus, stone fruit and spice components with some funky sulphides and subtle oak. Good texture, too, and it’s one to enjoy without overthinking it.

Vasse Felix Filius Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2022 - 91 Points
A lot more going on here than many other SBS blends from the region this vintage, and that’s no BS either. Lots of citrus and distinct lime oil characters, some pastry (presumably from part of the wine being barrel fermented) with a lovely texture, all slippery, creamy with a little phenolic grip. A good drink without overcomplicating things.

Vasse Felix Filius Shiraz 2021 - 93 Points
Could there be any more spice packed into this? It’s a souk-like expression of cinnamon, pepper, fenugreek, cloves and … OK let’s stop there. All that is complemented by a wave of dark fruit, texture and richness of flavour. Lots of tannins but shapely and ripe. An impressive wine.

Vasse Felix Classic Dry Red 2021 - 91 Points | SPECIAL VALUE
Offering a decent balance of fruit to savouriness is part of the appeal of this simple, everyday drink. It’s spicy, laden with black plums and licorice and supple, giving tannins. No need to overthink this. Just pour and enjoy.

Vasse Felix Classic Dry White 2022 - 90 Points | SPECIAL VALUE
This is one of those well-made, uncomplicated yet subtle wines. It serves its purpose to provide enjoyment with its lemon-lime, melon and snow pea flavours, crisp acidity and refreshment guaranteed.