Respected wine journalist John Lewis from the Newcastle Herald recently tasted and reviewed our Cabernet Sauvignon Museum Vertical awarding the wines with 5 stars across all releases.

“I believe brands like Moss Wood, Vasse Felix, Leeuwin Estate, Cullen and Cape Mentelle affirm Margaret River's primacy among Australian cabernet sauvignons - and Annette and Scott Baxter's Gralyn Estate can be added to the list.”

“My tastings have greatly impressed and the current- release $130 Gralyn Estate 2018 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon won a gold medal in the 2022 London Wine Competition (LWC) and I gave it a five-star review in May last year. In the same LWC judging attracting 1300 entries from 36 countries, the fortified solera Gralyn Artizan Rare Muscat was crowned wine of the year. Made from muscat grapes bought in from a long-term grower, it's currently available at $120 a 375ml bottle.”

“This month I've had further evidence of Gralyn's cabernet sauvignon excellence with a museum vertical release of the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Reserves. Annette and Scott have a six-bottle pack of two bottles of each vintage for $600 and single-bottle sales of the 2013 and 2014 for $180 and the 2015 for $130 from gralyn.com.au and the Wilyabrup cellar door.”

Purchase wine here

The Fine Vines Festival (October 14 - 23) brings together a curated selection of more than 30 unique events showcasing the quality and depth of the Margaret River region’s premium wine offering. We are proud to be partnering with the regions premier luxury guest house, Cape Lodge to host an intimate 4 course dinner.

A member of the Luxury Lodges of Australia. Cape Lodge is set within extensive manicured gardens with giant karri trees cocooning the lodge from the world outside. With 22 suites and an onsite lakeside restaurant and bar, Cape Lodge is the perfect base for an all-inclusive stay during the Fine Vine Festival. 


Image: Cape Lodge, Member of Luxury Lodges of Australia

Fine Vines Festival
Gralyn Estate x Cape Lodge Dinner, October 21st 
"Escape to the culinary heart of Cape Lodge for a rare vinous evening, offering an exclusive peek into the intriguing world of one of the most prestigious wine producers in the country. The iconic lakeside dining room of the South West is set to welcome long-standing Caves Road neighbour, Gralyn Estate who has been meticulously crafting premium limited-release wines since 1975. Settle in for an intimate journey through four courses, curated by newly appointed Cape Lodge head chef, Adam Robson Chew, (Nomad, Bentley) paired with some of the most highly sought-after wines from Gralyn Estate."

Tickets are $290 per person. This includes a glass of sparkling on arrival and a four-course dinner prepared by Cape Lodge head chef Adam Robson Chew, each course paired with a Gralyn wine.

We encourage you to linger a little longer in one of the 22 elegantly-appointed suites at Cape Lodge – exclusive rates for guests attending the event. Simply use the code: FINEVINES upon making a reservation.

Book Fine Vines Festival tickets here

Book Cape Lodge accomodation here


Image: Gralyn Estate's award winning Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine Folly have just released their fun and informative guide to the Margaret River Wine region. The guide covers everything from the region’s wineries, wine styles, terroir and travel with useful, expert-made information to help you find what you like.

"In just over 50 years, Margaret River has skyrocketed into a world-class producer of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The styles of the wines here are different from the rest of Australia - you find the richness of fruit and ripe flavors, but you have restrained elegance thanks to the cooling influence of the ocean surrounding them.”

Discover the exceptional and age-worthy red and white wines in Margaret River, and more with the new Margaret River Region Guide by Wine Folly…
Featuring Gralyn Estate

Explore the region via the guide
https://margaretriver.guides.winefolly.com/

#gralynestate #wilyabrup #margaretriver #westernaustralia #winefolly

The Top Wineries of Australia list for 2022 has just been released by the Real Review. Gralyn Estate sits amongst prestigious company listed at #23.

This is wonderful recognition for our small family owned estate and is testament to our site and the wines produced over the last 40+ years. The Top 52 wineries in this list represent the crème de la crème 2% of Australia’s 2156 wineries.

23. GRALYN ESTATE
Location: Margaret River, WA
Best known for: Cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, which can be among the region’s best, but an extremely concentrated old fortified muscat named Artizan is always threatening to upset the hierarchy.

Huon Hooke says: Artizan Rare Muscat, as good as almost anything in Rutherglen, scored 98 points, defying every expectation of Margaret River. It led the charge from the hyper-grapefruity 2018 Reserve Chardonnay, 2018 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and the Classic Muscat, which is a younger sister for Artizan and almost half the price.

Read the full Top Wineries of Australia list here...

Article by Nicky Lefebvre first appeared in the Augusta Margaret River Mail Newspaper, Wednesday 13 April 2022 

"EVERYTHING about this wine is exquisite - from flavour to label."

So say the 2022 London Wine Competition judges, who awarded Margaret River region winery Gralyn Estate the highest prize of the event, the coveted 'Wine of the Year'. Judging for the 2022 competition took place at St Mary's Church in London's Marylebone this week, with a record, 300 wines submitted from 36 countries. To be a medal winner, wines must score highly in all three criteria, with a weighting on scores for quality.  The only wine to score 97 points, the Gralyn Estate Artizan Rare Muscat NV was also awarded 'Best in Show by Country' and 'Best Wine of the Year by Quality'.

Gralyn Estate was founded in Wilyabrup in 1975 and was the first to open a commercial cellar door in Margaret River in 1978.

Owners and winemakers Scott and Annette Baxter took the helm two years ago from Annette's parents, founders Graham and Merilyn Hutton. Scott Baxter said the secret to the success of the fortified wine came down to the quality of the fruit, the barrel age, and blending and freshening. "Very old brandy barrels are used to store the Artizan, so as not to impart too much oak character, allowing it to develop rancio complexity," Mr Baxter said.” These wines are precious as there is considerable loss each year from evaporation, what's described as the Angel's Share, and this gives the wine it’s power." The wine is produced using the Solera System, a winemaking practice where younger wines are blended in barrels storing older wines, and hence termed non-vintage or NV. The solera in the Artizan Rare Muscat NV dates back 40 years. "We're winning accolades now because Annette's parents had the foresight 40 years ago to barrel age this beautiful wine," said Mr Baxter." They knew it was special, they knew it had its place and they believed that they were on to something for which we're very grateful, because now we're reaping the rewards of their vision and hard work." Gralyn Estate was awarded Gold for both its 2017 and 2018 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.


Image: Scott and Annette Baxter toasting to their success at the London Wine Competition 

First light in the pollinator garden...
We are enjoying these cooler Autumn mornings

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Internationally recognised Master of Wine Andrew Caillard has just reviewed our core range of premium wines for the Vintage Journal. The Vintage Journal is one of Australia's leading platforms for fine wine and Australian wine history. Andrew is a recognised industry authority and we are very proud of this latest review of Gralyn Estate.

We hope that you enjoy the read and perhaps treat yourself to some of Andrew's recommendations. With International borders now open, we look forward to welcoming you back to the estate.

Gralyn Estate - Classic Wilyabrup
"The Lilliputian Gralyn Estate vineyards are wrapped by around 200 hectares of prime grazing and dairying land in the heart of the Wilyabrup sub-region of the Margaret River. The property borders “First Growth” Margaret River producers Cullen, Moss Wood and Vasse Felix. Its limited unirrigated vineyard plantings from 1975 include 2.5 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon and just 0.75 hectares of Shiraz. This is classic Wilyabrup country comprising free draining lateritic gravelly loams over a clay subsoil. The vineyard was established by farmers Merilyn and Graham Hutton."

"Gralyn Estate is now run by their daughter Annette and viticulturist husband Scott Baxter. Most of the publicity surrounds their fortified wine portfolio which is a rare category in Margaret River territory. Gralyn Estate’s cellar door, on the Caves Road tourist route, is also an attractive hitching station for travellers and Perth weekend trippers. The exotic offering of wine styles is clearly harnessed to an eclectic audience of wine drinkers and loyal customers. This review of Gralyn Estate’s reserve and fortified wines, however, reveals a core of very high-quality wines. The 2018 and 2013 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignons are an outstanding foil to each other and highlight the provenance of vineyard site and ageing potential. Despite its wine show success and accolades, Gralyn Estate should be better known in fine wine circles." 
Andrew Caillard MW - The Vintage Journal March 2022

Image: Scott and Annette Baxter  March 2022

2018 Gralyn Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Margaret River Western Australia
Pale colour. Classic grapefruit, white peach aromas with marzipan, grilled nut notes. Well concentrated, creamy and minerally with lovely ripe grapefruit, white peach, apricot flavours, attractive mid palate viscosity and fresh indelible acidity. Finishes al-dente firm with attractive mineral length. This is textbook Margaret River Chardonnay showing superb complexity and torque. Sourced from the Wildberry Vineyard, Wilyabrup.
Now – 2028 13.4% alc 96 points

2013 Gralyn Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River Western Australia
Medium deep crimson. Fresh developed blackcurrant, roasted walnut, vanilla, marzipan aromas with subtle bush-garrigue notes. Inky deep and gravelly in structure with lovely cassis, dark plum fruits, fine cedar, firm tannins and integrated mocha oak notes. Finishes claret firm, sweet-fruited and minerally. Nearly ten years old, but still youthful, buoyant and fresh with a touch of cigar-box complexity. Impressively balanced and preserved. What a surprise!
Now – 2035 13.2% alc 97 points

NV Gralyn Estate Rare Tawny, Margaret River Western Australia
Medium deep tawny colour. Fresh espresso, toffee roasted hazelnut, mocha, marzipan, aniseed aromas. Richly flavoured and complex with toffee, crème brulée, roasted coffee, roasted hazelnut, liquorice flavours, a hint of rancio, fine chalky textures, superb mid-palate density and fresh linear aniseed notes. Finishes chocolatey and round with the alcohol driving the flavours to the back palate. A reference WA style.
Now – 2040 19.0% alc 95 points

NV Gralyn Estate Artizan Rare Muscat
Medium deep. Intense dried plum, raisin, paneforte, caramel, crème brulée, shellac aromas. Complex, concentrated and evolved with plentiful sweet prune, raisin, caramel, treacle, roasted cashew nut flavours, fine loose knit chalky textures, lovely mid-palate viscosity and fresh persistent aniseed notes. Very long treacly, after-taste. A stand-out Western Australian Muscat with extraordinary density and potency.
18% alc 96 points



Image: 97 points - 2013 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Nice write up in the West Australian Newspaper this week with the recent success of our Artizan Rare Muscat. 

Story by Taylar Amonini for The West Australian, Busselton Dunsborough Times
South West winemakers say it’s time for Australians to “rediscover fortified wines” after a Margaret River vineyard scooped a trio of national wine awards.  Hot on the heels of the 11th trophy win in the 2021 ANZ Boutique Wine Show for their Gralyn Estate Artizan Rare Muscat… The team snapped up a double gold medal at the Global Fine Wine Challenge and Gold at the Melbourne Royal Wine Awards, with their Rare Muscat, further cementing it as one of the pre-eminent names in Australian fortified winemaking.

Wine writer and consultant Erin Larkin said the Margaret River winemakers were at the forefront of the resurgence of fortified wine in Western Australia. “Gralyn Estate have been pushing the fortified cart for decades and I think that’s really significant and important.”

On the back of winning its 11th Trophy at the Boutique Wine Awards in Sydney last month, the Artizan Rare Muscat has just scooped up another two awards further cementing its reputation as one of Australias great fortified wines. It has received a Double Gold medal at the Global Fine Wine Challenge and a Gold medal (95pts) at the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards.

The string of awards on the Artizan Rare Muscat matches us against the best in the country and those that are the best in the country are amongst the best in the world. We are winning accolades now because Graham and Merilyn were laying material down nearly 50 years ago with the foresight that they truly believed in the fruit that they were growing and the wine that they were making.

“This is rich with classic mature fortified muscat flavours, with notes of dried figs, dates, rum-soaked raisins, toffee, coffee grounds, brandy-soused plum pudding and dark spices, with hints of clove, cinnamon and brown cardamom. Those flavour cascade onto the viscous palate, with toasted walnuts and treacle joining in, the fortifying alcohol gently cutting through the richness, giving this lift through the back palate, flavours persisting for minutes.” 
Rory Kent - Young Gun Of Wine 2021

We are moving into the season Birak. The Noongar Calendar recognises this as the first summer and the season of the young.

The Noongar calendar includes six annual seasons, each representative of the environmental and seasonal changes that occur around us. They contain deeper insights into the subtle and distinct transformations in the plants, flowers and animals around us.

Birak (December - January) sees the rains ease up and the warm weather really start to take hold. The afternoons are cooled by the sea breezes that prevail from the southwest. There is an almost clockwork style of easterly winds in the morning and sea breezes in the afternoon.

For the animals, there are many young venturing out, whilst some are still staying close to their parents. Reptiles are looking to shed their old skin for a new one.

This is Wadandi Boodja - Saltwater People’s Country 

Image: Gralyn Estate is a sanctuary for a kangaroo mother and her 'joey' along the banks of the Wilyabrup Brook