The rise of Western Australia

Like a sleek Porsche designed to accelerate from zero to 62 before you can say Boxster, Western Australian wines have emerged from nowhere to become some of Australia's most sought-after names. Peek under the bonnet and you'll find a purring engine whose reputation is based not just on speed but on performance as well. Only 3 per cent of the sub-continent's output comes from Western Australia, yet this remote, naturally beautiful south-western corner accounts for almost a quarter of all Australia's premium wines. With not a Jacob's Creek in sight, if the ubiquitous big brands start to pall, Western Australia is the antidote.

Until the late 1960s, the only Western Australian wine of note was Houghtons white burgundy, made not from chardonnay but chenin blanc. Houghton's was ploughing a quiet furrow on the outskirts of Perth in Swan Valley, when scientist Dr John Gladstones pointed to Margaret River four hours south on the Indian Ocean. A handful of Perth doctors downed stethoscopes and cultivated this wild area, discovering in the process that its mild, Mediterranean climate was just the prescription for cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. Since then, the original five, Leeuwin, Cullen, Moss Wood, Vasse Felix and Cape Mentelle, have made a big contribution to sealing Margaret River's reputation. Leeuwin is a nose in front in the chardonnay league, Cullen and Moss Wood just lead in the cabernet field. Western Australia has assiduously cultivated its individuality. Many of its 230 wineries are small, independent and family-owned companies led by a healthy mixture of ex-Perth professionals, grape growers-turned-winemakers and sheep farmers needing to diversify when wool prices fell through the floor. The mix has been given a boost of added professionalism and, latterly, increasing volume, by a handful of the big boys from the South-East (Houghtons and Brookland Valley is owned by Hardy's, Devil's Lair by Southcorp).

The result is wines with a unique character. The maritime climate helps keep Margaret River chardonnay fresh and flavoursome, while quality-conscious winemaking safeguards the intense fruit opulence without sacrificing flavour. Cabernet sauvignon lacks the soupy blackcurrantness of so many big brands, standing somewhere between powerful Australian mulberry and cassis richness and European finesse. If it were only chardonnay and cabernet, the palette would be limited. But Graves-style Margaret River blends of sauvignon and semillon are the best in Australia with fine examples from, among others, Cullen, Juniper Estate, Suckfizzle, Stella Bella, Voyager and Moss Wood.

Today, the continuing search for ever cooler regions for increasing delicacy has taken producers beyond the boundaries of Margaret River towards the breezy Southern Ocean. In the vast, sprawling Great Southern region, plantings of shiraz and aromatic white varieties like sauvignon, semillon and riesling have been carried out on a scale to make the French shudder. Australia already has enough shiraz, but the up-and-coming Frankland River is set to deliver a distinctive new style. With an explosion of competitively priced wines now complementing existing higher-priced premium ranges, the open road of Western Australia is starting to look more attractive than ever.