Woodlands ‘Margaret’ vertical tasting

[Waiters Friend]

G’day

Woodlands is one of Margaret River’s pioneer vineyards (established in 1973). Woodlands ‘Margaret’ is a Cabernet Sauvignon dominant Bordeaux blend, with Merlot and Malbec contributing to the blend in different percentages each year. This year sees the release of the 30th vintage of this wine (the 2022).

This tasting looked at 12 vintages back to 2007. As has become the norm, we gathered at Lulu’s Little Bistro in Perth, and received the warm welcome and excellent service we have become accustomed to. Wines were served from youngest to oldest and were not decanted prior to service.

Woodlands ‘Margaret’ 2022: A fruit-forward and dusty nose with blackcurrants, red plums, eucalypt/ menthol, mocha, brambles, mulberry and rosemary. One taster noted sawmill offcuts. The wine has a lovely silky mouthfeel and fine, drying tannins. It’s medium bodied but showing more than expected length without being too heavy. Harmonious and well balanced, and a worthy wine for the 30th vintage. Well regarded by the group.

Woodlands ‘Margaret’ 2021: A similar nose to the 2022, but less intense. Dusty, with menthol, blackberry, blueberry, tomato leaf, celery and baking spices. The palate has tobacco, plums and more menthol, along with some savoury notes. Acid is more noticeable (possibly in proportion to the less prominent fruit) and tannins are fine grained. Good length.

Woodlands ‘Margaret’ 2020: A dusty nose (again) with blackcurrant, ripe strawberry (surprisingly), violets and eucalypt. There’s black and red berries on the palate, with plums, graphite, mocha and a slightly ferrous or iodine character (in a good way). Tannins are grippier than the 2021, while acid appears softer. Long finish.

Woodlands ‘Margaret’ 2019: A darker nose, with blackberries and black plums, cassis, beef stock and mocha. The palate has red fruits as well as dark fruits, and some chocolate. Tannins are chalky, while acid is moderate, and the wine is medium bodied with a similar finish.

Woodlands ‘Margaret’ 2018: A much bolder wine than those around it. Blackcurrant, menthol, cassis, beef stock, umami/soy and vanilla on the powerful nose. The palate is rich and savoury, with dark fruits, plums, smoked meats and some fruit sweetness. A silky mouthfeel and the wine is full bodied with excellent length. Well regarded by the group.

Woodlands ‘Margaret’ 2017: This was the outlier of the tasting. Not a lot of upfront fruit on the nose; instead, it showed green tomato, tapenade, and herbal, vegetal notes. One taster noted ‘caramel apple’. The nose was also a little herbal, with soy, tobacco, some red fruits and green capsicum. A moderate wine from a cooler vintage.

Woodlands ‘Margaret’ 2016: A dusty nose with blackberry, red plums, mocha, redcurrants, menthol and one of the group noted ‘burnt caramel’. There’s plenty of berry fruits (blackberry, mulberry, redcurrant, boysenberry) on the palate, with mocha and green capsicum. There’s also a slightly slippery texture, with tannins well integrated. Medium to long finish.

Woodlands ‘Margaret’ 2015: A restrained nose, with menthol to the fore. There’s developed cranberry and raspberry, alongside some mocha. The palate is round, with berry fruits smoothed out by mocha / chocolate and a little caramel. There’s a tension between the acid and tannins that shows the wine as relatively fresh and vibrant, and some tasters believe this needs more time. Medium bodied.

Woodlands ‘Margaret’ 2014: A full and powerful nose, with red and dark berries, mocha, menthol, baking spices and a touch of leather. The palate is similarly full, with red, black and blue berries, mocha and eucalypt. This is a complex and complete wine, with everything in balance and looking really good right now (although some tasters reckon another 5 years would also do it no harm). Highly regarded.

Woodlands ‘Margaret’ 2012: The nose initially has hints of laundry powder, with not a lot of fruit showing. Instead, there’s brambles, dark chocolate, leather and mushroom. The palate has some tart red fruits, with prominent acid, graphite and black tea towards the finish, which is medium to long. This seems out of balance and one taster noted ‘it’s not singing tonight’.

Woodlands ‘Margaret’ 2011: A bigger wine, with the nose showing chocolate, red plums, dark berries and some savoury notes and signs of development. The palate was similar, with the addition of dark cherries. There’s a velvety texture, with grippy tannins and complementary acid, and the wine is perfectly balanced, with words like ‘harmonious’ and well resolved’ mentioned. A long finish and potentially a long future and well regarded by the group.

Woodlands ‘Margaret’ 2007: A dusty nose, with lots of menthol, developed red berries, brambles and leather. The red fruits on the palate are drying out a little, and there’s brambles and leather. Tannins add to the sensation of dryness, and acid is playing a supporting role. Some herbaceousness towards a slightly astringent finish and the wine is medium bodied.

Wine of the night was the Woodlands Margaret 2014, with the 2022, 2018 and 2011 also showing well on the night.

My thanks to Mark, Brad and Hayley at Lulu’s Little Bistro for an excellent venue and meal, and to those who joined me for this tasting. Excellent comments and a lot of laughs as usual.

Cheers
Allan

[A_Steady]

Thanks for these notes, I have 3 Margaret’s in my cellar I picked up on a Langton’s sale 6-7 years ago and was thinking it might be time to try my first. Seems I landed on my feet with the ‘14 vintage

[GraemeG]

For some reason I recall this as something of a bargain wine in earlier years, but the price has spiralled alarmingly. It's rarely disappointed, though, to be fair.

[A_Steady]

CellarTracker says I paid $42.23 a bottle for mine including delivery

[Hacker]

Margaret has been a long time favourite of mine, from the 2005. I would go as far as to say Margaret is a superior experience than the named family marquee reds with the added bonus of being a third of the price. I remember the 2014 was around $38 pb but after that the price started increasing. As GraemeG says, Margaret never really disappoints, but with a caveat of decanting for a few hours.

[Andrew Jordan]

Allan thanks for the tasting notes. Much appreciated.

Love Woodlands and it is probably the most represented winery in my cellar. I have all of these vintages of Margaret plus vintages going back to 2001 in the cellar. Good to hear that many of them still need more time before they show their best.

2011 has always been a favourite of mine and glad it decided to perform on the night for you as well. The 2018 at cellar door a few years back was an eye opener and even though they had 5 vintages of the Reserve Cabernet opened beside it, that was the wine of the tasting for mine. Consistently a very good wine at the price point ... even with the increases in recent years.

[Hacker]

Besides the Margaret, my go to Woodlands, and a cellar purchase every year, is the Cab Franc merlot which is usually around <$30. Absolute drinking bargain.