The winery was the first in the Margaret River region and was established by Dr Tom Cullity who spent a number of years searching for the perfect site for his vineyard. There is no documented evidence of Tom reading Dr Gladstones report in 1965 but needly to say both men were definitely “ahead of the game”.
Being almost identical to Boardauex the focus was always going to be Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Chardonnay. Vasse Felix has grown from an 8 acre site in the Wilyabrup region to 4 separate sites specifically choosen for there “terrior” or regional characteristics. See map above.
What makes this region so special is it is the meeting place for two oceans and a mixture of temperatures and winds. The name came from a Frenchmen (Vasse) who’s job was to map the West Australian coastline who “survived” a shipwreck off the coast of Margaret River and Felix from the Latin meaning happy or joyous.
Virginia Willcock, chief winemaker has a long and impressive history, more recently picking up no less than 10 awards in 2010, Winemaker of the Year in Australia in 2013 and a string of awards in 2014 … going from strength to strength. Wine Enthusiast also voted Vasse Felix Winery New World Winery of the Year in 2018. Putting all that aside, the wines speak to her reputation, integrity and passion.
Just a brief overview about the wines, Cabernet and Chardonnay have always been the main focus and three tiers of both are augmented by a Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, a Shiraz and a Cabernet/Merlot. The last three are not available in the US.
On a personal note …
Dinner with Vasse Felix Winemaker- Virginia Willcock.
As can be seen by the photo below I had an absolutely awesome evening in Chicago a couple of years ago. Dinner with Virginia Willcock, winemaker extraordinaire at Vasse Felix, Abbe Davidson from Negiotant, USA and my wonderful wife, Delores Ryan … at Cherry Circle Room. Shared some amazing wines and finished off with Virginia’s Heytesbury Chardonnay 2015 (97pt rating) and Tom Cullity Cabernet 2013 (99pt rating).
Vine to Table 