Viticulturist of the Year and Outstanding Reviews in the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion

We are thrilled to announce that Chief Viticulturist, Bart Molony, has been named Viticulturist of the Year in the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion. A very well-deserved accolade for our vineyard leader and his team, who work tirelessly to raise the bar on fruit quality each year. Bart and his team caretake some of Margaret River's most important vineyard responsibilities across five sites for Vasse Felix and Idée Fixe, including the region's oldest Cabernet vines.

Upon receiving this award, Bart said "I feel privileged and honoured to be selected as this year's Viticulturist of the Year. I'd like to acknowledge the entire vineyard team at Vasse Felix, as this award also recognises their dedication and hard work, which has contributed to our success."

Bart has a passion for sustainable viticulture, where every practice is guided by a strong focus on vineyard biodiversity and responsible, natural farming practices. He promotes a constant focus on soil biology across all vineyards. During his 20 years at Vasse Felix, Bart has managed several significant vineyard expansions, including the Home Vineyard in Wilyabrup, the Karridale Vineyard and the Gnarawary Vineyard, adding over 100 hectares to the Vasse Felix Vineyard collection. We hope you will join us in congratulating Bart on this incredible achievement.

In the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion, five wines from the Vasse Felix collection received 95 points or more, maintaining a 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."

Particular standouts were the 2022 Heytesbury Chardonnay and Chardonnay, 2020 TOM CULLITY, 2022 Syrah and 2023 Filius Sauvignon Blanc Semillon. See below for full results.

Vasse Felix TOM CULLITY 2020 - 97 Points | GOLD RATED
Winemaker Virginia Willcock worries about her flagship wines leaving the fold, as in Heytesbury Chardonnay and Tom Cullity, released too young, she says. And while she’s right, anyone buying them knows time will reward the patient. It’s built for ageing, but I’m impatient, and this Tom Cullity is youthful but also complete. Malbec, off the original plantings, comprises 16% of the blend; 3% petit verdot, too, is fundamental to the shape and flavour profile. Dark-fruited, meaty, spicy, complex, roasted chicory accented, floral and beguiling. Fuller bodied with exceptional tannins, all textural, expansive and long, working in tandem with the acidity to a long finish.

Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2022 -  97 Points | GOLD RATED
If one wine typifies the current state of Australian Chardonnay (complex, superfine, detailed and majestic) as much as a wine of place, Heytesbury could possibly be it. There’s a lot of fruit power this vintage, yet still, a tightly coiled style in youth. A millefeuille of flavour – grapefruit, lemon salt, white nectarine and complex savoury nuances, the oak and lees folded into the wine. There’s an intriguing zinc character too, a little flinty and funky with mouth-watering acidity. Moreish and compelling all the way through. Mesmerising.

Vasse Felix DHJ1 Single Plot Chardonnay 2022 - 95 Points | GOLD RATED 
A blush of gold; stone fruit, some lemon and grapefruit, a wet stone character a bit zinc-like. There’s flesh throughout, and it feels weightier and riper than its 12.5% alcohol. Then again, that’s the Gingin clone and this site. There’s also ginger spice and tangy acidity, so this is juicy and succulent. In a way, it’s pure, unadulterated chardonnay (wild fermented and only aged in used French oak barriques for eight months with another six months in tank), and while it will attain more complexity in time, it’s a wine for today.

Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 - 93 Points 
A round of applause is warranted as this is the 50th consecutive vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon from Vasse Felix and the inaugural 1972 wine, Margaret River’s first cabernet. Now, while Tom Cullity, the wine, has morphed into the flagship, this is nonetheless an important wine. A bit like Wynns Black label, it’s what brings people to the wine, the region and more. While ’21 was a difficult season – unusually humid and warm – this is pristine. Florals, mulberries, menthol, pepper, choc-mint and oak spice with cedary inputs. This is medium bodied with powdery tannins and puckering acidity; all will settle in time.

Vasse Felix Syrah 2022 - 95 Points | GOLD RATED | SPECIAL VALUE
Excellent, dark purple-red, and while it has a core of very good fruit – really popping thanks to some carbonic maceration – its outlook is super savoury. There's spicy, tangy, mouth-watering acidity, but the delight is its velvety tannins sashaying across the fuller-bodied palate.

Vasse Felix Chardonnay 2022 - 95 Points | GOLD RATED | SPECIAL VALUE
While this does not hold back on the flavour front, it still has electrifying acidity and detail, as is the way with this producer. It’s flinty, citrusy, tangy and juicy with the palate full of grapefruit and white peach and texture via a slip of luscious lees and high-toned oak, which is superbly integrated. It’s a chardonnay that offers immediate pleasure without a second thought, and, yet, it lingers, it’s seductive, and you want to come back for more. So I did.

Vasse Felix Sauvignon Blanc 2022 - 95 Points | GOLD RATED | SPECIAL VALUE
If you are expecting or, indeed, wanting a tropical, punchy wine, walk away. If you want a complex, layered, textural sauvignon blanc, stick around. Wild-yeast fermented in French oak foudre and oak puncheons with some skin contact, hence the pale gold hue and excellent phenolic tension on the palate. In the mix, quince paste, fennel flower and seeds, dried lemon-lime slices and some oatmeal biscuits. The palate is all about texture, layers of flavour and mouth-watering acidity. Classy and great on its own, even better with food.

Vasse Felix Filius Shiraz 2022 - 93 Points | SPECIAL VALUE
As usual, this is a spicy number and aromatic, full of dark plums, wafts of menthol and ironstone – there’s a lot going on. It’s savoury, with the palate fleshing out to full bodied with attractive silty tannins. Good drinking now.

Vasse Felix Filius Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2023 - 95 Points | GOLD RATED | SPECIAL VALUE
What’s great about this is it’s delicious to drink, and more than a glass, which is my usual cut-off point for this style. Everything in balance and nothing overt. Expect hints of lemon and preserved lemon, feijoa and crunchy star fruit. There’s mouth-watering acidity, a layer of texture with a light phenolic pull to the finish.

Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay 2023 - 89 Points
It’s a cuddly wine, rich with stone fruit and candied pear, ginger spice and woodsy spices, with a lick of cedary, sweet oak. It’s textural, appealing and uncomplicated.

Vasse Felix Classic Dry Red 2022 - 93 Points | SPECIAL VALUE
Punches above its weight given the price point. Expect a whorl of dark fruit all spiced up with a hint of eucalypt, cardamon and tamarind – a bit of an exotic edge this vintage. Fuller-bodied, inky with plush, ripe tannins and refreshing acidity rendering this gluggable right now. Get the wine glasses out.

Vasse Felix Classic Dry Rosé 2023 - 88 Points 
A touch of strawberry and cream, squishy raspberries and dried herbs make a convincing argument for this to be served chilled all summer. It’s also dry and refreshing. Nice one.

Vasse Felix Classic Dry White 2023 - 91 Points | SPECIAL VALUE
Ticks the 'easy to drink' box, plus the good value one, too. A combo of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc coming together to offer juicy fruit and a wisp of florals while tangy acidity leads a racy palate, a smidge of texture adding to the appeal.