2021 Xanadu Chardonnay Vinework Margaret River 750 ml

Xanadu vies with Leeuwin Estate as the star producer in Margaret River, the premier Chardonnay region Down Under. The estate is held in such esteem by insiders that the Wine Advocate devoted over 2,200 words—and fully 75 tasting notes—to an article focused solely on Xanadu’s wines and history.

Hailed as “outrageously good for the price and quality” by Australia’s authoritative Halliday Wine Companion, their 95-point 2021 Vinework Chardonnay is a sensational wine that sits between Burgundy’s electricity and a warmer climate’s fruit. You can drink it over the next decade, but it’s superb right now with grilled shrimp or chicken Milanese.

The maritime-influenced Margaret River region is practically Napa Valley on the ocean. In fact, Xanadu winemaker Glenn Goodall’s personal record for leaving work, driving to the beach for a quick surf, and getting back to work is just 35 minutes. 

That proximity to the sea does more than make Margaret River the ultimate location for surfer-winemakers. Glenn refers to the nearby Indian Ocean as a “massive air conditioner,” cooling grapes that bathe in copious amounts of sunshine all season long. It’s a combination that makes Margaret River a perfect place for viticulture. Even Robert Mondavi was so convinced of the area’s potential that he flirted with buying property there in the early 1970s.

Xanadu was founded in 1977 by Dr. John Lagan and his wife Eithne. Acquired by the Rathbone family (of Wine Access favorites Mount Langi Ghiran and Yering Station) in 2005, Xanadu has stayed family-owned and obsessively focused on quality, as evidenced by the estate’s expansive roster of trophies, gold medals, and high scores from critics the world over.