Why it matters
The producer
David and Heather Watson established Woodlands as one of Margaret River’s first five wineries, and the family still runs the work. Andrew Watson leads the vineyards and Stuart Watson the winemaking, while David and Heather remain involved. That continuity keeps the estate focused on Wilyabrup fruit: Cabernet Sauvignon supplies the firm red-wine frame, Merlot and small portions of Cabernet Franc and Malbec broaden its fruit and shape, and Chardonnay shows a white-wine side from Woodlands Brook.
Woodlands began with a small Cabernet decision: David and Heather Watson planted 1.2 hectares on Caves Road in 1973. The estate later largely ceased production around the turn of the 1990s, before the family returned it to active wine production. The 2007 purchase of Woodlands Brook gave the next phase more ground nearby, and the work is now divided within the family: Andrew in the vineyards, Stuart in the cellar. The result is a two-vineyard estate whose bottles still start with Cabernet, but whose range now has room for Cabernet blends and Chardonnay.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Woodlands works from two vineyards in the Wilyabrup Valley. The original Woodlands Vineyard sits on Caves Road; Woodlands Brook lies two kilometres to the northeast. Together the sites cover 28 hectares, which lets the family build a range around local Cabernet while keeping Chardonnay tied to a named plot at Woodlands Brook.
Wilyabrup appears on the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot label because the blend is rooted in that valley’s fruit rather than a single block. Its 62% Cabernet Sauvignon supplies the backbone, while 28% Merlot and smaller shares of Cabernet Franc and Malbec bring blue and red fruit into a wine shaped for bottle age.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The vineyards are dry-grown and hand-maintained using organic and traditional methods; the original Woodlands Vineyard is organically certified. Fruit is made into wine on-site by the Watson family, keeping vineyard decisions close to the finished bottles. The documented red wines also show how barrel ageing changes their shape: the 2022 Margaret spent 18 months in French barrels, 44% new, while the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot spent 14 months in French barriques. New oak brings cedar, vanilla, toast and grain; Cabernet tannin keeps those flavours from turning the wines soft.
For the Margaret, 24 days on skins draw colour, fruit and substantial tannin from a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 5% Malbec. The Chardonnay’s fine cedar oak, flint and phenolic cut show a different route: ripe fruit is held by crisp acidity and a lightly grippy finish rather than red-wine tannin.
Wines to know
The range in view
Cabernet Sauvignon is Woodlands’ historic centre, beginning with the original 1973 planting and extending into Cabernet-led blends. The 2022 Woodlands Vineyard Margaret is the most structured expression in the documented range: Cabernet, Merlot and Malbec, red plum and cranberry fruit, substantial tannin, and French oak designed to integrate over time. Its suggested opening window, 2032 to 2037, suits a bottle intended for the cellar.
The 2023 Wilyabrup Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot takes a wider regional view. Cabernet Sauvignon remains dominant, but Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec make the fruit profile more floral and blue-toned. Fourteen months in French barriques add vanilla, crème caramel and gentle toast, while chewy tannin gives the palate grip as it opens.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Start with the 2023 Wilyabrup Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot. It sets Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure beside Merlot’s fruit, then uses Cabernet Franc and Malbec in smaller proportions for floral and blue-fruit detail. Fourteen months in French barriques bring vanilla, crème caramel and gentle toast, while bright red and blue fruit, chewy tannin and fresh acidity keep the wine moving across the palate. The producer suggests opening it from 2029 to 2033, when its grip should sit more easily within the fruit and oak.