There is surely no wine region in this country which has more elite wineries than Margaret River. The advantage for small or relatively new operations is that putting the name on a label gives the wine immediate reverence, but it also means some serious competition. Wines need to be good to survive and thrive. Rosily Vineyard is a small operation which has done just that. They might be well known in the West, but they still fly under the radar in the Eastern States.

Founders Ken Allan and Mike Scott bought the 32-hectare property, situated in the famous Wilyabrup sub-region, back in 1994. Over the next couple of years, they planted Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc with cuttings from the neighbouring Moss Wood estate. These were followed by Grenache, Merlot and Cabernet Franc in 1997, and Petit Verdot in 2001. They have subsequently grafted further clones of Chardonnay and added small amounts of Malbec, Viognier and Muscadelle. All their fruit comes from their own vineyards, which now total 12 hectares. Their winery was finished in 1999. ACO organic certification was achieved in 2017.

Winemaker, Mike Lemmes, has been with the team since 2000, aside from a short break to explore cider-making, and vineyard manager, Sam Castleden, arrived for a casual job planting the original vines back in the 1990s and is still there.

For me, as it so often is in Margaret River, their Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnays are the stellar choices. These are beautifully crafted wines, more than approachable now, but also well placed for the long haul. Their Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz have also continually impressed.

The Rosily wines have been impressing on WinePilot for a number of years now, deservedly so. One aspect regularly mentioned is what fabulous value the wines are. It is not something on which the team like to focus – understandably so, as they prefer to concentrate on quality – but for me, it does not matter how cheap the wine is, it is not good value unless it is a good wine. These are.

How do they manage it, especially as some would say that at current size, they do not benefit from economies of scale in the same way some of their larger neighbours do. The other side of that coin is that they save on corporate, marketing and consultancy costs. More relevantly, if they make good wine which is more than fairly priced, people come back.

For the future, expect more of the same. They continue to work their various blocks to ensure they provide the very best fruit and also aim to gain a greater understanding of organic practices. They introduced a Reserve series and this allows them to offer what they see as their very best from the top vintages (2023 is a fine example of a great vintage for the region and this winery).

If you are not familiar with the wines from Rosily Vineyard, now is the time.

Rosily Chardonnay 2025
94 Points | $30

The Rosily Vineyard sits in the highly prized, if not necessarily official, sub-region of Wilyabrup in Margaret River. The Chardonnay vines providing the fruit for this wine are now in their 4th decade, with 2/3rds of them being the region’s famous Gin Gin clone. The remainder are a range of Burgundian clones. Barrel fermentation is with wild yeasts, the barrels being French oak, and 12% of the wine sees malolactic fermentation. Maturation is for nine months, and 40% of the oak is new. As with all Rosily wines, this represents seriously excellent value. A gleaming pale lemon hue, this is still very young and leaving it for a year or so will do no harm. A delightful combination of intensity and elegance, the wine is well focused and has really impressive length. The nose reveals aromas of stonefruits, oatmeal, a flick of cinnamony oak and citrus. The finish lingers attractively and the wine should provide immense pleasure over the next half dozen years. And did I mention the value?

Rosily The Cartographer 2024
92 Points | $26

Yet another excellent value wine from this vineyard, it does face the same problems as all 2024 releases from Margaret River, in that it is following on from 2023, one of their greatest ever vintages. However, 2024 is already proving it is no slouch. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Maturation is typically for around a year and a half in French oak, with approximately 1/3rd of that oak new. The name of the wine is a tribute to Vice-Admiral Count François-Étienne de Rosily-Mesros, who was a French navigator/cartographer (appropriate to have their Bordeaux blend in his honour), who was part of the French explorations of Western Australia during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. A deep yet vibrant maroon, there is the classic Bordeaux Blend nose here with the aromas weaving through blackberries, tobacco leaves, plums, mulberries, soy and aniseed, and with a sprinkling of dried herbs. There is good direction in this wine of medium length, through to fine, powdery tannins. For enjoying over next eight years.

Rosily Shiraz 2024
93 Points | $30

I’m not sure how a winery can get away with a relatively small production – less than 300 cases for this wine – at this price, but it must surely put a lot of others to shame, or at least cause them to question their pricing. No matter – simply take advantage of this gem a near giveaway price. Maturation was in French oak, a mix of new and older barrels, for a period of nineteen months. Magenta/purple in colour, there is some attractive toasty oak evident on the nose but integration is proceeding well and it sits comfortably with a range of aromas, including plums, mulberries, chocolate, kirsch, bay leaves, cocoa powder and even a whiff of pepper. There is excellent length here, through to fine tannins and good intensity is maintained throughout. A wine of focus which will drink beautifully over the next decade.

Rosily Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
95 Points | $75

The Estate flagship, the team have moved from what they describe as the typical best barrel selection for this wine to a situation where they now recognise those parts of their vineyard likely to provide the finest grapes, which are set aside for this wine. A pale maroon with a deep magenta rim, this is powerful, intense and immaculately balanced throughout. The wine of good direction with a seamless structure and alluring aromas, it is all class. There is deft oak handling here and the wine has serious length. Intensity is maintained throughout. Aromas weave through notes of blackberries, chocolate, plums, tobacco leaves and cassis. The wine finishes with the silkiest of tannins. Great stuff. It will easily handle fifteen to twenty years and there is room for further improvement.