In A Class Of Their Own

Andrew Catchpole

Wine-makers in Margaret River may look like surfers but their approach is anything but casual.

My last visit is to the team behind the extraordinarily named Suckfizzle and Stella Bella wines. Suckfizzle is named after a character in Rabelais's Gargantua and Pantagruel . As I arrive, New Age music drifts from the cellar. Wine-maker Janice McDonald leads a team that is making intense, fruit-packed wines whose modern style is set to become another Australian classic. "We chose the name because we wanted to create wines with Rabelaisian style and flair," McDonald says.

Wine of the week:

2000 Stella Bella Cabernet/Merlot, Margaret River, Western Australia. A raft of aromas and flavours is crammed into each mouthful of this beautifully balanced wine. Expect hints of cassis, damson, berries and plums, fine tannins and a long, lingering flavour. Drink this powerful wine with roast meats or steak.