Exploring the Hunter Valley (3) Margan
Website: https://www.margan.com.au/
Margan is an important Hunter Valley producer making some very interesting wines, and championing newer varieties that show a lot of promise.
The story. Andrew Margan left Tyrrells and, with his wife Lisa, decided to build his own vineyard in a Hunter GI called Broke Fordwich. With 3 young kids to support, he says he went a bit too commercial, and built a 30 000 case wine brand. This has now been pulled back a bit, focusing on quality with a single block focus, pulling out some of the entry-level stuff. This year they pulled out 40 acres of vines, mostly Verdelho, which Andrew says just isn’t aspirational for them.
He’s now been joined by the next generation, his son Ollie, who is fully involved. The Margan winemaker is Giacomo Soldani.
The home vineyard is 40 acres, including significant plantings of Barbera (9 acres) and Albariño (14 acres with a plan to plant 6 more). They also have a second site, Fordwich Hill, which is a large 120 acre vineyard planted by Lindemans in 1974.
Pushed by Ollie, Andrew has started farming the home block regeneratively. Initially they lost some yield, going down from 50 tons to 20, but this has now bounced back to around 30. But the quality has been enhanced. Ollie says that they are now seeing more site differences with the same variety.
The Fordwich Hill site has soils rich in dolorite, which is volcanic rock formed without oxygen (basalt is formed with oxygen). They are red in colour, and are quite consistent, with the variable being the amount of gravel in the top soil (larger fragments of dolorite). The home vineyard has plugs of volcanic soil, but also sandy soils from a creek that’s near here. The hillside plots of grey clay on sandstone.
We tasted some barrel/tank samples from 2026. Andrew says that this was a vintage with a ridiculously short hang time but the wines have amazing depth of flavour and tannic structure.
Chardonnay 2026 This is clone p58 from the home vineyard. Stony, mineral, finely spiced with lovely weight and texture. Good balance.
Chardonnay 2026 This is Timbervines Fordwich, with red soils. Bernard clones. Lively, bright and vivid with good acidity. Mealy, nutty and showing a fine spicy edge.
Shiraz 2026 From Fordwich. 40 days on skins in large oak. Wonderful purity: supple, bright, linear, refined and elegant in style.
Shiraz 2026 Fordwich Hill, a gully that attracts cooler air. Bright and vivid with nice density. Floral with some nice spice. Lovely purity and finesse.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2026 From Fordwich, aged in concrete with extended time on skins. Lovely leafy blackcurrant fruit on the nose with some chalkiness. Elegant and structured with a hint of coffee bean.
Albarino 2026 This is the Breaking Ground version and there are two picks. The riper pick has 12 days on skins, the other pick is stainless steel. Combined into concrete. This is really aromatic with lovely intensity. Vivid, rich and textured. Really interesting.
Barbera 2026 Lovely weight and volume with a nice salty edge to the ripe, sweet cherry and berry fruits.
Mourvèdre 2026 This is Saxonvale. Juicy, linear, bright and showing redcurrant and raspberry fruit. Some spicy definition and good structure.
Finished wines
Margan Ceres Hill Albariño 2026 Hunter Valley, Australia
Whole bunch pressed and then fermented and aged in stainless steel. This is pure, saline and crystalline with juicy citrus and pear fruit, as well as a touch of apricot. Nice precision. 93/100
Margan Breaking Ground Albariño 2025 Hunter Valley, Australia
Half skin fermented, half whole-bunch pressed. Beautiful aromatics: floral with some peach and apricot. The palate is energetic and saline with nice acidity and a bit of structure. So delicious, showing real complexity, but still varietally true. 94/100
Margan Aged Release Semillon 2013 Hunter Valley, Australia
This is from the red coils. Utterly classic with some toast and honey, as well as a touch of creaminess under the bright citrus fruit. There’s a touch of lime oil. This is quite beautiful, and it’s still so primary. 93/100
Margan Ceres Hill Chardonnay 2025 Hunter Valley, Australia
Bright, saline and expressive with lovely citrus and pear fruit, showing nice volume and purity. Very expressive. 93/100
Margan Timbervines Chardonnay 2025 Hunter Valley, Australia
This has concentration, with appealing spice-laden peach and pear fruit, showing some salinity and nice tension. Finely spiced. So expressive and vivid. 94/100
Margan MC4 Shiraz 2024 Hunter Valley, Australia
This is raised in concrete. Supple and elegant with a nice stony edge to the raspberry and cherry fruit. Really expressive with nice balance. 93/100
Margan Saxonvale Mourvèdre 2025 Hunter Valley, Australia
Sappy with a slight green edge to the nose. Juicy and slightly stony, showing elegant raspberry and cherry fruit. Grainy with a bit of tannin. Some rose petal notes. Very pretty. 94/100
Margan Shiraz 2007 Hunter Valley, Australia
Savoury and spicy with nice definition, and notes of pepper and earth. Grippy and grainy with nice evolution. 92/100
Margan Botrytis Semillon 2024 Hunter Valley, Australia
9.5% alcohol. This is fresh and supple with lovely pear and peach notes, as well as citrus, and a bit of spicy detail. Hints of tea, too. 94/100
