2023 Stella Bella Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

Trophy for Best Red Wine and Best Cabernet Sauvignon at the 2025 Margaret River Wine Show

Gold & Trophy for Consistency of Excellence at the 2025 Royal Melbourne Wine Awards

The ’23 reds from Stella Bella are impressive for their balance, detail and deliciousness. They feel unforced. This is a wonderful, elegant wine full of perfectly ripe fruit, spice and savouriness, with the oak integrated and adding structure as much as some flavour. Exceptionally fine tannins and energising acidity round this out so well.

95+ points & Special Value Jane Faulkner for Halliday Wine Companion, February 2026

Pause over that aroma – it really is something special – with its deep flourish of lifted scents in ripe cassis, black berries, plum and some pretty smart toasty French oak humming along on a bed of spice, leafy herbs and earth. Aromas set the scene perfectly for what follows on this smooth running, smart young Cabernet. Totally in sync, nothing out of place, and moving brightly in ripe black fruits, spice, herbs, earth with an intriguing black olive savoury note in train. But it is the structure, the firmness of the tannins, the emerging textural quality of the wine supported by toasty warm oak that stays long with you. Holds the varietal line beautifully and will age well. Drink to 2038.

93 points Jeni Port for Wine Pilot, August 2026

The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, with a whisper of Malbec, shows attractive poise and a fine aromatic lattice of blackcurrant and musky plums lifted by a hint of violet. Admirable tension follows, savory and earthy in style with genuine sophistication. Fine yet firm tannins hold shape over a long, fine finish. Lots to like and it will grow over the medium term. Drink to 2038.

92 points Angus Hughson for Vinous, January 2026

Fabulous colour, a youthful and deep red. Lifted aromas of blackberry, bramble, dried herbs, a touch of leafiness and dark cherry. Tangy, perky and dark fruited, with firm, grippy tannin and some lively acidity at play. Very youthful and a touch raw at the moment, needs time to come together. Drink to 2040.

91 points Aaron Brasher for The Real Review, November 2025

Stella Bella is the creation of Stuart Pym and Janice McDonald, established in 1996 with their purchase of the 1988 planted Suckfizzle vineyard. Today the five estate vineyards stretch over 60 hectares of well-draining gravelly soils of the southern half of the Margaret River wine region and are managed by a talented team led by viticulturist James Hayward. His winemaking counterpart at the winery is Margaret River local Jarrad Olsen, who’s been with Stella Bella since 2018.

This medium-bodied red from the excellent 2023 vintage blends fruit from all five Stella Bella vineyards, with vines 28 to 45 years old. The whole berries were cold soaked before fermentation at approximately 28 degrees, and the pressed wine matured for nine months in French oak barriques.