Located 3 hours South of Perth on a peninsula where the collision of the Indian and Southern Oceans create a surfer’s paradise, the Margaret River region’s abundant sunshine, gravelly soils and cooling maritime influence have made it a world class producer of Bordeaux varietals. Vasse Felix (Happy Vessel in Latin) was the first winery in the region in 1967 and remains at the top of the leaderboard, though ownership has transferred to a couple subsequent families. Long time winemaker Virginia Willcock strives to make wines that are subtle and not in your face; this ‘Filius’ (son of in Latin) bottling is a blend of four sustainably-farmed estate vineyards throughout the region with 11% Malbec and 4% Petite Verdot added to round the wine and add aromatics. Loads of black fruit, barky spice, cedar and graphite show the intensity of the wine, with black plum, bing, pomegranate, cacao and walnut skin flavors that go on forever. The well controlled tannins make this a versatile pairing wine, with things like spice rubbed, smoked tri-tip, chicken or shrimp being particularly suitable. Because screw caps tend to allow less gasses to escape, giving this young wine a good couple hours in the fridge and then decanting for an hour to let it settle down and achieve the proper serving temperature will be well rewarded.