Awards and Reviews 🏆

• Consistency of Excellence – Royal Melbourne Wine Awards 2024

• Gold Medal – Royal Melbourne Wine Awards 2024

• Gold Medal – Perth Royal Wine Awards 2024

• Gold Medal – Wine Show of WA 2024

• Gold Medal – Halliday Chardonnay and Cabernet Challenge 2024

A seriously decorated cabernet with silverware from all the right shows.

Tasting Notes 🍇

Appearance
Vibrant, clear red with a youthful core and bright rim.

Aroma
Mulberry, plum skin, violets and blueberry leap from the glass. The fruit sits front and centre, with perfectly judged French oak adding a gentle savoury complexity and a touch of vanillin and spice in the background.

Palate
Medium bodied, vibrant and elegant. Bright cherry, cranberry and blueberry form the core of the palate, supported by mulberry and dark plum notes. Fine, gravelly tannins frame the fruit and provide structure, while delicate vanillin from the finest French oak adds subtle complexity.

Finish
Long, salivating and moreish, with red and blue fruits, gentle savoury oak and dusty cabernet tannins drawing you back for another glass.

Blend and Winemaking 🍷

• Blend: 90 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 percent Malbec

• Region: Southern Margaret River, WA

• Vineyards: A blend of fruit from five Stella Bella vineyards, each contributing its own character

• Oak: French oak, chosen to support rather than dominate the fruit

• Style: Medium bodied, perfumed and elegant with classic cabernet line and length

The inclusion of Malbec adds colour, mid palate juiciness and a little extra floral and berry lift to the cabernet core.

Serving and Cellaring ❄️

• Drink Window: Now to 20+ years

• Serving Temperature: 16 to 18 degrees

• Decanting:

  • Young: Give it 1 to 2 hours in a decanter to let the perfume and structure unfurl

  • Aged: Pour gently off any sediment and allow it to open gradually in the glass

This wine will gain complexity with time, developing notes of cedar, tobacco, dried flowers and savoury earth while retaining its fine tannin line.

Food Pairing Suggestions 🍽️

• Roast Margaret River Arkady lamb rack with seasonal vegetables

• Herb crusted beef fillet with roast mushrooms

• Slow cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary and garlic

• Mushroom and thyme risotto

• Aged hard cheeses such as cheddar or Comté

FAQ 🧐

Is this a big, heavy cabernet?
No, it sits firmly in the medium bodied, elegant camp. There is plenty of flavour and structure, but the emphasis is on perfume, freshness and balance.

Can I drink it now or should I wait?
You can absolutely enjoy it now, especially with a decant, but the fine tannin structure and balance mean it will comfortably age for two decades or more.

What does the Malbec add?
Malbec brings extra colour, a touch of plush mid palate fruit and a hint of floral lift that sits beautifully alongside the cabernet’s structure and cassis drive.

About Stella Bella Winery

Nestled in the heart of Western Australia’s acclaimed Margaret River wine region, Stella Bella Winery is a boutique producer known for its commitment to quality, character, and creativity in every bottle. Since its inception in 1997, Stella Bella has built a strong reputation for crafting wines that celebrate the purity of Margaret River fruit, with a focus on elegance, balance, and complexity. From the vineyards to the bottle, every step is guided by a deep respect for the land and a passion for exceptional winemaking.

The Margaret River region is renowned worldwide for producing premium wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc blends. Stella Bella sources its fruit from five key vineyard sites across the southern part of the region, each offering unique soil types and microclimates. These sites allow for a diverse and expressive range of wines that reflect the terroir and seasonal variation of each vintage. Sustainable vineyard practices and careful site selection ensure the grapes are of the highest quality, resulting in wines with purity, finesse, and regional identity.

At the heart of Stella Bella’s philosophy is a small, hands-on winemaking team that takes pride in every aspect of production. From hand-picking grapes to meticulous sorting and fermentation, the process is guided by attention to detail and a respect for traditional techniques blended with modern innovation. Minimal intervention allows the fruit to speak for itself, while thoughtful oak use adds subtle complexity without overpowering the natural expression of the grape.

Stella Bella is celebrated for its flagship Stella Bella range, which showcases classic Margaret River varietals made with elegance and precision. These wines are designed to be expressive, vibrant, and food-friendly. From the bright, aromatic Sauvignon Blanc Semillon to the structured and refined Cabernet Sauvignon, each wine in this range is a benchmark of quality. The Suckfizzle and Luminosa ranges represent the pinnacle of Stella Bella’s winemaking, offering limited-release, small-batch wines from exceptional vineyard parcels. These wines are crafted with long-term cellaring in mind and consistently receive high acclaim from critics and wine lovers alike.

The Stella Bella cellar door, located just minutes from the town of Margaret River, offers visitors an intimate and relaxed tasting experience. Surrounded by gum trees and native flora, the cellar door is a reflection of the brand’s down-to-earth charm and focus on hospitality. Whether you’re a seasoned wine enthusiast or a curious first-time taster, the knowledgeable staff provide a warm welcome and are passionate about sharing the story behind each wine.

Beyond the wine, Stella Bella has become known for its playful and artistic branding, often featuring whimsical illustrations and creative label designs. This approach reflects the winery’s personality—serious about quality but never taking itself too seriously. It’s a balance of excellence and accessibility that resonates with both casual drinkers and collectors alike.

Today, Stella Bella wines are enjoyed across Australia and exported to discerning markets around the world. The brand continues to innovate and evolve while staying true to its core values: crafting distinctive, high-quality wines that reflect the beauty and diversity of the Margaret River region.

Whether you’re enjoying a bottle at home or visiting the winery in person, Stella Bella invites you to explore the unique character of Margaret River through wines that are honest, vibrant, and full of personality. From everyday enjoyment to special occasions, there’s a Stella Bella wine to suit every palate and moment.