Manjimup, Western Australia

Discover Manjimup with James Halliday's Wine Atlas of Australia

After a seemingly interminable time, the determination of the names for, and boundaries of, the Manjimup and Pemberton regions was finalised in August 2005. For the time being, at least, the regional jigsaw of Western Australia is complete. The Warren River (and Valley) runs through the centre of both regions; this, plus high annual rainfall and lack of salinity, removes the problems encountered further south.

There were no vineyard plantings prior to 1988, and there was considerable debate as to which varieties and wine styles the Warren Valley as a whole would be best suited. Dr John Gladstones had been in no doubt: pointing to the similarities in the sunlight hours, humidity and mean temperatures between Bordeaux and the Warren Valley, he wrote, ‘the wines produced from the appropriate grape varieties should be very much in the mainstream of Bordeaux style’.

The Bordeaux versus Burgundy (Pinot Noir) argument has now been resolved with a resounding varietal vote for Bordeaux, and Merlot in particular.