Devil’s Lair

The Devil’s Lair name is taken from a local cave where a fossilised skeleton of a complete Tasmanian tiger that also featured a mysterious fifth leg. To this day the exact location of the cave is a guarded secret and state permission is required to visit the site.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are the dominant grape varieties at Devil’s Lair Estate, which is one of the coolest sites in Margaret River.

Winemaker Oliver Crawford joined Devil’s Lair in July 2008 with a strong reputation as one of Australia’s leading white winemakers – particularly Chardonnay.

Devil’s Lairs’ vineyards are approximately 17km south of the Margaret River township and are among the most southerly vineyards in the region. As such the team is one of the last wineries to pick, allowing full flavour development, but not excessive sweetness and alcohol.

The finest Cabernet sites are found on the gravely, fertile soil located towards the tops of the many ridges on the Estate. These are free-draining with large quantities of chunky ironstones embedded in the crumbly, sandy soils. Typically these overlay a limestone foundation several metres below the surface. This allows water to drain easily when it is in excess and also release it gradually back into the soil when times are dry.

Chardonnay tends to favour slightly heavier soils, particularly where there is more clay, which holds more water. This protects the vines from stress during summer and helpst to maintain fruit vibrancy.

The oldest vineyards are now more than twenty years old and are proven performers.

The wines express the distinctive style of Margaret River and the singular combination of geography & climate that is unique to the Devil’s Lair vineyard site. Only 100% estate grown fruit is used in the Devil’s Lair Estate wines.