Halliday Wine Companion is delighted to announce the Top 100 Wineries 2024, proudly presented by Sense of Taste. The Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wineries is a celebration of the best wineries in Australia, right now. The list of 100 spans producers from around the country and focuses on the complete portfolio of wines. Each name listed is a true champion of Australian wine.
"These are wineries that excel in tough years and soar in great ones. They are makers that never settle for good, constantly micro-calibrating to more lucidly express grape, site and season. These are names that are not just synonymous with peerless quality, but also striking character and individuality. These are makers that hold their own on the world stage,” says Marcus Ellis, Halliday Tasting Team member.
Proudly sitting at number one is Hunter Valley icon Tyrrell’s Wines. Tyrrell’s has been awarded the top spot for its exceptional portfolio, which encompasses superb wines of value perfect for every day, through to some of the finest single-site expressions in Australia. Coming in at a close second is Yarra Valley powerhouse Giant Steps, an outstanding winery producing some of the region’s best wines. Giant Steps was recently named Winery of the Year and claimed 2025 Pinot Noir of the Year for its 2023 Applejack in the Halliday Wine Companion Awards.
Appearing in the top 10 for the first time is Giaconda from Beechworth. Ranking number three, Giaconda is best known as a producer of world-class chardonnay, although it certainly is not limited to this variety. Also making its debut in the top 10 is Yarra Yering from the Yarra Valley at number nine. The Clare Valley, Margaret River, and McLaren Vale are represented in the top 10 by Grosset, Cullen Wines, and Yangarra Estate Vineyard respectively.
Each year, selecting the Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wineries is a rigorous process requiring strict criteria to ensure fairness and quality, and to give wineries an equal chance to make it on the prestigious list. Each winery must have submitted wines to Halliday Wine Companion in the last 12 months, with quality required to be as close to guaranteed as possible. In addition, high-scoring wines are of absolute relevance, as is consistency.
Halliday Wine Companion’s Top 100 Wineries 2024 is presented by ‘Australia’s finest fine wine store’, Sense of Taste. With stores across Brisbane and a strong online presence, Sense of Taste has worked with Halliday to make wines from producers featured in the Top 100 available to purchase across Australia, from 24 October 2024.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Halliday and these amazing producers to become the go-to retailer for Halliday Wine Companion’s Top 100. At Sense of Taste, we take pride in offering top-quality beverages that provide exceptional value, and we’re excited to help Australians discover their next favourite wine from this remarkable collection.” – Rodney Hunter, Sense of Taste.
To celebrate the momentous releases Top 100 Wines and Top 100 Wineries 2024, Halliday is hosting two tasting events, in Melbourne at Panama Dining Room on Thursday, 31 October, and at Doltone House in Sydney on Thursday, 6 November. The tasting events will feature a selection of producers featured in the Top 100 Wines and Top 100 Wineries, who will be in attendance to showcase their award-winning wines.
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To view the complete Top 100 Wineries 2024 list visit: https://www.winecompanion.com.au/resources/awards/top-100-wineries
To purchase Top 100 wines from Sense of Taste visit: senseoftaste.com.au/pages/halliday-top-100-2024
For event info and tickets: www.winecompanion.com.au/articles/events/upcoming-halliday-events
Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wineries 2024
Words by Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion Tasting Team
1. Tyrrell’s Wines, Hunter Valley
With the family estate founded in 1858, it would be easy for Tyrrell’s to rest on tradition – so deep and so profound it is – to settle into the comfort of cruise control. But that’s never been the Tyrrell’s style. History is the deep heartbeat, but constant refinement the modus operandi. Chris Tyrrell is the fifth-generation custodian of the family estate, taking the operational lead in 2014. That was an auspiciously fine vintage to take the reins, and a decade later, Chris’ leadership – alongside his legendary father, Bruce – has ensured an ever-upward arc, with the estate refined into one of peerless excellence. There are a lot of wines under the Tyrrell’s banner, but all have their place, from the everyday up to some of this country’s finest single-site expressions. And while blending across sites has always been a highpoint, that isolation and celebration of exceptional vineyards and blocks, coupled with a deftly light touch in the winery, rightly enshrine Tyrrell’s greatness.
2. Giant Steps, Yarra Valley
The Giant Steps name comes from Coltrane, and the “most feared song in jazz”, but it equally reflects the quality leaps of this modern Yarra Valley icon. Considering the exemplary work done under the patronage of Phil Sexton and stewardship of Steve Flamsteed, one might think that the giant steps were behind them. With the sale to the well-resourced, quality-ambitious Jackson Family and the appointment of gun maker Mel Chester to run the show, the estate has only swelled in both prestige and potential. The acquisition of the legendary Bastard Hill Vineyard has played a large part in that. With the inaugural release, that excitement has only heightened. Already dazzling pinnacle wines, they stand shoulder to shoulder with the other sublime wines released in 2024. With so much more to do at the site, the future is a thrilling prospect. It is no wonder Giant Steps was Winery of the Year in the 2025 Wine Companion, while also taking out Best Pinot Noir for the 2023 Applejack.
3. Giaconda, Beechworth
Australian Chardonnay is at such a vertiginous peak, and it has been for some little while. World-class and world-beating examples roll off the tongue with ease, but Giaconda’s is something else. It stands as a singular force, a lustrous beacon of quality and utter individuality, which speaks more assuredly than any point score or flavour descriptor ever could. But to confine Giaconda to one wine does it a disservice. Rick Kinzbrunner has been tirelessly tweaking his vineyard to find the best possible expressions of pinot noir, shiraz, roussanne (recently planted on the 4ha estate site) and nebbiolo (planted at Red Hill) by repopulating with new clones, replanting in more suited patches and refining management. That viticultural commitment is mirrored in the gravity-fed winery and cellar, which was blasted out of solid granite for barrel maturation at ideal temperature and humidity. Giaconda is anchored in the soils and rustic bush of goldmining country, but it has the gravitas and transformative wine character reminiscent of a great historic estate of the Old World.
4. Yangarra Estate Vineyard, McLaren Vale
Yangarra is often defined by its extraordinary resource of old grenache vines – planted to deep sand over ironstone – along with its prescient investment in a phalanx of climate- and region-apt Rhône varieties. Winemaker Pete Fraser and viticulturist Michael Lane also share plenty of the limelight. They deserve to. But it’s their long-term (26 years and counting) working relationship that deserves more attention. That partnership exists on a synergistic level, mirroring the essential zeitgeist of leading Australian wine, where ground-up winegrowing – from bud to bottle – is formed well before the season’s first nascent leaf uncurls, often perhaps a decade, or more, prior. That the Yangarra wines, from the seemingly humble, to the exalted, are unerringly excellent is no surprise. Brilliant, category re-defining grenache and exemplary shiraz are made at this address, but so too are genuinely world-class white wines, which further help to redefine the possibilities for what is arguably Australia’s most progressive and exciting wine region.
5. Mount Mary, Yarra Valley
One of the founding, or rather re-founding, estates of the Yarra Valley, Mount Mary has never been in such exquisite form. Sam Middleton has built on the foresight of his grandfather, the late great Dr John Middleton, to consistently produce region-leading wines from its quartet of classic bottlings – chardonnay, pinot noir and the Bordeaux-inspired pair, ‘Triolet’ and ‘Quintet’ – as well as futureproofing with Rhône varieties that are finding an increasingly assured footing. The Mount Mary wines are paragons of elegance and refined detail that build impressively over decades in the cellar. Time has proven that, making the prospects of today’s wines, with increased vine age and ever-so finely tuned making, just so very tantalising.
6. Oakridge Wines, Yarra Valley
While the estate has a history (originally on a different site) dating back to 1978, unlike other Yarra pioneers, Oakridge’s prestige is entirely current, radiating from the two-decade-long stewardship of Dave Bicknell. In that time, he has been justly lauded for his major influence on changing the direction of Australian chardonnay, while also celebrating some of the Yarra’s finest vineyards. Those sites, proudly emblazoned across a legion of bottlings, are prime vineyards farmed meticulously and sustainably by Steve Faulkner, or under his oversight in league with leading growers. Today, the chardonnays have never been better – the 2022 864 Funder & Diamond was the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion Wine of the Year – but it’s Oakridge’s excellence across the board, from sparkling through to cabernet, that truly defines this modern titan. In the 2025 Companion, the wines racked up 20 gold-medal scores, with eight scoring 97 and over. That’s an astonishing result, but it’s also totally unsurprising.
7. Cullen Wines, Margaret River
Cullen celebrated 50 years in 2021. That’s a milestone, especially in what is essentially a young winegrowing region. A founding estate comes with plenty of cachet, but what makes Cullen so interesting, besides the suite of world-class wines, is the thread that runs through it, from establishment to the present and with a distant eye on the horizon. The Cullens always farmed sympathetically, always cared for the broader environment, but Vanya committed to organics in 1998, then had the vineyard certified biodynamic in 2004. The environmental commitment extends to all aspects of the business, upstream and down, while always striving for better and more authentic wines of place. Alongside the sublime flagship Diana Madeline cabernets and Kevin John chardonnay nestle a range of classic Margaret River wines that comfortably share space with those that push various boundaries. Cullen is at the top of its game, in full, glorious flight.
8. Grosset, Clare Valley
Geoffrey Grosset is synonymous with riesling. A bit like the way John Vickery (vale) was. You don’t think of Grosset without thinking of the grape, though the Grosset name is stamped across bottles of cabernet, a shiraz nero d’avola blend, chardonnay, fiano and pinot noir. And all are excellent. All would make Grosset a household name. But the rieslings. Well, they make a statement so impactful that it is hard to think of much else. Painstakingly selected and planted sites, biodynamic farming, mature vines, meticulous fruit selection and winemaking are all instrumental. And, of late, that rigour has collided with some spectacular vintages. It is a nexus that has seen some spellbindingly good wines emerge from this most revered address. Put simply, Grosset is better than ever.
9. Yarra Yering, Yarra Valley
Sarah Crowe landed at Yarra Yering in 2013, completing her first full harvest the following year. In a tick over a decade, she has not just revived a critically important Yarra Valley name, but she has pushed it into the stratosphere, collecting an extraordinary swag of accolades along the way. Dr Bailey Carrodus was one of a cohort of sometimes irascible doctors-turned-vignerons that helped transform the Yarra into the powerhouse it is today. When he passed, it was not certain what would become of his estate. Happily, in 2009, a group of investors assured Yarra Yering’s continuance, in both style and substance. Dr Carrodus was not known as an easy man. He was brilliant, forthright, determined and stubborn, and with all the attendant benefits and difficulties. One would be foolish to speak for him, but it is hard to imagine he would be anything but heartened by the brilliant work of Sarah, who is turning out world-class wines of effortless grace, charm and site-specific thrills. One of the greats.
10. Mount Pleasant, Hunter Valley
Mount Pleasant has had some of our finest winemakers at its helm, turning out some true classics, but the recent releases stake fair claim to being the best since Maurice O’Shea – arguably our best winemaker of all – worked his instinctive genius on the grapes, without even the benefit of electricity. Winemaker Adrian Sparks has simplified things in the most thoughtful of ways, relying on the best fruit, dialling oak well back and never tinkering unduly. Younger vines planted and managed for quantity were removed, with the direction narrowed to the exemplary farming of some of the best vineyard assets in the country, including the Rosehill and Lovedale vineyards. That focus is key, with the winery that used to process over 600 tonnes now only working with about 120. The quality gains are clearly in the glass, and so is Adrian’s considerable skill, intimate familiarity with site and lack of ego and showiness. From top to bottom, the Mount Pleasant wines are sublime, evocative of history and place and unburdened with winemaking artefact.
11. Bindi Wines, Macedon Ranges
12. House of Arras, Northern Tasmania
13. Vasse Felix, Margaret River
14. Henschke, Barossa Valley
15. Penfolds, Barossa Valley
16. Mulline, Geelong
17. Koomilya, McLaren Vale
18. Tolpuddle Vineyard, Southern Tasmania
19. Bass Phillip, Gippsland
20. Yeringberg, Yarra Valley
21. Standish Wine Co, Barossa Valley
22. Pooley, Tasmania
23. Wendouree, Clare Valley
24. Yalumba, Eden Valley
25. Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Coonawarra
26. Rieslingfreak, Clare Valley
27. Sami-Odi, Barossa Valley
28. Stella Bella Wines, Margaret River
29, Thistledown Wines, McLaren Vale
30. Leeuwin Estate, Margaret River
31. Lake’s Folly, Hunter Valley
32. Seville Estate, Yarra Valley
33. Crawford River Wines, Henty
34. Bannockburn Vineyards, Geelong
35. Alkina Wine Estate, Barossa Valley
36. Sorrenberg, Beechworth
37. Brokenwood, Hunter Valley
38. Gembrook Hill, Yarra Valley
39. Syrahmi, Heathcote
40. Place of Changing Winds, Macedon Ranges
41. Medhurst, Yarra Valley
42. Hoddles Creek Estate, Yarra Valley
43. Battles Wine, Western Australia
44. Serrat, Yarra Valley
45. Elderton, Barossa Valley
46. Ashton Hills, Vineyard Adelaide Hills
47. Coldstream Hills, Yarra Valley
48. Chatto, Southern Tasmania
49. Clonakilla, Canberra District
50. Mount Langi Ghiran, Grampians
51. Jasper Hill, Heathcote
52. De Iuliis, Hunter Valley
53. Yabby Lake Vineyard, Mornington Peninsula
54. SC Pannell, McLaren Vale
55. Savaterre, Beechworth
56. Jim Barry Wines, Clare Valley
57. Cobaw Ridge, Macedon Ranges
58. Stefano Lubiana, Southern Tasmania
59. Lethbridge Wines, Geelong
60. Howard Park, Margaret River
61. Craiglee, Sunbury
62. Dalwhinnie, Pyrenees
63. MMAD Vineyard, McLaren Vale
64. Swinney, Frankland River
65. Xanadu Wines, Margaret River
66. Wantirna Estate, Yarra Valley
67. Bleasdale Vineyards, Langhorne Creek
68. Joshua Cooper Wines, Victoria
69. Mayer, Yarra Valley
70. Torbreck Vintners, Barossa Valley
71. Garagiste, Mornington Peninsula
72. Bondar Wines, McLaren Vale
73. Crittenden Estate, Mornington Peninsula
74. Dominique Portet, Yarra Valley
75. L.A.S. Vino, Margaret River
76. Gentle Folk, Adelaide Hills
77. Fighting Gully Road, Beechworth
78. Silkman Wines, Hunter Valley
79. Deep Woods Estate, Margaret River
80. Scotchmans Hill, Geelong
81. Delamere Vineyards, Northern Tasmania
82. Best’s Wines, Great Western
83. Tapanappa, Piccadilly Valley
84. Parker Coonawarra Estate, Coonawarra
85. Flowstone Wines, Margaret River
86. Eastern Peake, Ballarat
87. Castle Rock Estate, Porongurup
88. De Bortoli, Yarra Valley
89. Eldorado Road, Beechworth
90. Pooles Rock, Hunter Valley
91. Murdoch Hill, Adelaide Hills
92. Flametree, Margaret River
93. Collector Wines, Canberra District
94. Pewsey Vale Vineyard, Eden Valley
95. Clarendon Hills, McLaren Vale
96. Spinifex, Barossa Valley
97. Penley Estate, Coonawarra
98. Adelina Wines, Clare Valley
99. Shaw + Smith, Adelaide Hills
100. Tahbilk, Nagambie Lakes
Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wineries 2024 is proudly presented by Sense of Taste.
About Halliday Wine Companion
For almost 40 years, the Halliday Wine Companion, founded by James Halliday, has served as the definitive guide to Australian wine. Today, Halliday Wine Companion’s dedicated Tasting Team collectively tastes around 9000 wines each year. With more than 175,000 tasting notes from over 3500 wineries, winecompanion.com.au offers Australia’s most comprehensive collection of wine reviews and ratings to a highly engaged digital subscriber base. Halliday magazine is printed bi-monthly and provides a uniquely approachable take on wine, food and travel, and in 2022 both Halliday Wine Club and Halliday Wine Academy were launched to serve The Australian wine community. We also publish the Halliday Wine Companion guide – the bestselling annual which sets the benchmark for winemakers, collectors, and wine lovers alike. For more, visit winecompanion.com.au.
Contact details:
Sara Stockdale, sarastockdale@tidepr.co