Vasse Felix

Established in 1967 by Perth cardiologist Dr. Thomas Brendan Cullity, Vasse Felix is the founding wine estate of Western Australia’s famed Margaret River region. Driven by a belief in the region’s untapped potential for world-class viticulture, Cullity planted eight acres of vines—including Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec—in Wilyabrup, overcoming early battles with local birdlife to release the region's first commercial wines in 1972. The estate takes its name from French sailor Thomas Vasse, missing off the coast in 1801, and "Felix" (meaning lucky), paying homage to the maritime folklore of the area. Acquired by the prominent Holmes à Court family in 1987, the winery expanded its vineyard footprint and modernized operations while remaining fiercely committed to Cullity's original founding principle: "to make the best possible wine". Today, under CEO Paul Holmes à Court and acclaimed Chief Winemaker Virginia Willcock, Vasse Felix stands as a global icon for elegant, minimal-intervention Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, retaining its original 1967 vines as the historic heart of the estate.