Wine Maker: Luke Joliffe
Year Established: 1997
Production: 50,000 Dozen
Vineyard: 87.9ha

Stella Bella is simply one of the most successful wineries in WA.

Success can be measured in many ways, e.g. wine show success, third party reviews, sales [and Stella Bella ticks these boxes] but we also measure success by what is best described as a consumer ‘pull through’ factor. It’s hard to define, even more difficult to achieve, but Stella Bella has it. This is a brand that clearly appeals to a wide range of consumers.

No other label we have worked with has achieved the ‘pull through’ factor with consumers that Stella Bella has enjoyed from their first release.

Across each of the five brands produced by Stella Bella [Skuttlebutt, Otro Vino, Stella Bella, Suckfizzle and Luminosa], there is a focus on the styles of wines that Margaret River does best and an obvious commitment to producing the best wines possible at all price points.

Senior winemaker Luke Joliffe, a finalist in 2020’s Gourmet Traveller Wine Winemaker of the Year awards, has been in charge since 2014 after an ‘apprenticeship’ that started in 2007. Following two of WA’s best winemakers into this role is no easy task but in our opinion the wines have never been better.

The entry level Skuttlebutt Sauvignon Blanc Semillon has been included in James Halliday’s Top 100 wines over the past five years. When your entry level wines drinks as well as this you know you are in good hands. The 2019 Stella Bella Shiraz won Best Red Wine of Show and Best Shiraz at the 2020 Wine Show of WA.

And to reinforce that there is quality at all levels, the limited release Stella Bella 2017 Luminosa Cabernet Sauvignon won the Gold Medal and 95 Points at the National Wine Show of Australia 2019, while the 2019 Suckfizzle Chardonnay (the third vintage in this range) continues to appear on wine lists in premium WA venues.

With a focus on southern Margaret River fruit, Stella Bella under the direction of Luke Joliffe delivers an exciting range of consistently well crafted wines.