PHILOSOPHY
Our total focus is on making the best wine possible. This all encompassing goal has led us to further hone and concentrate our skills and services on growing wine from the ground up.
Rigorous attention to detail in the vineyard; an intimate understanding of soil, site, climate and grape; an unabating personal connection to the market and culture of fine wine; and immense capital investment in the finest technology and intellectual capital available, all form part of a holistic understanding and dedication to our primary goal.
The philosophies and dedication that we live and work by are led by renowned and highly skilled Chief Winemaker and Owner, Bruce Dukes. His 35 years of experience and uncompromising dedication to quality and understanding have ensured that we are always on the very forefront of making great wine.
OUR TEAM
Bruce Dukes - Chief Winemaker and Director
West Australian Winemaker of the Year 2011-2012
Bruce has more than three decades of valuable postgraduate industry experience, shared between iconic producers; Niebaum-Coppola Winery in the Napa Valley of California (Assistant Winemaker), Pierro Margaret River Vineyards in Western Australia (Winemaker and General Manager) and currently as the Chief Winemaker (and founding Director) for Naturaliste Vintners. Bruce has assisted in the establishment of numerous “five star” producers in the Margaret River area.
His approach to grape growing and winemaking has been shaped by a wide range of high quality industry experience, in conjunction with a degree in Agricultural Science from the University of Western Australia, and a Masters degree in Viticulture and Enology from the University of California, Davis. His deep technical and applied understanding of viticulture, and how viticultural parameters affect wine quality result in very high quality wines and meaningful feed back to vignerons.
Naturaliste Vintners was awarded as the “Best Winemaking Facility in Western Australia” by the Wine Industry Association of Western Australia. Bruce has several publications in refereed scientific journals, as well as recently having authored a chapter in a winemaking text-book. He currently prefers to focus on hands on winemaking and viticultural consulting. The viticultural consulting is biased toward fine-tuning vineyards to ensure that the fruit is farmed to suit the intended wine-style.
Remi Guise - SENIOR Winemaker AND GENERAL MANAGER
Born in Cape Province South Africa, Remi completed a BSc.(Agric.)(Viticulture & Oenology) in 2006 at the University of Stellenbosch. He then took up a position as Assistant Winemaker at the Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville, a 300 year old estate producing quality wines in South Africa.
Remi first visited Margaret River in 2007 and never left. He joined Naturaliste Vintners in 2008, was promoted to Assistant Winemaker in 2009, Operations Winemaker in 2012, Winemaker in 2013, and Senior Winemaker in 2017. In 2023 Remi also took on the role of Business Manager. Now in 2024, Remi is now the business’ General Manager and Senior Winemaker.
With 20 vintages and nearly two decades of experience working with premium fruit from multiples sites within Margaret River and the other great wine regions of Western Australia, Remi brings an intimate understanding of the translation of land to wine, and a dogged obsession with constantly pushing quality and style to the next level.
SUCCESS
Select awards over the recent years for wines made by Naturaliste Vintners
JAMes HALLIDAY 2018
98 point - 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Wallcliffe
97 point - 2015 Syrah Wallcliffe
96 point - 2015 Chardonnay Karridale
96 point - 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Wilyabrup
96 point - 2015 Chardonnay Wallcliffe
96 point - 2015 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Karridale
96 point - 2015 Chardonnay Karridale
96 point - 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Wilyabrup
96 point - 2014 Chardonnay Wilyabrup
96 point - 2014 Cabernet Merlot Wilyabrup
96 point - 2014 Syrah Yallingup
96 point - 2014 Chardonnay Wallcliffe
96 point - 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Wallcliffe
95 points – 32 wines
94 points – 10 wines
James Halliday 2017
98 point - 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Wallcliffe
97point - 2013 Chardonnay Wilyabrup
97 point - 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Wallcliffe
97 point - 2013 Chardonnay Wilyabrup
96 point - 2015 SBS Wallcliffe
96 point - 2014 Chardonnay Wallcliffe
96 point - 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Willyabrup
96 point - 2014 Chardonnay Karridale
96 point - 2014 Syrah Karridale
96 point - 2013 Chardonnay Wilyabrup
96 point - 2013 Chardonnay Wilyabrup
96 point - 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Wallcliffe
96 point - 2013 Shiraz Yallingup
95 point Chardonnay– 6 wines
95 point Cabernet Sauvignon – 13 wines
95 point – 11 wines
94 point – 15 wines
James Halliday 2016
98 point - 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Cowaramup
97point - 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Rosa Brook
97 point - 2011 Syrah Wallcliffe
96 point - 2014 Semillon Yallingup
96 point - 2012 SBS Wallcliffe
96 point - 2012 Syrah Wallcliffe
96 point - 2012 Chardonnay Willyabrup
96 point - 2012 Chardonnay Cowaramup
96 point - 2012 Chardonnay Wallcliffe
95 point - 2012 Shiraz Viognier Nannup
95 point - 2013 Shiraz Yallingup
95 point Chardonnay – 8 wines
95 point Cabernet – 7 wines
95 point SBS – 3 wines
94 point – 11 wines
James Halliday 2015
96 point - 2013 Sauvignon Blanc Yallingup
96 point - 2012 Chardonnay Wilyabrup
96 point - 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Wilyabrup
96 point - 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Wilyabrup
96 point - 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Cowaramup
96 point - 2012 Chardonnay Nannup
96 point - 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Wilyabrup
96 point - 2012 Shiraz Nannup
96 point - 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Rosa Brook
96 point - 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Yallingup
95 point – 13 Wines
94 point – 19 Wines
