The Halliday wines of 2027: Top-Rated Australian Wines

What are the Halliday Awards?

The Halliday Wine Companion Awards are the Oscars of the Aussie wine trade, celebrating outstanding wineries, viticulturists, and individual bottles. Linked to the annual Halliday Wine Companion guide – launched by legendary critic James Halliday – these accolades spotlight exceptional talent across diverse regional terroirs.

Every year, an expert tasting panel judges thousands of submissions in strict blind tastings to crown the winners. High-profile categories include Winery of the Year, Wine of the Year, and Winemaker of the Year. These coveted awards heavily influence global buying trends, boost commercial retail success, and benchmark international prestige for top-tier Australian winemakers.

While you can trust in the quality of every single wine we offer, you can rely on a Halliday Award winner being an Australian wine of truly exceptional quality.

How does the points system work for Halliday awards?

The Halliday Wine Companion scores individual wines out of 100 via blind tasting, ranking them from the elite Exceptional (97–100) and Outstanding (95–96) down through Highly Recommended (94), Recommended (90–93), and Highly Commended (89). Lower tiers comprise Commended (86–88) commercial styles, Acceptable (85) everyday options, and flawed, Not Recommended bottles scoring below 85 points.

Producers are awarded winery star ratings based on their long-term performance and scores. The elite 5 Red Stars tier is reserved for top-performing wineries maintaining consecutive 5-star status, followed by standard 5 Stars for outstanding consistency, 4.5 Stars for excellent portfolios, 4 Stars for reliable producers, and 3 Stars for baseline commercial wineries.One thing's for sure: if a winemaker has spent three years gaining organic accreditation, they're likely to have taken care in other areas of winemaking too - a good indication of quality.

Which Halliday-rated wineries appear on our list?

Here are the wineries that appear regularly (although not permanently) on our list.  When you see their wines, snap them up while you can. The number refers to where they rank on the Halliday Top 100 and an asterisk denotes a winery that produces at least one exclusive wine in our range.

5. Tyrrells: “The top winery in the 2024 Top 100 list, Tyrrell’s has long been one of Australia's greatest estates.”

16. Thistledown: “Home of the 2026 Companion's Wine of the Year, the 2024 This Charming Man Grenache (99 points), Giles Cooke’s Thistledown is in the Grenache vanguard, but it’s much more than that.”   “… brilliant Thistledown is on track to be even more exciting, which is a tantalising thought.”

35. Aphelion: "Aphelion has consistently produced excellence, but the recent releases see them stroll into the Top 100." (Halliday).

51. Bleasdale: “Even though Bleasdale was first planted in 1850, and the string of awards it has is more than impressive, it can feel like a bit of an underdog. Langhorne Creek has never had the same cachet as more celebrated regions, and with Malbec and Verdelho as key varieties, perhaps that was reinforced. But you’d be remiss to underestimate it.”

56. Coriole: “Coriole is rich with history ... But anyone that knows Coriole understands that it’s as much about progression as it is history. More so, perhaps. An early advocate and tireless champion for Sangiovese, Chenin Blanc true believer, Fiano and Picpoul’s first Australian adopter, and tireless explorer of other Italian and Rhône varieties, there is an energy to Coriole that is infectious.”

66. Jim Barry Wines: “… the careful collection of vineyard sites makes for a rich catalogue of assets.”

68. Garagiste: “A finalist for Best Value Winery in the 2026 Companion, Garagiste’s superb wines have always overdelivered.”

70. Frankland Estate: “Frankland Estate may be isolated, but it is no stretch to say that it is one of the most progressive, proactive and exciting producers in the country."

72. Tapanappa: “Brian Croser AO was inducted into the James Halliday Hall of Fame for the 2026 Wine Companion. His accomplishments are too numerous to mention, changing the course of the Australian wine industry for the better on numerous occasions, from revolutionising the way wineries are managed and introducing winemaking techniques, to laying the foundation for rigorous education that underpinned the success of Australian in the 20th century, and beyond.”    

74. Domaine Naturaliste: “Bruce Dukes makes a lot of Margaret River’s finest wines, and not just his own … Bruce is making thrillingly individual and characterful wines, inescapably Margaret River, but also decidedly unlike anyone else’s.”

80. Howard Park: “Howard Park began with John Wade back in 1986, when he made a riesling and a cabernet under that name, but it was in 1993 that the Burch family joined him, making wine from both Margaret River and Great Southern, building a label of profound impact … That dual investment, putting the two regions on equal footing, has been powerful, and the wines have been consistently compelling, with Nic Bowen heading up winemaking since 2021.”

86. Forest Hill Vineyard: “The Lyons family have owned the property since 1996, significantly upgrading the vineyards and facilities. Guy Lyons is the general manager and winemaker, alongside senior winemaker Liam Carmody. Guy is deeply passionate about their site and region, and it shows in the wines, which are keenly differentiated based on location and vine material, with winemaking subservient. Excellent chardonnay, shiraz, cabernet and malbec are made along with the Rieslings …"

87. All Saints Estate: We often have their Durif. Although: “Naturally, table wines are abundant, but it is with fortified wine that it soars.”

90. TarraWarra Estate: “TarraWarra is such a symbol of the Yarra. It’s got some serious history … It’s one of those estates, where it feels like if it is firing, the whole region benefits. And boy is it firing. Sarah Fagan heads up the winemaking team as of 2023, which was also around when the vastly experienced Samantha Isherwood was employed as general manager and Chris Beard as vineyard manager … Sarah is not much one for the limelight, but she’s as good a winemaker as it comes, rigorously educated but also a natural – intuitive, perceptive and wise enough to know when to be hands off."    

94. Tahbilk: “Tahbilk was established in 1860, and it has been in the Purbrick family for 100 years. Blessed with 1860s shiraz vines, it also famously has 1927-planted Marsanne, possibly the world’s oldest. There has been a changing of the guard at Tahbilk, but this Victorian treasure seems no better positioned to launch into its next century of family ownership.”