Our Winery
Producing high quality wines since 2007
Not every winery makes wine - but we do! One of the few winemakers in the region, our team at Rockcliffe are committed to making the highest quality wines through:
- Acquiring and growing the best grapes
- Attracting and retaining talented staff
- Ensuring we have the best equipment
- Upholding our state-of-the-art Winemaking facility
- Cold stabilisation methods to reduce chemicals in our wines
- Sustainability conscious decisions when ever possible
- Prioritising quality over all things
For every wine we make, the grower's grape and reputation are maintained and enhanced - never compromised.
Denmark Wine Region
Located on the Southern coast of Western Australia, Denmark is part of the Great Southern Wine Producing Region, which is the largest by area wine producing region in mainland Australia. The region is split into five sub areas: Frankland River. Porongurups, Mount Barker. Albany and Denmark.
Denmark is located along the coastline with low elevations and proximity to the Southern Ocean, so the weather systems that are generated in the ocean affect the climate at our Denmark Winery. The weather tends to be wet and cool during the winter, and warm (generally less than 30°C) dry with some rainstorms in the summer.
As a result the Denmark region, is regarded from a viticultural perspective as “cool climate”. This is an ideal climate for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grape growing.
The soil profile in the Denmark region comprises gravels or Karri loam soils that can be up to 1 meter thick, overlying up to 15m of clay derived from the underlying weathered granite. The vines exploit the fractures in the granite to source essential, crystal clear, water and nutrients.
A combination of the cool climate and the granitic soil profile ensures that very high quality chardonnay and Pinot Noir can be produced in the region.
Our Winemakers
From 2013 to 2020, Rockcliffe was a five red star, James Halliday winery, meaning the top 10% of all Australian wineries.
Mike Garland
Mike Garland draws on decades of Great Southern winemaking experience and a deep passion for cool-climate wines. He began at Plantagenet Wines in 1996, while he and wife Julie built a home, family, and small vineyard in Mount Barker, growing Garlands into a respected boutique winery. A stint in Germany's Rhein region deepened his love of Riesling, before 14 years as founding Chief Winemaker at Castelli Estate established it as a leading Australian brand. After a return to Plantagenet as Chief Winemaker, Mike now makes wine at Rockcliffe, also having launched a label with son Callum. Despite numerous awards, he's most driven by honest, site-true wines made alongside family.
Chris Murtha
Chris's passion for wine began in Perth's retail scene before leading him to Margaret River, where he studied winemaking at Curtin University, graduating as dux of his class in 2008. He gained early experience as a cellar hand with local producers, then joined Houghton Wines, completing northern hemisphere vintages in Oregon and Champagne along the way. After a stint in Tasmania, Chris returned to the Great Southern in 2012, joining Plantagenet Wines as Assistant Winemaker before rising to Senior Winemaker. He then joined the winemaking team at Castelli Estate in Denmark, and now continues crafting exceptional cool-climate wines at Rockcliffe.
Visit Us in Denmark!
Visit Rockcliffe Winery Cellar Door, situated 4km from Denmark, Western Australia, where you can enjoy a leisurely wine tasting experience at no cost. Rockcliffe Winery takes pride in crafting traditional gelato, fudge, pizzas, and platters using locally sourced ingredients and no artificial flavours, offering a unique and genuine culinary experience.
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