I recently had the opportunity to sit with Sue Henderson, the commercial director of Western Australia’s Burch Family Wines, at the Icon Fine Wine and Spirits office in Yaletown. We should all be thankful to it for bringing her company’s wines into our market. While the corporate name may not be familiar, the three key brands the family-owned and operated business produces may ring a bell: Marchand & Burch, Howard Park, and the most common, MadFish.

It was good to catch up with wines from “the bottom of the world”, as Henderson calls it. I’ve been fortunate to spend a decent amount of time in the region over the years. My wife grew up in Perth, Western Australia’s capital city, so when we’ve been on trips visiting family and friends, I’ve taken jaunts south to Margaret River to enjoy the sun, the surf, and its position as the state’s key wine region.

The area shares a kinship with Bordeaux, in that its oceanic climate and gravelly soils make it well suited to Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other key varieties. Things become more remarkable if you travel farther south. A few more hours on the road will lead you to the Great Southern region some of Burch Family Wine’s unique labels hail from.

On 450 acres in the Margaret River region, and 550 in Great Southern—much of it farmed in accordance with sustainable, organic, and even biodynamic practices—the family produces lively, distinctive wines offering a sense of place and value at various price points. Here’s a small, but heartily recommended, offering.

MadFish, 2014 Sauvignon Blanc SÉmillon

($23 to $27, private liquor stores)

Often with a classic white Bordeaux blend, regardless of its provenance, the grassy, citrus, herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc portion dominates the cuvée. It’s often upward of 90 percent of the blend, leaving just a smidgeon of the lovely stone-fruit, honeyed, and beeswax-y character Sémillon is known for, to round things out. The charm of MadFish is we’re looking at a breakdown of 56 to 44, allowing each variety to shine. Fresh-squeezed limes, gooseberries, and peaches are oh so juicy, with a zip of lemon zest and a nip of salty sea air breezing through it all. I would tell you to think seafood when sipping this one, but you will; oh, you will! Most recently spotted at Firefly Fine Wines and Ales on Cambie.

Howard Park 2013 Flint Rock Chardonnay

($27.99, B.C. Liquor Stores)

To be blunt, when it comes to Burch Family Wines brands, the Howard Park label’s fancier than the MadFish—a little more boutique-y in nature. The Chardonnay grapes in the wine are all hand-picked in the Great Southern region, then fermented in French oak and stainless steel, with an additional 10 months on the lees (the natural fermentation sediment) before a final blending and bottling. Green grapes, mango, and papaya are distinct flavours upfront, a little pie crust rounds the edges, and then a splash of peach juice finishes things off.

Howard Park 2012 Miamup Cabernet Sauvignon

($28 to $33, private liquor stores)

Try a toasty, warm, and enveloping Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River that’s delicious now, but will be even better with a few years of aging. Blackberries, blueberries, and currants are all juicy and pristine, with dusty tannins giving appropriate texture, and plenty of eucalyptus offering a happy lift. Those concerned that Cabernet Sauvignon occasionally harbours a bitter, stemmy, bell-pepper character needn’t worry; this bottle is ripe and lovely all the way through. Availability is pretty good at places like Liberty Wine Merchants on Granville Island, Firefly Fine Wines and Ales, and Village Liquor Store at Park Royal.

Marchand & Burch 2013 Chardonnay

($52.19, B.C. Liquor Stores, direct order 697136)

A joint venture between Burgundian winemaker Pascal Marchand and the head of Burch Family Wines, Jeff Burch, the Marchand & Burch Chardonnay label sources fruit from biodynamically farmed old vines in the Porongurup subregion of the Great Southern. Simply put, there is a commitment to quality that results in the best Chardonnay I’ve had in recent memory. Fresh, young pineapple on the nose is echoed on the palate with marzipan, nougat, roasted hazelnuts, lime leaf, and a handful of glistening minerals. Returning to the glass, there’s Asian pear, quince, roasted cashews, and a hint of lemongrass. Further sips bring extra layers of star fruit, crab apple, shortbread, and jasmine. The complexity, layers, and enjoyment seemingly never end. I’m heartbroken to learn this isn’t on B.C. store shelves. Seriously crushed. On the upside, it can be ordered in six-packs via B.C. Liquor Stores, or we can beg private wine stores to carry it. (I’ll start!) In the meantime, if you’re tucking into the fine Japanese food at Coal Harbour’s Miku or Yaletown’s Minami, treat yourself to a bottle from their lists.