Margaret River Winery House of Cards Makes History with the World's First Perfect 100-Point Wine

A Western Australian family winery has just made wine history. House of Cards, a small organic producer in Margaret River, has had its 2025 Ace High Chardonnay awarded a perfect 100 points at the 2026 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) — the first wine in the competition's history to score a perfect 100 since the 100-point system was introduced, and the highest score the IWSC has ever awarded.

The result came out of blind judging by some of the world's leading wine judges and Masters of Wine. IWSC Co-Chair of Judges Freddy Bulmer, Wine Buyer for The Wine Society in the UK, said the Chardonnay stood out immediately.

"When Andrew Caillard MW, who was co-chairing with me, suggested 100 points, I thought: there's nothing more that this wine could do. We tasted it again, blind, alongside all the Gold medal wines at the end of the judging, and both agreed that 100 points was absolutely justified. It was an absolutely beautiful wine — absolute perfection."

It capped an outstanding showing for the winery, which also picked up two further gold medals — the 2025 Royals Chardonnay (98 points) and 2024 Kings in the Corner Cabernet Merlot (95 points) — plus the IWSC Trophy for Western Australian Producer of the Year, a title House of Cards previously won in 2024.

For owners Travis and Liz Wray, the result is the kind of validation that comes from being judged blind against the best in the world.

"We are absolutely blown away that our wines have been so successful after being blind-judged by some of the world's best judges and MWs," they said. "To be tasted next to other world-class wines and being awarded a perfect 100 points is something dreams are made of. The Margaret River wine region is consistently producing world-class wines and we are so proud that our wine has produced the first-ever perfect 100-point score."

The Ace High Chardonnay is made from 100% Gingin clone fruit — a Western Australian heritage clone prized for its powerful character — hand-picked, carefully sorted, and entirely barrel fermented and matured, with the final blend selected from only the top barrels. Just 1,300 bottles of the 2025 vintage were made.

Established in 2011 by Elizabeth and Travis Wray, House of Cards is proudly 100% Western Australian family-owned, drawing all its fruit from a 12-hectare organic single vineyard in Yallingup. The vineyard's closeness to the ocean brings cooling breezes and a distinct microclimate, part of what the winery credits for the wine's depth and balance.

House of Cards wines are available at houseofcardswine.com.au.