EJ McDougall

Written By Angus Hughson

EJ McDougall 2026 Release

Eddie McDougall, who studied winemaking at Dookie College (University of Melbourne), has been working in wine for over two decades and forging ahead with various wine projects under the Flying Winemaker label. Experienced at sourcing and building markets, he recently embarked on a high-end venture concentrating on special parcels of single vineyard wines from classic wine regions. Having established Caillard Wine in 2007, I know how hard it is to build something from scratch and keep it going. Eddie’s ambitions, not so dissimilar to mine in the day, are more disciplined and focussed.

At present he is releasing just three wines, with a Tasmanian Riesling in the pipeline. Eddie describes himself as a négociant-éleveur wine producer, but works closely with vineyard owners and winemakers to achieve his goals. Within his small team is consultant winemaker Lilian Carter whose lightness of touch and track record are greatly admired. Both winemakers work closely through vintage to achieve optimum results. This forthcoming staggered release highlights the project’s highly fidelity winemaking. The 2026 releases comprising 2025 Margaret River Chardonnay, 2022 McLaren Vale Grenache and 2022 McLaren Vale Shiraz are classical in style and delicious to drink.

Based in Macau and well connected into Hong Kong and China, Eddie McDougall is already making great inroads into these markets as well as getting some genuine momentum in Australia. In an August 2025 interview he said of his previous release ‘This is a collection of fine wines which has taken me the best part of the last twenty years to finally have the courage to release. It’s been a delicate introduction to the market because I know how the fine world market operates – very much guarded by the old world, a small collection of families and growers.’ This second ‘staggered release’ promises to build on his early success.

While the EJ McDougall production is still modest, a solid foundation is being laid for future growth. This is a trailblazing brand that offers something relevant, imaginative and exciting for younger generations. EJ McDougall has every chance of becoming a leading Australian fine wine label in future years.

2025 EJ McDougall Chardonnay, Margaret River – Western Australia

Pale colour. Lovely pure grapefruit, white peach, lemony aromas with hints of flint/ herb notes. Generous and minerally with ample grapefruit, bitter lemon flavours, a fine chalky/ al dente grip, underlying marzipan notes, some creamy complexity and fresh long cutting/ crunchy acidity. High tensile in structure, matched with very good fruit volume and definition. Should develop along classical lines. 46% new French oak in puncheon and barrique format. 13.8% alc 95+ Points

2024 EJ McDougall Grenache, McLaren Vale – South Australia

Medium deep colour. Attractive strawberry pastille, red cherry, musky plum aromas with hints of Americano. Silky and expressive with strawberry, musky red plum fruits, looseknit chalky textures, very good mid-palate viscosity and well-integrated acidity. Aniseed notes pervade throughout giving lift and length. Supple and minerally with bangs of primary fruit. From 1939 and 1942 Blewitt Springs plantings. 14.5% alc 96 points

2024 EJ McDougall Shiraz, McLaren Vale – South Australia

Pure blackberry pastille, praline, roasted walnut aromas with aniseed notes. Well concentrated and juicy with plentiful blackberry, black cherry, dark chocolate flavours, slinky chocolaty textures, very good mid-palate volume and underlying roasted walnut/ savoury notes. A claret firm finish with al dente/sappy, hint ferruginous notes. Vibrant, richly flavoured and vigorous. Drink now – 2036 93 points 

EJ McDougall 2025 Release

One of the most impressive entrepreneurs in the Australian wine industry is Brisbane-educated Edward James McDougall, who further studied winemaking and viticulture at Dookie College, Australia’s second oldest agricultural College and a scion of the University of Melbourne.  Ambitious, energetic and resourceful ‘Eddie’, as he is best known, has built a remarkable business under his Flying Winemaker moniker. A graduate of the school of hard knocks (which must include the notoriously demanding Len Evans Tutorial (2013) he has learned to navigate the international wine market with remarkable effectiveness, optimism and success. His stamping grounds have been New Zealand, South Africa and Australia where he has developed relationships with vineyard owners and winemakers to build his Flying Winemaker Collection and lately his EJ McDougall label; the latter being a new venture that highlights the best of Australian regional provenance.

Nowadays based with his young family in Macau, Eddie McDougall, has established an impressive footprint across Mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong while also having effective networks in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Seemingly everywhere at the same time, his name has become synonymous with a ‘Can Do’ attitude that transcends borders. Having worked in winemaking across Australia, Mainland China, Italy, France, New Zealand, and Hong Kong (where he set up the city’s first urban winery), he has carved out an almost unique leadership role in the world of wine. As Chairman of the Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards and a judge at the Decanter Wine Awards, Eddie’s fingers are on the pulse in a way that few people attain. Participation, support and engagement seem to be a natural and lasting way of building relationships. I can only think of Michael Hill Smith AM MW, within the Australian arena, who has achieved such a wide breath of skills and contacts in the world of wine. So why then would it be such as surprise that his latest releases under the EJ McDougall label are so good? These debut wines highlight authenticity and typicity while being 100% in the groove of customer expectations and relatability.

The 2024 EJ McDougall Chardonnay, from the Margaret River, is a model example of great vineyard sourcing, empathetic winemaking and classicism. With its superb definition, texture and volume it personifies the very best features of the highly prized Gingin clone and Margaret River provenance. It shows what can be done with a great team, resourcefulness and focus. In addition, the McLaren Vale Grenache and Shiraz wines further highlight benchmark winemaking skills. Grenache is enjoying a new status as ‘warm climate pinot noir’; the aromas and textures can be similar, but grenache tends to be quite punchy on account of pronounced alcohol. Nonetheless the impactful 2023 EJ McDougall Grenache pulsates with energy and purity while showing density, viscosity and flow. The alcohol kicks in at the end, as one would expect, but the aniseed notes lengthen the finish. While not for long-term keeping it is simply delicious to drink. The 2023 EJ McDougall Shiraz is a classical McLaren Vale style that opens best when decanted. A touch of reduction blows off quickly to reveal intense pure dark chocolate black berry flavours, pleasing mid-palate volume and firm vigorous tannins.

2024 EJ McDougall Chardonnay Margaret River – Western Australia

Pale colour. Beautiful and classical grapefruit, nectarine, pear skin aromas with marzipan toasted chestnut notes. Richly flavoured and creamy with ample grapefruit, nectarine, yellow peach flavours, fine loose knit chalky al dente textures, superb mid palate volume and fresh long indelible acidity. Classic in structure with lovely volume, mineral freshness and torque. Drink now – 2030 13.8% alc 97 points

2023 EJ McDougall Grenache, McLaren Vale - South Australia

Medium deep colour. Fresh strawberry pastille, red cherry, chinotto/ cola aromas with roasted walnut nuances. Generous, supple and linear with strawberry, red cherry, cranberry fruits, underlying chinotto notes, lacy/chalky/ graphite tannins, superb viscosity and long negroni- like finish. Builds gravelly and long at the finish. Lovely wine. Drink now – 2032 14.5%alc 96 points

2023 EJ McDougall Old Vine Shiraz, McLaren Vale – South Australia

Deep crimson. Intense choco-berry fruits with flinty black olive notes. Well concentrated fleshy and grippy with ample dark chocolate, blackberry, dark cherry, hint tobacco leaf flavours, grainy firm, touch ferruginous tannins and underlying marzipan notes. Claret like finish. Decant before drinking to blow off slight reduction. 1939 vines. Drink now – 2035 14.5% alc 94 points

Angus Hughson
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