Luke Jolliffe

The Climb

Luke Jolliffe’s work sits on the practical end of winemaking: vineyard knowledge, patience, and the discipline to keep polishing a style over time. As Senior Winemaker at Stella Bella Wines in Margaret River, Australia, and a specialist in Chardonnay, he has framed the job in plain terms: “I have spent 20 years in the Wine Industry.” That kind of duration matters in this trade, where repetition sharpens judgement and place becomes legible through the glass. His own brief for the wines is equally direct: “Wines that smell and taste of southern Margaret River and are of international quality.” University of Adelaide provided the formal base, but the earlier work was in viticulture, first in McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills, South Australia until 2007. That grounding close to the vines shaped the way the rest of the career unfolded. Jolliffe has said, “” The line points to a maker who approached winemaking through the vineyard rather than around it. At Stella Bella in Margaret River, Western Australia, the progression was steady and cumulative: Vintage Assistant Winemaker, Assistant Winemaker, then winemaker, each step from 2007 extending his working knowledge of the estate and region. By 2013, that path had brought him to Senior Winemaker at Stella Bella in Margaret River, Western Australia, a role that reflected both continuity and earned trust. He later became Chief Winemaker at Stella Bella in Margaret River, Western Australia until 2026, before moving into his current work as founder / winemaker of Jolif Wines since 2026.

Today

The title fits a career built on consistency: learning the vineyard first, then shaping wines that carry the mark of southern Margaret River without losing sight of international standard.

Signature

Luke's signature wines include 2020 Luminosa Chardonnay, 2016 Suckfizzle Sauvignon Semillon, 2017 Suckfizzle Chardonnay, and 2017 Shiraz. Read together, they show where his centre of gravity sits: Chardonnay first, with wines that also carry texture, structure, freshness and depth. The vintages map a working line through the career, with each bottle marking a specific point in the development of his style.

In Their Words “After about ten years as a viticulturist. I knew I needed to learn about the vineyard first.” “Wines that smell and taste of southern Margaret River and are of international quality.”

Recognition

Luke's honors include Chardonnay of the Year. For a maker working in a long-term register, the award reads as a clean acknowledgment of the approach: wines tied to place, shaped carefully, and executed with control.