The Art of Doing Less
Dormilona — Spanish for "lazy bones" — is one of Australia's most exciting and decorated natural wine projects, founded by Josephine Perry in Margaret River in 2012. The name was earned in Galicia, where Jo's early-morning surf sessions left her falling asleep at the dinner table while her Spanish colleagues partied. But the moniker is ironic: Jo is anything but lazy. With nearly 20 vintages across the world — France, Spain, California, New Zealand, and Australia — she has built Dormilona into a benchmark for minimal-intervention wine, winning Best New Act in 2013 and the coveted Young Gun of Wine title in 2016. Her wines are made from certified organic and biodynamic fruit with no additives, no oak signatures, no fining, and no filtration. Just early-picked, vibrant, taut expressions of Margaret River's classic varieties — Chardonnay, Cabernet, Chenin Blanc — reflected in thrillingly new ways. The winery is an urban outpost in the heart of Margaret River township, surrounded by auto shops and surfboard outlets — a fitting home for a producer who has always done things differently [^84^][^85^][^96^].
From Cape Mentelle at 14 to Galicia & Back
Josephine Perry's wine story began at 14, when her grandfather — head brewer at Perth's Swan Brewery — encouraged her to gain work experience at Cape Mentelle, one of Margaret River's most iconic estates. The early spark led to a Bachelor of Wine Science from Charles Sturt University, followed by a decade of vintages across the world's most prestigious wine regions: the Rhône, Burgundy, and Bordeaux in France; Galicia and the Canary Islands in Spain; California in the US; and New Zealand [^84^][^96^].
It was in Galicia that Jo fell in love with Spain and earned her nickname. Rising early for surf before long days in the winery, she found herself dozing off at late Spanish dinners while her colleagues fiesta'd on. Far from lazy, the name stuck — and when she launched her own label in Margaret River in 2012, Dormilona became the perfect metaphor for her winemaking philosophy: deliberately slow, hands-off, and nurturing. The "neglect" is benign, underpinned by rigorous farming and an intuitive understanding of fruit [^85^][^96^].
Before settling back into Margaret River full-time, Jo managed winemaking operations at two wineries in Galicia and consulted in the Canary Islands. She also worked with Philip Shaw in Orange, NSW — another mentor who shaped her approach. By the time she launched Dormilona, she had the clarity and confidence to let intuition dictate her growing and winemaking. Nearly 20 vintages across the world had taught her that the best wines come from doing less, not more [^84^][^96^].
"Her wines are made from familiar varieties — chardonnay, cabernet, chenin blanc — but reflected in thrillingly vibrant and taut ways, electrified by vibrant structures and cushioned with subtle texture."
— Young Gun of Wine
Organic, Biodynamic & Gravelly Loam
Dormilona sources fruit from certified organic and biodynamic vineyards across Margaret River — each chosen for its gravelly loam soils, its ethical farming practices, and its potential to express place without manipulation. The winery itself is now certified organic, and the intent is for all fruit to be organic or biodynamic. The vineyards are family-owned, grown respectfully using local knowledge and ethical practices [^85^][^99^].
The key sites include Burnside in Wallcliffe (biodynamic-certified, gravelly loam), Stonegaze Vineyard in Yallingup (organic-certified, gravelly loam), Wilyabrup (organic-certified, gravelly loam), and Yungarra Estate — Jo and her viticulturist partner Jim's own property, midway between Dunsborough and Yallingup, with striking views, gravelly loam over limestone, and certified organic management. The Yungarra site is a labour of love, ensuring consistently superb fruit delivered to the cellar for maximum care and minimal handling [^85^][^96^].
Certified biodynamic. Gravelly loam soils. Source of Dormilona's Chardonnay and Clayface Chardonnay. Hand-harvested in cool mornings, whole-bunch pressed to large-format oak and amphora. Natural ferment plus malolactic fermentation, then simply racked to bottle. A site of precision and purity.
Certified organic. Gravelly loam soils. Source of Dormilona's Cabernet Sauvignon and Clayface Cabernet. Hand-picked, foot-stomped, wild-fermented in open fermenters with extended maceration. Basket-pressed and matured in seasoned French oak. Only racked once and sulphured at bottling. No additives, fining, or filtration.
Certified organic. Gravelly loam soils. Source of Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc (Skinnie), Semillon (Blanco), and the Orenji skin-contact blend. Hand-harvested, minimal intervention, unfined and unfiltered. The heart of Dormilona's playful, experimental side.
Jo and Jim's own vineyard, midway between Dunsborough and Yallingup. Certified organic, gravelly loam over limestone, with some of the region's most striking views. Source of Cupid Chenin Blanc, Aka (Tempranillo/Shiraz/Cabernet blend), and future estate wines. Diligently managed by Jim to ensure consistently superb fruit with minimal intervention.
Pick Early, Do Less, Let Intuition Lead
Jo Perry's winemaking is defined by a simple creed: pick earlier, do less in the winery. No adjustments. No oak signatures. No fining. No filtration. Just minimal sulfur at bottling, and even that is kept to the absolute minimum. The wines are especially poised and elegant — lithe and crackling with spirit and drive, while still packing plenty of detail. They don't always fit into what one might expect from "natural" wines; they are too precise, too balanced, too beautiful for that reductive category [^96^][^100^].
The three-tier range reflects Jo's dual nature — serious and playful. The Dormilona Estate wines are single-site, classic drinking with benchmark quality and precision. The Clayface range — named for the layered, savoury, mineral character imparted by Italian terracotta amphorae (originally made by Jo's aunty) — is a collection of extended-maceration Cabernet and Chardonnay aged in handmade flat-bottomed amphorae. The House Wines are playful: pét-nats, whole-bunch experiments, amphorae explorations, and skin-contact fun [^85^][^96^].
Jo uses a wide range of vessels: concrete eggs, seasoned French oak barriques, stainless steel tanks, and the signature Italian terracotta amphorae. Wild fermentation is standard. Malolactic fermentation is allowed to proceed naturally. The wines are simply racked, settled, and bottled — often by hand. This is not remote-control winemaking; it is present, intuitive, and deeply personal [^85^][^96^].
The Clayface Range — Terracotta from Jo's Aunty
The Clayface wines are Dormilona's most distinctive expression. Cabernet and Chardonnay are aged in handmade Italian terracotta amphorae — flat-bottomed, porous, and originally crafted by Jo's aunty. The terracotta imparts a unique mineral, earthy character that is impossible to replicate in oak or steel. Extended maceration — up to five months for the Clayface Cabernet — extracts depth, tannin, and savoury complexity. The result is layered, savoury, and profoundly mineral — wines that taste of clay, stone, and time.
A Sleeping Giant Now Wide Awake
Josephine Perry has been a three-time finalist in the Young Gun of Wine Awards — first winning Best New Act in 2013 (notably, the inaugural year of that award, with judges so taken by Dormilona that they created the trophy on the spot), then again in 2014, and finally crowned Young Gun of Wine in 2016. She is also a judge at some of Australia's top wine competitions, bringing her global perspective and rigorous standards to the evaluation of others [^84^][^96^].
Dormilona's reach extends far beyond Margaret River. The wines are exported to South Korea, Japan, Canada, and Singapore, and are found in some of Australia's best restaurants and wine stores. The urban winery — set in an industrial area alongside auto repair shops and surfboard outlets — has become a destination for those seeking something different from the region's polished cellar doors. It is a space of creativity, experimentation, and warm hospitality [^84^][^94^].
Jo lives in Margaret River with her partner Jim (viticulturist and Yungarra Estate manager), their two children, and dog Humphrey. When not making wine, she is surfing or gardening — the same activities that earned her the Dormilona nickname in Galicia. The circle is complete: the lazy bones who wakes early, works hard, and makes wine that demands attention [^84^].
"We are all about the pursuit of creating amazing quality wines from organic & biodynamic fruit with no additives and very little intervention."
— Dormilona
The Dormilona Range
Dormilona's three-tier range covers Estate (single-site precision), Clayface (terracotta amphora depth), and House Wines (playful experimentation). All are made from certified organic or biodynamic fruit with minimal sulfur, no additives, no fining, and no filtration. The range spans Chardonnay, Cabernet, Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and blends — each one a taut, vibrant, individual expression of Margaret River [^85^][^96^].