2023 PIERRO L.T.C.
2023 Pierro L.T.C.
'A little touch of christmas'
*In the lead up to christmas all wine sold will have the 'limited edition' christmas label.
History - ‘A classic’
A classic isn’t just something that is famous or distinctive from a past era. It’s something that continues to be relevant and useful outside the specific time it was created. In 1979 Mike Peterkin produced Australia’s first Semillon Sauvignon Blanc. Working at Cullen’s at the time, the wine went on to win a trophy at the Perth Royal Show. He never claimed any originality for the idea, he simply borrowed it from the French. In 1980 he was so convinced of the blend’s potential in Margaret River he devoted a third of the Pierro plantings to the varieties. The L.T.C. has been judged over the last 40 years as not only the first, but as the one of the best in its class. A wine of place, of time and of the people who brought the style to Australia. In the words of Coco Chanel: “Fashion fades, style remains”
Vineyard
Parcels of fruit are hand-picked from several blocks in the Willyabrup sub-region. The oldest vines were planted in 1980 with the youngest planted in 2006. All vines are considered mature and are grown in the gravelly loam granite soils so prevalent in the Willyabrup valley. All vineyard parcels are situated within 3km of the coast and are influenced by the maritime climate and fresh, pure ocean sea breezes prevalent during the growing season.
Winemaking
Each parcel is hand-picked, chilled, hand-sorted and whole bunch pressed. There are multiple picks for this wine. With the first batches being picked for aromatic complexity and acidity, and the latter being picked for flavour and texture. Each batch is kept separate and inoculated with different yeasts depending on the variety and date picked. During this time a quarter of the wine is fermented in French oak barriques for 2-3 months for mouthfeel and texture. These different elements combine as a whole to provide an incredible amount of complexity to the final wine. The separate batches are then combined and left on fermentation lees for 3-4 months prior to bottling.
Varietal content
Sauvignon Blanc - delicate perfumed aroma and youthful fresh flavour (53%)
Semillon - gives the wine the ability to mature gracefully (42%)
Chardonnay - completes the wine providing body & power (5%)
Tasting Notes
A light dry wine, delicious when young but has the capacity and backbone to mature and develop in the bottle. Flavours of citrus, pear, green apple, melon and tropical fruit. Fresh, crisp and dry with both complexity and elegance. An ideal accompaniment to seafood and white meat dishes.
Favoured Listening
Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, Ballet Suite, Dance Of The Reeds
As light and lively as the wine itself, gorgeous floral notes and a familiar, approachable rhythm. It also has a surprisingly long finish.
2023 L.T.C
This is routinely one of the great wines of Margaret River. It's a quiet wine and perhaps doesn't get the public recognition that it deserves, but it has a long and loyal following among its fans, of whom I am one. So, on the nose of this 2023 L. T.C. is sandalwood, saffron, white pepper, enoki mushroom, fennel, white currant, salted almonds, a hint of macadamia and brine. It is gorgeous, and it ages brilliantly well. 2023 was a beautiful, mild, cool vintage, and the whites that we see released now are a pristine mirror of the conditions. This is no exception. YES.
95/100 - Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
2023 L.T.C
Lime, lime rind, white pepper, aniseed, sweet snapped snow pea, some cream and spice. It’s bright, pops with mixed citrus of some sweetness and intensity, has some flinty texture, a kiss of dried herbs, a subtle saline character, and finishes long and crisp. Such a pleasing and refreshing wine. Lovely.
94/100 - Gary Walsh - The Wine Front
2023 L.T.C
Such a good year for white varieties and this consisently first-rate wine has delivered again, but with the addition of even more natural crunchy vibrant fruit thanks to the vintage. The palate is more intense than previous vintages but still with that structure and precision that comes with the approach of using a combination of semillon and sauvignon, with a light touch of chardonnay. This really is a terrific wine. A cracker.
95/100 - Ray Jordan - WA Wine Review 2024