En Primeur

This is an exclusive opportunity to secure your yearly allocation of the 2023 Pierro chardonnay prior to international release (en primeur) at the lowest price available.  Once the en primeur allocation has been exhausted no further sales of the 2023 Pierro Chardonnay will be available for sale online and the price of the wine will rise significantly when it is released nationally. The price of the en primeur offer is restricted to 6/12 bottle boxes to reward loyal supporters of Pierro Chardonnay who purchase boxes in advance whilst the wine is still maturing.

This  wine will be posted in the first week of October from our cellar in Margaret River. Please allow 10 days for the wine to arrive. We appreciate you purchasing directly from our cellar to yours.

Vintage 2023 

A cold winter and spring followed by a mild dry summer resulting in a gentle, consistent ripening across all varieties. Vintage for this wine commenced on the 14th of February and completed on the 23rd of March after 9 seperate picks.  Ray jordan has noted 'In the case of the '23s from WA, I don't think I have seen wines of so much vibrance, life and energy, with such expressive fruit' All of the fruit  for the Pierro chardonnay is hand picked, chilled to five degrees and then bunch sorted by hand prior to whole bunch pressing using a sparkling press cycle. Fermented and matured in French oak barriques for 12 months  (44% new) with fortnightly battonage. 

History

In the words of Jeremy Oliver, “Pierro is one of the few Australian wineries that could claim to have established a trend that many others have followed. Since the mid 1980’s Mike Peterkin has crafted a Chardonnay of not only monumental power, but of simultaneously smooth and silky delivery”. The Pierro ‘style’ was first made in 1986 and refined with every subsequent vintage. Mike had initially intended to specialise in Riesling on his Willyabrup plot, so it was a tad fortuitous that Chardonnay became Pierro's most famous wine. His vine supplier had been let down on a large order of Chardonnay rootstock, approximately 5000 cuttings, and offered them to Mike at a cut price. In order to help out his friend he agreed to take them. It was an inspired decision. Today the Pierro is regarded as one of the finest Chardonnays in the region. Seeing as Margaret River is indisputably Australia!s premier Chardonnay producing region, this is a major honour.

Vineyard

Today there are five distinct blocks of Chardonnay on the property in Willyabrup, with the average vine age reaching 30 years. 90% of the Pierro Chardonnay is the Gin-Gin clone which has proven itself to produce the best quality wine and one that has been particularly successful in Margaret River. Each block features unique high-density narrow rows on rocky soil that slope down to the Willyabrup Brook and are orientated to the west and north. The vineyards are managed to maximise fruit, leaf and cane exposure to sunlight; minimise wind damage in the spring and to heighten flavour development in the summer ripening period.

Winemaking

Each parcel is hand-picked, chilled, hand-sorted and gently whole bunch pressed. There are multiple picks for this wine. With the first batches being picked for aromatic complexity and acidity and the latter picked for flavour and body. All juice is settled and then fermented in French barriques. The wine goes through a full malolactic fermentation which helps achieve superior texture, mouth feel and a more refined, persistent flavour. Lees are stirred fortnightly by hand in barrel over a period of 12 months prior to blending, settling and bottling. The result is a world class white which is well entrenched in the top Chardonnay’s of Australia.

Tasting Notes

This is a wine of great finesse yet impressive power, tight structure yet generosity of flavour. Ripe melony, peachy characters yet noticeable restraint and subtlety. An unctuous mouth-feel yet with taut, fine acidity on the finish. It will start to be at its best about June 2024 and will continue to mature gracefully for another 10 years. An ideal accompaniment to seafood and white meat dishes. Ideal cellaring temperature is a constant 14-16 degrees celsius.

Favoured Listening

Delibes’ Flower Duet
Harmony; delicate elegance balanced perfectly with richness, depth and hidden power. Long lingering finish that leaves one feeling delightfully pensive and soothed.