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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2020 and 2025 (based on 4 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.4 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 5 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Ayanami on 12/24/2023 & rated 89 points: A pretty big, flavourful chardonnay. There's a lot of fruit here, trending towards tropical with melon undertones, and a fair whack of oak lending vanilla to the palate. Not overworked and is a well made wine, just lacking a bit of elegance. (105 views) | | | Tasted by forceberry on 11/7/2022 & rated 88 points: 100% Chardonnay sourced from five different vineyards in Wilyabrup, planted mainly (90%) to the Gingin clone and averaging 30 years old. The fruit is harvested in multiple tries, based on its degree of ripeness. Whole bunch pressed, fermented and aged for 12 months in French oak barriques. 13,5% alcohol.
Quite pale yellow-green color. The nose is still surprisingly primary with candied fermentation aromas of pear and gummi bear candies, some crunchy notes of greencurrants, light vegetal notes of herbal spices, light steely mineral notes, a hint of greengage and a touch of exotic fruit. The wine is ripe, youthful and very fruit-forward on the palate with a moderately full body and slightly primary flavors of juicy citrus fruits and fresh apples, some steely mineral notes, a little bit of greengage, light candied notes of pear drops and gummi bear, oaky hints of nuttiness and toasty spices and a mineral touch of wet rocks. The high acidity lends good sense of balance and structure to the wine. The finish is lively, fresh and quite long with a clean and rather fruity aftertaste of steely minerality, some sweet tropical fruits, a little bit of stony minerality, light zesty citrus notes, a candied hint of gummi bear and a nutty touch of chopped almonds.
A pleasant and balanced Margaret River Chardonnay that comes across as surprisingly primary and candied in character, considering the wine is already more than 6 years old. There's quite a bit of substance and intensity here, promising quite a bit of potential for future evolution, but at the moment the wine feels a bit too candied and fruit-driven for my taste, coming across as a crowdpleaser fruit bomb - despite its mineral overtones and good sense of zippy acidity. I honestly hope the wine would lose its exuberant, candied character with additional aging. The fruit intensity and sense of structure here was on par with some of the best wines we tasted in a tasting of a dozen Chardonnays, but the very estery, exuberant fruit character made the wine feel a bit banal in comparison with the more restrained, fine-tuned and complex bottlings. In our Western Australia tasting of 12 Chardonnays the wine gained a total of 4 points, making it finish on the 4th place. (1175 views) | | | Tasted by VinCapitan on 2/26/2021 & rated 94 points: a cacophony of incredible chardonnay smells and flavours. Crushed cashew cream, white peach, licks of lemonade, struck match, grapefruit and yellow flowers. Lightly reductive. Talc like mouthfeel. Gentle, serious, spectacular (936 views) | | | Tasted by dnnk88 on 4/20/2019 & rated 91 points: Lemon, citrus aroma. Tasted dried apricots, lemon and tinge of lemon peel bitterness which was nice. Structured minerality. Fresh and easy drinking; not complex and slightly dry. Enjoyable now. (1469 views) | | | Tasted by Alan Frazer on 4/14/2018 & rated 95 points: "95+ Points. You could probably mount a case for Pierro making the best Chardonnay in Margaret River over the past few years, or at least one of the best (1716 views) |
| By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, Western Australia: Old World–Style Reds and Whites (Jul 2021) (7/1/2021)
(Pierro Chardonnay White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Panel Tasting
Decanter, Western Australian Chardonnay: Panel tasting results (10/5/2018)
(Pierro, Chardonnay, Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia, White) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Halliday
Halliday Wine Companion (12/1/2017)
(Pierro Margaret River Chardonnay) Subscribe to see review text. | By Gary Walsh
The WINEFRONT (8/30/2017)
(Pierro Chardonnay) Subscribe to see review text. | By Peter Forrestal
Decanter, Top 50 Margaret River (7/31/2017)
(Pierro, Chardonnay, Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia, White) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and Decanter and Halliday Wine Companion and The WINEFRONT. (manage subscription channels) |
| Pierro Producer website
Producer website Fire Gully
THE ESSENCE OF PIERRO
The wines of Pierro are the culmination of passion, innovation, location, climate and time. Wherever our wines are enjoyed around the world today they invariably impart a tangible trace of their idyllic place of origin - warm southern climes, ancient soils, healthful vines and years of skilled hands-on viticulture and winemaking.
For over a quarter of a century we have striven to fuse these elements to produce superior wines of singular extraction, character and elegance. Our quest for heightened quality continues with each passing vintage.
We are fortunate in that our beautiful Willyabrup vineyard is located in what is widely regarded as amongst the finest wine grape growing terrain in the world. Located in the heart of Western Australia's renowned Margaret River wine region, this far-flung locality has a viticultural pedigree second to none.
The district is situated in the continent's deep south-west, a relatively young region unsullied by the impact of human population and development. Fresh air, clean seas, unspoiled country and fruitful earth have been simple, priceless qualities here for millennia.
Surrounded by open water on three sides between capes Leeuwin and Naturaliste, the wine region is almost completely free of pollutants and contaminants. Year-round it is swept by pure, cool sea breezes, blowing in off the Indian and Southern Oceans. Mild, wet winters and sun-splashed summer seasons add to the viticultural equation.
A stable and predictable Mediterranean maritime climate is a vigneron's dream-come-true, and Margaret River has this too. The vineyard is situated on the north-facing south bank of the Willyabrup Brook, a pristine freshet that meanders down its namesake valley to the sea.
As is the case with many premier vineyards elsewhere in the world the presence of this natural watercourse provides a nourishing life source for the vineyard. It is no coincidence that several of the State's other premier vineyards and wineries are also situated in this gently undulating country by the brook.
Couple this with soils ideally suited to the needs of classic varietal grapevines and we find ourselves in a kind of viticultural paradise. Amid this marvellous terroir sits Pierro Margaret River Vineyards.
Our history is inextricably aligned with the emergence of Margaret River as one of the great young wine regions of the world. We couldn't be located in a better grape growing or winemaking district if we tried!
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PIERRO: GENESIS OF A PREMIER AUSTRALIAN WINERY
Pierro came about through a touch of serendipity and the passion and beliefs of Dr. Michael Peterkin.
The winery and the winemaker are inextricably linked to the relatively short but remarkable history of Margaret River wine and today form an integral part of that narrative.
A medical practitioner as well as a fully qualified viticulturalist and winemaker, Mike juggled the two demanding vocations for 25 years. Only recently did he finish up with his duties as a country doctor to devote his energies full time to perfecting his wines.
Yet in some ways it was the admixture of the two callings that lead to the birth of Pierro, which today is among the most acclaimed small wineries in Australia.
After graduation in medicine from the University of Western Australia in 1973 at the age of 24, Mike Peterkin decided that his love of wine and winemaking could not be ignored any longer. As if a degree in medicine wasn't enough, he attended South Australia's respected Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1976 and 1977, and gained a Diploma in Oenology.
From 1978 to 1981, he made wines at Enterprise Wines at Clare, Cullen Wines at Margaret River and Alkoomi in Western Australia's Great Southern region. But he had not forsaken medicine, and in 1982, completed a postgraduate degree in obstetrics, gynaecology and postgraduate work in anaesthetics.
Through it all, he harboured a deep desire to one day produce fine wines from his own vineyard, be that where it may. Margaret River was of particular interest due to some very promising wines starting to emerge from this little-known south-west corner of his home state.
Based on a 1965 report by distinguished Western Australian agronomist Dr. John Gladstones, a small coterie of like-minded medicos had commenced planting vines in the vicinity of Margaret River during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Dr. Gladstones' seminal study had showed that the area was close in climatic conditions to St. Emilion or Pomerol in Bordeaux, and featured areas of exceptional grapevine soil. Sunshine hours were slightly higher than Bordeaux, and there was the added advantage that it was an area free of the risk of frost, and rain at vintage, conditions that so often spoiled things in Bordeaux.
These excellent conditions, which appeared to be the norm in Margaret River, are what defined a great vintage year in Bordeaux. Everything pointed toward the Western Australian locale as being well suited to the production of first-rate wines.
In the early-1970s Mike was particularly impressed by one of these wines, a riesling from Dr. Tom Cullity's Vasse Felix vineyard, which is situated only a few kilometres from where Pierro is today. At the time, there were a mere three commercial vineyards in the fledgling viticultural region.
Mike made his foray into winemaking in Margaret River in 1979 working for the late Dr. Kevin and Diana Cullen, patriarch and matriarch of Cullen Wines. He was to be the region's first professionally qualified winemaker. It was while he was working at the winery that he met Shelley Cullen, daughter of Kevin and Diana, to whom he is married today.
By the late 1970s, he was also working as a locum doctor in Perth, but was more intent than ever on establishing his own winery. He had been seeking the right property on which to do so for several years, but was having a hard time finding a suitable site.
When a Busselton real estate agent contacted him in Perth and said there was a farm for sale, he made the trip south to check it out. He wasn't impressed, yet again.
By way of passing, the agent said he also had a property on his books at nearby Willyabrup, but didn't think it would be right for his client's vineyard needs, being distinctly scrubby, rocky and sloping. Mike insisted on seeing it. He instantly liked it.
The land had several favourable viticultural attributes: sunny north facing slopes, the Willyabrup Brook flowing through, rocky but suitable soil, the Indian Ocean nearby, a pristine location, and Dr Gladstones' recommendation that Willyabrup was potentially the best location in Margaret River. It was also a lovely, picturesque location.
Mike took a couple of extra jobs to raise the money for a deposit. Three months later he returned somewhat exhausted with the down payment and a business plan. The land became his in 1979 and he was on his way.
In hindsight, he says there were a couple of less pragmatic reasons for his interest in the Willyabrup plot. "I also bought the property because it is a very romantic place and was close to my romantic interest - Shelley," he recalls.
He persuaded his former mentor from Clare, eminent viticulturalist and winemaker Tim Knappstein, to come to WA from South Australia to appraise his new acquisition. Upon surveying the land Knappstein simply said, "Mike, you will never make it here."
But this didn't sway the single-minded new landholder. He set about clearing boulders, removing undergrowth and trees and making the ground ready for planting. The preparation for vines took two years in all. The doubters would be proved mightily wrong.
INNOVATION FROM THE OUTSET
Mike was anything but conventional when it came to establishing Pierro. In fact, in many areas of the vineyard he went completely against the customary methodology.
While studying at Roseworthy he was influenced by the alternative and somewhat unfashionable ideas of Richard Smart, an advocate of canopy management and the controlled use of irrigation to reduce vine stress. Much of what both men preached and acted out has now become standard practise in many Australian vineyards.
From day one he has had firm - and sometimes contrary - views on vineyard management. Although it still remains controversial, Mike is pro-irrigation, believing that its limited and sensible use in the vineyard brings improvements in much the same way as the careful use of refrigeration in the winery.
He believes that the lack of water in the three months prior to harvest in Margaret River causes vines to close down for long periods during the day. Controlled watering, which averts this, will result in the finished wine having more aroma and flavour.
Unlike a number of other vineyards in the region he planted north-south orientated vine rows, which he judged would receive up to 20% more sunlight. He also introduced vines with half the normal width between the rows and two-thirds the breadth. This was to make the vines more competitive, balance their fruit yield and promote flavour intensity.
Soil, aspect, and a high number of vines per hectare are the critical factors for achieving high quality at Pierro. The vines all face the sun on the mid- to low slopes of the rolling gravel hills formed by the dissecting creek system.
The soils are moderately deep laterite gravel with interspersed granite, over ancient base rock with friable pink clay merging into a shattered rock layer. These granite soils are some of the most open, warm and well drained of our viticultural soils, allowing great root penetration and exploration.
Pierro was the original high-density vineyard planting in Margaret River and also one of the first in Australia. Vine density ranges from 4,000 to 5,500 vines per hectare, compared to a conventional Australian vineyard of 1,900 per hectare.
Mike emphasises the primacy of viticulture in determining wine quality. For him, winemaking involves team effort, with everything from pruning to hand-picking to bottling contributing to the character of the finished wine. Here is a man who doesn’t crush grapes; he hugs them into the bottle!
During his first vintage in Margaret River in 1979 Mike introduced two wine styles which have become the mainstay of winemaking in the district. He produced the first Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blend in Australia. The style is unique and refreshing, as it emphasises the fruit flavours and aromas in the wine, as opposed to the barrel matured style from Bordeaux.
This was the era of single varietal wines in Australia and blended wines were unpopular, but Mike persisted and refined the blend. By the 1980s a few other regional winemakers started to follow his lead, including David Hohnen at Cape Mentelle.
Twenty-five years later, that “few” has turned into a virtual stampede with literally hundreds of wineries across Australia seeking to emulate the popular style. Semillon Sauvignon Blancs are now the fastest growing category of white wine in Australia.
Similarly with red wine in 1979 Mike started the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Malbec. This is now the pre-eminent red wine style in Margaret River.
Mike also continues to develop the winery with state-of-the-art technology. The winemaking philosophy has always been to combine the traditional hand made techniques of the Old World with the modern technology of the New World. Therefore all the fruit is picked carefully by hand and then chilled to 5 degrees centigrade before pressing to retain the fruit flavours and aromas. The fruit is then handled in the winery in small batches so each particular vineyard area can receive the attention it deserves.
The result of all this planning, design and hands-on innovation is amply expressed in the Pierro wines. The Pierro reds are now among the very best in the region. Vine age has given the Pinot Noir greater intensity of flavour and the Cabernets improved richness, intense fruit characters and a velvety texture.
The winery is very highly regarded for the quality of its delicate, fine white wines - indeed, the Semillon Sauvignon Blanc remains one of the finest expressions of the quintessential Margaret River blend. The Pierro chardonnay has been rated as one of the world’s best white wines.
As it turned out, this lovely Margaret River vineyard, first planted in 1980, now produces a delightful array of wines, including of course one of the world's most coveted chardonnays.
Chardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeAustralia Wine Australia (Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation) | Australian Wines (Wikipedia)Western Australia Wine Regions of Western AustraliaMargaret Riverhttps://margaretriver.wine/ |
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