L.A.S. Vino Wildberry Springs Margaret River Chardonnay 2024

“Sitting in the heart of Willyabrup, growing on rich gravelly loam soils, this 30-year-old vineyard is immaculate—with no vines out of place. It’s almost perfect. It took a few years of begging to be able to pick fruit from this vineyard.” — Nic Peterkin

30-year-old Gin Gin clone Chardonnay from a stunning single site in Wilyabrup, planted by John Durack (whose family famously drove cattle across the Kimberley). In 2024, Nic received fruit from a new section of the vineyard with more clonal Gin Gin—bringing even more richness and concentration to the wine. True to Nic’s minimalist approach, only the free-run juice was used. The fruit was hand picked, chilled overnight and whole-bunch pressed before being racked off solids to ferment in quartz amphorae and French barriques (50/50 split, 30% new oak). No malolactic fermentation. Eleven months in vessel with regular bâtonnage before bottling. Unfined, vegan friendly. Purity is the key word here—this wine is all about tension and elegance, with a fine acid line and a quiet power.

“What we’re discovering in Margaret River is that Chardonnay here has this incredible balance of power and finesse. The Gin Gin clone plays a big part in that. It produces small ‘hen and chicken’ berries with a high skinto-pulp ratio, which gives flavour, and crucially, it holds its natural acidity beautifully—especially in vineyards with ocean influence like this one.” — Nic Peterkin