Pierro Chardonnay 2023

"This will sit alongside anything Peterkin has made in more than four decades as one of the finest winemakers in the region. It is a cracking good wine delivered with precision and power with a degree of delicacy and finesse that makes it so appealing. Incredible intensity on the nose with aromas of white peach and grapefruit with a little muted butterscotch in the background. The palate is powerful and drives with urgency through to a remarkably long finish. The oak is neatly interlaced, and the fresh acidity adds another dimension with its savoury chalky character. Cellar 10 years."  Ray Jordan, Ray Jordan Wine - 98 points and White Wine of the Year 2025

"I’ve tried this quite a few times because I can’t get enough of it, as it’s the most detailed and finely tuned chardonnay from Pierro to date. It is beguiling, precise and elegant. All that is backed up by excellent fruit, integrated oak, a laser-light show of acidity with some creamy-nutty lees shimmying across the palate. And the finish – wow! Lingers long. Bravo. Drink by 2033."  Jeni Port, Halliday Wine Companion - 97 points

"Pierro Chardonnay be what Pierro Chardonnay be. But there’s a smidgen more finesse in this year’s release and, combined with Pierre’s trademark fruit power, the effect is quite sensational. Pierro is one of the original (as in, it was the first) close-planted blocks in Margaret River, at 6000 vines per hectare.

Power up front; finesse through the finish. This makes well and truly sure that it has your attention and then it shows that it has both depth, and style. Pears, yellow peaches, grilled nuts and a creamy, smoky, nougat character. There’s an element of quartz to this wine, or of something stony, and it’s a part of its glory. This is a noted wine in noteworthy form. It finishes long. It’s compelling throughout."  Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front - 96 points

Ray Jordan White Wine of the Year 2025

Mike Peterkin had initially intended to specialise in Riesling, 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 him out he agreed to take them.

It turned out to be an inspired decision. Today Pierro is amongst the finest Chardonnays in the region and seeing as Margaret River is indisputably Australia's premier Chardonnay producing region, this is a major honour. Innovation and location have been the key factors in developing the quality of the Pierro chardonnay.

The Chardonnay vineyard is of particular interest, planted at between 4,000 and 5,500 vines per hectare (compared to a conventional Australian vineyard of 1,900 per hectare), making it the first high-density planting of its kind in Margaret River. 

The Pierro Chardonnay style was first made in the 1986 vintage. "I was not completely satisfied with the first three vintages of Chardonnay (1983-85), which were carried out following standard Australian winemaking practices, so I decided to make some radical changes. In the winery we allow our Chardonnay to undergo a 100% malolactic fermentation which helps achieve superior texture, mouth feel and a more refined and persistent flavour." 

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 often blustery southern spring; and to heighten flavour development in the summer ripening period. Our vine management is designed to achieve maximum balance with good leaf vigour supporting just the right amount of fruit. Such techniques result in healthy, highly flavoursome grapes arriving in the winery for processing.

Mike Peterkin is a medical practitioner as well as a fully qualified viticulturist and winemaker. He juggled the two demanding vocations for 25 years before finishing up his duties as a country doctor to devote his energies full-time to perfecting his wines. 

One of the region's many winemaking doctors, he was among the first to be qualified in oenology. After graduating in medicine from the University of Western Australia in 1973 at the age of 24, Mike decided that his love of wine and winemaking could not be ignored any longer. He attended South Australia's Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1976 and 1977 and gained a Diploma in Oenology.

Returning from his studies at Roseworthy, he was appointed winemaker at Cullen in 1978. He transformed the estate’s reputation by producing Australia’s first Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blend – a style for which Margaret River, in particular, is now famous (and which Mike continues to make with his sensational LTC). From 1978 to 1981, he also made wines at Enterprise Wines in Clare and Alkoomi in Western Australia's great southern region.

In 1980, while working as a consultant winemaker, he established the Pierro Vineyard. In March 1983 Pierro released its first vintage from the vineyard; a Blanc de Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. 

During this busy time in his life he could be forgiven for forsaking medicine, but in 1982, he managed to complete a postgraduate degree in obstetrics and gynaecology and postgraduate work in anaesthetics.

The text below is taken from an article titled 'Behind the Scenes at Pierro' by Ben Pearson 

If you only met Mike Peterkin briefly, it would be easy to think of him as cantankerous, gruff, perhaps. But then, you’ll notice there’s a mischievous twinkle in his eye – laughing at a private joke, one that you may never quite get. Quiet, modest yet undeniably talented, he is one of the most enigmatic people I’ve ever met. Unbelievably particular, it is Mike Peterkin’s attention to detail and insistence on doing things just so that has put Pierro on the fine wine map.

Little has changed at Pierro since Mike first started making the wines in the 1980s. The winemaking approach is supremely sensible – a balanced, scientific style that is detailed, measured. Having witnessed the faulty wines first produced in the region, a style now echoed by some of those within the natural wine movement, Pierro holds itself to an extraordinarily high standard. In two months’ work, I saw four barrels of wine poured literally down the drain, as they weren’t up to scratch, having low levels of VA (volatile acidity). The grapes are sorted meticulously (with sorting at bunch and berry level for the reds) and gently pressed. The wines are inoculated for fermentation, sulphured lightly and fined before bottling; this may not be the most fashionable way to make wine today, but it’s clear when tasting through Pierro’s range that it works.

And, above anything else, Mike Peterkin is not a man who gives in to fads or fashions. As the trend for reductive, struck-match-scented Chardonnays took Australia by storm, Pierro stayed true to its style. Its Chardonnay remains a voluptuous, rich, buttery beast that goes through 100 percent malolactic, aged in 50 percent new oak. Yet in amongst all that richness, there is a line of taut acidity, and a purity of fruit that makes it supremely drinkable and deliciously age-worthy. There is a reason that Langtons classifies Pierro’s Chardonnay as 'outstanding'. 

Pierro, situated in the stunning Willyabrup sub-region of Margaret River, was acquired by Dr Mike Peterkin in 1979. The 65 acres of beautiful undulating bushland was chosen due to its north facing slopes, gravelly loam soils and the Willyabrup brook, which flows through the entire property.

Mike, a medical practitioner and qualified viticulturalist and winemaker, planted the first vines in September 1980. By 1985, 11 acres had been planted with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Noir. The Medoc varietals, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc came later. Today, just under 20 acres are planted to vines.

The Chardonnay vineyard is of particular interest, planted at between 4,000 and 5,500 vines per hectare (compared to a conventional Australian vineyard of 1,900 per hectare), making it the first high-density planting of its kind in Margaret River. There are several plantings that have followed since 2000, but it remains a rare formation today. The Pierro Chardonnay has stayed true to style over the years; it remains opulent and hedonistically proportioned and goes through a full malolactic fermentation.

Peterkin was the first in Margaret River to make a Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blend. This was in 1979, while he was making wine for Cullen, and the wine then went on to win a trophy at the Perth Royal Wine Show. It has since become one of the region's strongest and most distinctive wine styles. Mike never claimed any originality for the idea, he simply borrowed it from the French. What he did do was create a new style which emphasized aroma, freshness and fruit character. The Pierro LTC Semillon Sauvignon was launched in 1989.

This small family winery has crafted some of Margaret River's most exciting and stylish wines for the past 43 years. "Just as Pierrot personifies life's intricacies and passions, Pierro wine is a wonderfully complex balance of sensual and fascinating elements. In a world where mediocrity can become a pervasive norm, the wines of Pierro are a shining exception. We make no secret that care, and attention to detail and quality are our primary objectives. We hope we have paid our dues through many years of perseverance and struggle, to produce wine that incorporates land and culture. Our vineyards are farmed naturally, with sheep grazing in winter to control weeds and promote growth of clover and pasture. This is followed by organic compost as fertiliser, all of which promotes carbon storage in the soil. We seek to be efficient land-users and to respect the land. Our aim is to be at the cutting edge of wine as agriculture, art and responsible land use."  Pierro

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Shipping Cost

Delivery is free on any order of 12 or more bottles to Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Sunshine Coast, Wollongong and rural Victoria.

On orders of 12 or more bottles to all other areas, we cover a percentage of the shipping costs. Shipping is calculated at checkout.

For orders of less than 12 bottles Australia wide, shipping is calculated at checkout.

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Standard Delivery

We use Australia Post and a Specialist Wine Courier (Anonymous Wine Freight) for domestic deliveries. Your location will determine which of these delivery services will be available.

Couriers will not telephone ahead to notify you of time of delivery and delivery on specific days can not be guaranteed.

While a large number of destinations are serviced within 48 hours or less, please allow up to 14 days for delivery within Australia.

Specialist Wine Delivery Service

We offer a specialist temperature-controlled wine delivery service called Anonymous Wine Freight to deliver your wine if you live close to the CBD in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney or Perth, or live in Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Mornington Peninsula or Geelong. If Anonymous Wine Freight services your postcode, the option to use them will appear on checkout. Here is a link to the list of postcodes they service. 

They are highly recommended as they ship in refrigerated transport to climate-controlled warehouses in each metro area before they make their way to your delivery address in air-conditioned vehicles for the last kilometers. In addition, they will even call you by phone at the time of delivery if they encounter any problems.

Please find their delivery schedule below.

Pick-up

If you live in Melbourne, you can pick up your order from our office in Camberwell by prior arrangement. Please select the 'Pick Up' delivery option during checkout and we will contact you to arrange a suitable time for pick-up once the order has been packed.

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If you may not be home at the time of delivery and would like the wine left in a safe place, please give Authority to Leave (ATL) and any delivery instructions in the 'DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS & ATL' at the bottom of the shopping cart, located just above the CHECKOUT button. 

If you have requested delivery with Australia Post and have not given Authority to Leave, a signature will be required on delivery. If you miss the postman, the order will be taken to your local Post Office for collection.

If you have requested delivery with our specialist wine courier (Anonymous Wine Freight), the driver will phone you for instructions if you are not at home at the time of delivery. If he can't contact you, the order will be taken to their local depot and can be re-delivered subject to a $20.00 fee.

Summer Heat Policy

If during hot weather you would like us to delay dispatch of your order to avoid potential heat damage to your wine please let us know. We are more than happy to store your order in our climate controlled warehouse until the weather is cooler. Please add the request in the 'DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS & ATL' at the bottom of the shopping cart, located just above the CHECKOUT button.

Alternatively, we may email you and request to delay dispatch of your order until the weather is cooler. If this happens, you can of course request immediate delivery if you wish.

International Shipping

We deliver wine to a number of destinations worldwide. If you require overseas delivery, please email us with the relevant information and we will advise you if we can deliver to your selected destination and the shipping costs involved.

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Minimum order requirements apply.