Larry Cherubino Uovo Chardonnay, Frankland River

Description

Larry Cherubino Uovo Chardonnay is an elegant white wine from Frankland River, Western Australia, fermented in innovative concrete eggs for a pure, textured finish. It has aromas of stone fruit, citrus, hints of ginger and a chalky texture. This minimal-intervention wine has zero sulphur added throughout winemaking, and only a minimal amount at bottling. Ideal for relaxed weekend dining and wine lovers who appreciate low-intervention winemaking. The Uovo range also includes a Riesling, Grenache, Cabernet / Touriga blend and Nebbiolo / Cabernet blends.

Larry Cherubino Uovo Chardonnay Vineyards

The 100% Chardonnay grapes for the Larry Cherubino Uovo Chardonnay come from the Channybearup vineyard located just northwest of Pemberton, Western Australia. The soils here are Karri Loam and the vineyard has a Northern aspect.

Uovo Chardonnay Winemaking

• Made in a clay cement ovoid tank – a giant ‘egg’
• The lees are continuously forced upward by an internal current resembling a vortex
• This process gives the wine voluptuousness, purity, and texture
• No added tannin, acid, or animal fining products are used
• Zero sulphur is used throughout the winemaking process
• Only a minimal amount of sulphur is added at bottling

Winemaking Innovation: Concrete Eggs

Larry Cherubino Uovo Chardonnay is named “Uovo” after the large, clay-cement ovoid tank (a giant “egg”) in which the wine is vinified. Taking cues from ancient wine-making techniques, the fermenters are modelled on the idea of Roman amphora, and blending this with modern winemaking sensibilities. The egg-shaped concrete tanks allow gentle micro-oxygenation and constant lees movement. The famous Rhone winemaker, Michel Chapoutier, with the help of the French company Nomblot, is credited with being the first person to use concrete, egg-shaped vats.

Larry Cherubino: An Australian Winemaking Legend

Winemaker Larry Cherubino has a very full CV: he has been head winemaker at Houghton and a travelling consultant, designing vineyards and wineries around the world in countries including New Zealand, the USA, France, Italy and South Africa. Cherubino and his wife Edwina began their own wine company in 2004 with the purchase of a small parcel of vines in Frankland River. Edwina’s ancestors, the Egerton-Warburton’s, had migrated from England in the 1800s and were the first to plant vineyards alongside the banks of the Frankland River in 1875, pioneers in the region.

The company has grown substantially since 2005, when the first wines were produced, and Larry has become a very highly regarded winemaker. Larry Cherubino Wines has since been named ‘Winery of the Year’ by both James Halliday, author of the famous Halliday Wine Companion, and Australian wine judge and sommelier Matt Skinner.