Larry Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay

Description

Larry Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay is produced from selected, maritime-influenced vineyards in the Karridale sub-region of Margaret River. It is 100% Chardonnay.

About Larry Cherubino Wines

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, 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 wine was produced and Larry has become a very highly regarded winemaker. Larry Cherubino Wines has been named ‘Winery of the Year’ by James Halliday and Matt Skinner.

Margaret River Vineyards: The Karridale Terroir

The grapes for the Larry Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay are sourced mainly from the ’24 Vineyard’ in the Karridale sub-region of southern Margaret River. The vines were planted in 1988 at a density of 1,850 vines per hectare. The vines are clone numbers 95 and 96 and are all grown on their own rootstocks. Situated facing a sunny, northern aspect to maximise sun exposure the vines are influenced by cooling breezes coming from the Southern Ocean, with warmer westerly breezes coming from the Indian Ocean. It is one of the best examples of a maritime climate in Australia.

Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay Winemaking

The 100% Chardonnay fruit was hand-picked and gently pressed directly to 60% new French oak, 40% one year old French oak barrels from a combination of forests- Vosges, Troncais and Allier. The juice was vinified with minimal intervention, no additions were made to the wine; it was naturally fermented using indigenous yeasts. 10% went through malolactic fermentation. The wine was matured on its lees for eight months, adding texture and complexity, before being bottled.