Pierro Chardonnay 2017
- Rich, full
- Margaret River
What wonderful wine. Loads of spice, fine French oak flavours and incredibly youthful fruit at the moment. It’s almost tropical, almost green, creamy and almost too rich, but everything is kept just in check perfectly. So it’s rich, full, incredibly flavour-filled but contained and controlled at the same time. Little wonder this is one of Australia’s best chardonnays.
Profile
As Mofo Buyer Ben says: “This is not only in the top tier of Margs chardonnay, but in the absolute top tier of both Aussie and international chardonnay. A new vintage, so short on available scores/reviews at this stage, but the wine typically sits around 96pts with Halliday and cellars well for years. It’s considered a collectable among the wine auction crowd and has a Langton’s Outstanding Classification.”
And as Jeremy Oliver says: “Pierro is one of the few Australian wineries that could claim to have established a trend that many others have followed. Since the mid-1980s Mike Peterkin has crafted a chardonnay of not only monumental power, but of simultaneously smooth and silky delivery.
“Pierro Chardonnay is the role model for so many of Australia’s more opulent and hedonistically proportioned chardonnays and is a stunning expression of Margaret River chardonnay.”
It’s cool, we get it, you want to know absolutely everything about this wine. Well here you go, go nuts.
Specs
- Region
- Margaret River
- Vintage
- 2017
- Cellaring
- 2022
- Preservatives
- Sulphites
- Alcohol by Vol.
- 14.0%
- Closure
- Screwcap
- Bottle Vol
- 750mL
- Blend Info
- 100% Chardonnay
- Serving Temp.
- 10.0°C
Tasting
From the producer
Following on from the low yielding 2015 and 2016 vintages, 2017 saw a return to normal yields. Summer was cool and there was rain late in March, after the chardonnay harvest at Pierro had been completed. The 2017 continues the remarkable consistency and quality that is Pierro Chardonnay. More aromatic than usual with hints of apple, melon and butterscotch. The palate is delicate and intense with length and precision. A wine that will build complexity with age and will reward cellaring.
Region
Margaret River
Margaret River is as elusive as it is beautiful, such that you really need to visit to truly grasp its haunting beauty. Über-premium Cabernet, Chardonnay and Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends grow here. 'Margies' only produces 3% of the country's grapes, but commands over 20% of its premium wine market, and hasn't had an off vintage since 2006. You start to realise how often this region is overlooked when you can list brands like Leeuwin, Cape Mentelle, Vasse Felix, and Voyager, not to mention Cullen, Pierro, Moss Wood, and Deep Woods. It's safe to say that it's time for a revisit.
The rules are there ain’t no rules, but here are some foods we think will work pretty well with this wine...
Goes with
Chicken cordon bleu
Ingredients
- 4 slices ham
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 8 plain chicken schnitzels
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbs finely chopped sage
- Salt & freshly ground pepper
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 30g butter
- Steamed chat potatoes and green beans, to serve
Directions
- Trim ham and cheese slices to fit size of schnitzel. Sandwich ham and cheese between 2 pieces of schnitzel. Secure with toothpicks.
- Mix breadcrumbs, lemon rind and sage on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Dip each chicken parcel into egg and then coat with breadcrumb mixture.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a frying pan and cook chicken on both sides until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm. Add lemon juice to pan and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen sediment from pan. Boil for 1 minute.
- Remove toothpicks from chicken and arrange on serving plates with steamed potatoes and beans. Drizzle over the pan juices and serve.