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Gingin Willows Chardonnay: Standout Margaret River from Larry Cherubino

Gingin Willows Chardonnay is one of the best wines from Larry Cherubino, one of Australia’s most compelling producers. We tasted this recently and think it offers superb value. Taut, restrained and notably complex, it is quite simply delicious – and there is a lot here for just £33.72 per bottle including VAT.

The wine comes from a single vineyard in the classic region for fine Chardonnay in Australia: Margaret River. It is made with old vine fruit from the gingin clone: one well-suited to the region which gives particular concentration to the wines. Larry Cherubino’s aim is to make a fresh, nuanced style. To this end, he puts only around 10% of the wine through malolactic fermentation and ages it in a mixture of new and old French oak barrels.

2023 is an excellent vintage for this wine, as it was throughout Western Australia. The combination of a mild dry conditions across a long season in 2023 made for powerful yet elegant wines with significant ageing potential. It looks like one of the best vintages here for some time.

Larry Cherubino has won numerous awards in recent years, including Winery of the Year from Australian wine expert Matthew Jukes and the White Wine Producer Trophy from IWSC. Gingin Willows is one of his best Chardonnays which comes from vines he owns himself. It stands easily alongside wines from renowned (and generally much more expensive) Margaret River producers such as Cullen, Vasse Felix and Leeuwin Estate.

This is an impressive Chardonnay from a talented producer and a great vintage. If you haven’t tried the wines of Larry Cherubino yet, don’t miss this.