Maker:
Using luck, art, and science (L.A.S.) aim to make absolutely delicious, delectable, desirable drops and to discover new flavours in the world of wine. Based in Margaret River, Western Australia, their mantra is minimal intervention with maximum flavour and where possible aim to work with growers using sustainable, organic and biodynamic vineyard methods.
Nic Peterkin’s L.A.S. Vino was created in 2013, sandwiched between some pretty serious periods of study and travel. Today, it is one of Margaret River’s keenest of cutting-edge labels, mining the region for vineyard sites of singular interest, with a focus on sustainable and mostly organic viticulture. The wines are often built around experimental techniques, but Peterkin does so without alienating, with them being as delicious as they are thoughtful. Peterkin was a Young Gun finalist in 2018.
Further, L.A.S. Vino has made it into Halliday's top 100 wineries of 2023. It's the admiration for their peers in the list that gives them so much pleasure in being announced at number 54/2000. In the words of editor Campbell Mattinson at Hallidays Wine companion. "This is a list of producers who are prepared to stake their reputation on every single wine they release. Arm yourself with these names and you can walk into any bottle shop in Australia, or peruse any wine list, and be ripe to pick the eyes from it. These are producers that essentially guarantee that you'll drink well."
Vineyard:
This Chenin Blanc comes from a certified organic and biodynamic site at the northern end of the cape. The vineyard is mostly unkept, unpruned and lacks traditional trellising. The vines sprawl everywhere where pigs, geese, guineafowl and cows roam free. The site faces north with a little creek running through the middle of the vineyard. Native flowers and plants grow under the rows with no herbicides or pesticides sprayed and no cultivation. It is one of only a few certified biodynamic vineyards in the region and was one of the first to receive Demeter certification.
The fruit was hand picked and showed varied levels of ripeness through the vineyard and crop, chilled overnight and hand sorted prior to being lightly cold pressed as whole bunches, very gently over a few hours.
Winemaking:
A small portion of the wine was destemmed and left on skins for 3 days cold soaking prior to pressing to provide texture. The juice was left to naturally settle prior to a wild fermentation. No malolactic fermentation and fortnightly lees stirring prior to being bottled with no fining and a light filtration.
Tasting:
Nose - Pastry, Honey, Apple Turnover
Pastry/baked apple pie, honey, apple turnover aromas.
Palate - Pink Grapefruit, Passiona, Pavlova & Lime
A tremendously intense and concentrated palate loaded with rich fruit.
Finish - Clean, Dry, Nutty
There's a semblance of sweetness in the middle but it's clean and dry at the finish. Nutty barrel ferment influence shows but it's subtle.
Pastry/baked apple pie, honey, apple turnover aromas, leading into a tremendously intense and concentrated palate loaded with rich fruit. There's a semblance of sweetness in the middle but it's clean and dry at the finish. Nutty barrel ferment influence shows but it's subtle. A spectacular chenin blanc. - Huon Hooke, The Real Review, 95 Points.
The Finer Details
Style - White Wine
Varietal - Chenin Blanc
Country - Australia
Region - Margaret River, Western Australia
Vintage - 2023
ABV - 14%
Other - Organic, Biodynamic, Vegan Friendly
