Wednesday Wines – Episode 273B – A Spectacular Chardonnay (Flavour & Value!)
2023 Cherubino, Ovale, Willows Vineyard Chardonnay, Wilyabrup, Margaret River, Western Australia (£38.00, www.goedhuiswaddesdon.com).
At a recent, landmark, Australian Chardonnay Masterclass, entitled ‘State by State, A Celebration of Premium Australian Chardonnay’ (organised by my wife, Amelia), it was clear to all who attended, which was the great and the good of the UK wine trade, that Aussie Chardonnay has long been a superstar category in the wine world, and, to some, leads the world in epic tasting, great value examples of this masterful variety. Larry Cherubino was invited to showcase no fewer than eight wines under his own name, and also one that he makes for Robert Oatley Wines. Every single wine was stellar, which is perhaps no surprise as he has been awarded my 100 Best Australian Wines Winemaker of the Year, as well as the IWSC White Winemaker and overall Winemaker of the Year, too. If I could draw your attention to two of this octet in particular, starting with 2023 Cherubino Black Label Pemberton Chardonnay (£150.00 per 6 bottles In Bond, www.farrvintners.com). This is one of the superstars in my 100 Best Australian Wines Report 2025, and it was a favourite on my Festival tour of the UK, where it shone like a beacon! If you like silky-smooth Chassagne-Montrachet, then this kicks most examples into a cocked hat for the price of a Mâcon Blanc!
And then, my featured wine is the extraordinary 2023 vintage of Larry’s Ovale Willows Vineyard Chardonnay. You might remember me doing backflips about the 2020 vintage, some 64 Wednesday Wines episodes ago. Well, this 2023 builds on the prowess of the 2020 with even more resonance, purity and equilibrium. It marries a perfect union of orange zest, honeysuckle, pear skin, brioche and spectacular, corseting oak. The result is a wine that sends most Meursault to the sin bin for transgressing the eternal rules of glory, balance and equilibrium. It is shapely, but toned, alluring, but demure, and the bottom line is that it is fabulously tasty, drinking now and only £38! 19/20 (Drink now – 2032)