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Pierro LTC, a blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and a little touch of Chardonnay which in the early days was known as ‘Les Trios Cuvees’, owes much of its freshness to the production regime.
There is no mystery attached to how reliably good this wine is year in, year out. It is always in the top five best SSBs in the region. And when one considers that Margaret River is one of the best places on the planet to produce this vibrant white blend, you are bound to be in for a treat.
There are usually about 10 components in making the LTC at Pierro…and here comes another shifting enigma based on a quarter century of experimentation in the winery. All the sauvignon is fermented in stainless steel; some of the semillon is barrel fermented; the chardonnay is sometimes fermented in stainless steel and sometimes in oak; a component undergoes the malolactic fermentation while some does not; different yeasts are used for different batches; and some batches are fermented at warmer or cooler temperatures. Did you get that? Hence the wine truly has the Peterkin special sanction, not to mention some LTC, or a “little touch of cunning”.
However all of the above is done to build layers of complexity in the wine and to increase its capacity to age. While the 2009 certainly displays this complexity, it has immediate appeal as a classic Margaret River SSB. It offers up crisp, grassy aromas with a hint of citrus and melon. The palate is fine and delicate, has an unctuous mouthfeel, and is rich and deeply concentrated. There is a hint of grassiness and some gentle lemony acidity on a long, lingering finish. Here is a subtle white that has wonderful harmony, but also a vibrancy and finesse that supports a delicious foundation of fruit characters. There is no question mark over the wine’s ability to age or its capacity to improve with short-term cellaring.
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