2025 L.A.S. Vino Barrels of Metricup Chardonnay | Margaret River | 97 Points

🏆 97 Points | The Son of Pierro's Founder Is Redefining Margaret River Chardonnay!

97 Points – Ray Jordan | 95 Points – The Real Review | 94 Points – The Wine Front

Certified Organic Gin Gin Chardonnay, 24-Year-Old Vines and an Extraordinary Winemaker!

2025 L.A.S. Vino ‘Barrels of Metricup’ Chardonnay

Metricup, Margaret River, Western Australia

RRP $78

What happens when the son of one of Australia's greatest Chardonnay pioneers decides to challenge the traditional rules of Margaret River winemaking?

You get L.A.S. Vino!

And what an extraordinary wine we have here.

The winemaker?

Nic Peterkin.

His father?

Dr Mike Peterkin – the legendary founder of Pierro!

And his mother, Shelley Cullen, comes from another of Margaret River's most important wine families.

That's a remarkable winemaking pedigree.

But here's what makes Nic particularly exciting.

He's not simply following in his parents' footsteps.

He's creating his own wines, with his own philosophy and his own understanding of what makes Margaret River so special.

And the 2025 L.A.S. Vino Barrels of Metricup Chardonnay is a magnificent example.

Look at these scores!

97 POINTS – RAY JORDAN!

95 POINTS – THE REAL REVIEW!

94 POINTS – MIKE BENNIE, THE WINE FRONT!

Three outstanding reviews for a Chardonnay made from certified organic fruit, grown on a fascinating vineyard in Metricup.

And the RRP?

Just $78!

This is exactly the sort of Chardonnay we love discovering at Liquid Vibe.

Nic Peterkin – One of Margaret River's Most Fascinating Winemakers

If there's one young-generation winemaker in Margaret River who deserves your attention, it's Nic Peterkin.

And his background is extraordinary.

His father, Dr Mike Peterkin, founded Pierro, one of Australia's greatest Chardonnay producers.

His mother, Shelley Cullen, is part of the celebrated Cullen wine family.

So Nic grew up surrounded by some of the most influential people in Australian wine.

But rather than simply joining one of the established family wineries, he decided to forge his own path.

He travelled internationally, gaining experience in countries including Mexico, the United States and Portugal.

And in 2013, he established his own label.

L.A.S. Vino.

The name stands for:

Luck. Art. Science.

Three things Nic believes are fundamental to making great wine.

And I love that philosophy.

Because exceptional winemaking isn't simply a technical exercise.

There's the science of fermentation and viticulture.

The artistry of blending and interpretation.

And sometimes a little luck from Mother Nature.

Nic combines all three.

Barrels of Metricup – Why This Chardonnay Is So Different

Here's something fascinating.

Margaret River is famous for Chardonnay.

But the region is far more diverse than many people realise.

Different vineyard sites can produce remarkably different expressions of the same variety.

And Nic Peterkin is determined to explore those differences.

His Barrels of Metricup Chardonnay comes from a certified organic vineyard in Metricup, within the Margaret River region.

The vines are approximately 24 years old.

And they're planted to the famous Gin Gin Chardonnay clone.

But here's what makes the vineyard particularly interesting.

The soils are sandy loam over mottled clay.

That's quite different from the gravelly forest loams associated with many vineyards around Willyabrup.

And the resulting wine has a distinctive personality.

More generous.

More powerful.

Beautifully textured.

But still with the freshness and acidity that makes great Margaret River Chardonnay so compelling.

The Gin Gin Clone – One of Australia's Great Chardonnay Stories

Here's something every serious Chardonnay lover should know.

The Gin Gin clone has played an enormous role in establishing Margaret River as one of the world's great Chardonnay regions.

It has become famous for its ability to produce wines with remarkable flavour concentration and natural acidity.

And one of its fascinating characteristics is its tendency towards uneven berry development within a bunch.

This is sometimes called hen and chicken.

The smaller berries can contribute concentration and intensity.

And in the right vineyard, the resulting wines can be extraordinary.

Think about the great Margaret River Chardonnay producers.

Pierro.

Leeuwin Estate.

Vasse Felix.

Cullen.

And now L.A.S. Vino is another producer demonstrating the remarkable potential of Gin Gin Chardonnay.

But Nic's interpretation is distinctly his own.

Certified Organic Vineyard – A Different Approach to Margaret River Chardonnay

The Barrels of Metricup Chardonnay comes from a certified organic vineyard.

And that's important.

Organic viticulture places an emphasis on soil health, biodiversity and managing the vineyard without prohibited synthetic inputs.

For Nic, vineyard farming is central to the character of the finished wine.

He works with growers who share his commitment to quality and sustainable practices.

And his approach in the winery is similarly thoughtful.

Minimal unnecessary manipulation.

Careful fermentation.

And a determination to preserve the vineyard's personality.

The result is a Chardonnay that combines remarkable richness with genuine freshness.

This is not simply a big, buttery Chardonnay.

It's a beautifully constructed wine with power, precision and complexity.

Winemaking – Ten Barrels, Two New, and Full Malolactic Fermentation

Here's where things get really interesting.

The 2025 Barrels of Metricup Chardonnay was made using a very deliberate approach.

The fruit was:

Hand-picked.

Chilled.

Carefully hand-selected.

Whole-bunch pressed.

And then fermented in ten French oak barriques.

Of those ten barrels, two were new.

That's approximately 20% new oak.

The wine underwent full malolactic fermentation, which contributes softness and texture.

Nic also carried out fortnightly lees stirring.

And the wine matured in barrel for 10 months.

It was then bottled unfined, with