L.A.S Vino Barrels of Metricup Chardonnay 2025

Ray Jordan “It’s a wine of incredible power and concentration, yet there is finesse and subtlety... The aim was to hardly touch the wine as it went through the process, and it captures everything expected from the power and richness of the Gingin clone. There’s lively energy and brightness from the citrus and lemony characters, followed by the richer opulence of the meringue and stone fruit palate. That subtle savouriness on the finish completes what is an outstanding wine.”

Vineyard
This is the fourth release from this exceptional certified-organic vineyard in the heart of Metricup, Margaret River. The 24-year-old Gin Gin Chardonnay vines are planted on sandy-loam topsoil over mottled clay - a distinctly different profile from the forest loams and mottled granite more commonly associated with Willyabrup.

Winemaking
The fruit was hand-picked, chilled and hand-selected before being whole-bunch pressed. Fermentation took place in ten barriques, just two of which were new. The wine underwent full malolactic fermentation, with fortnightly lees stirring, before spending ten months maturing in barrel. It was then blended and bottled unfined, with only a light filtration.

The Wine
A fascinating counterpoint to L.A.S. Vino’s ‘Wildberry Springs’ Chardonnay. Differences in sub-region, soil, climate and fermentation vessel give Barrels of Metricup an entirely individual personality. Metricup’s warm days build weight, richness and generosity, while the cooling afternoon breezes rolling in from the Indian Ocean preserve a wonderful sense of freshness and energy. There is plenty of Chardonnay richness here, but never heaviness: citrus, lemon and lime flow into lemon curd, ripe peach and stone fruit, underpinned by a lovely creamy texture from barrel maturation and lees work. The freshness provides the counterpoint, carrying everything through to a long, vibrant finish.

Made from certified-organic fruit and handled organically in the winery, this is a beautifully expressive interpretation of Metricup Chardonnay - generous, textural and richly flavoured, but with the freshness and precision that makes Margaret River Chardonnay so compelling.