L.A.S Vino Chenin Blanc Between the Capes 2024

Stuart McCloskey, tasted 8th October 2025 "A maritime beauty that gently unfurls to fresh fennel, confit lemon, crisp apple, pithy grapefruit, wet stones, lots of saline along with subtle candle wax. Orange zest, quince, florals and ginger spice emerge with further aeration. The palate is wonderfully balanced, and I am loving the texture – it’s taut and does take some time to get going. I like the phenolic grip – pithy but in a refined way. Texturally, there is as much going on as the flavour (if not more). This invigorates the senses. It’s powerful and provides buckets of complexity. This taste of the sea – I adore the oyster shell brininess drenched in lemon… Incredible, salty length too. Yes, please… For the maximum enjoyment and impact – remove from the fridge, decant and serve in a large glass (Zalto Bordeaux or Burgundy). Cellaring? Today, this is delicious however, I believe the best years are to come. Drink now to 2030 / 2032."

VINEYARD

This wine brings together fruit from two distinct vineyards and three separate harvests.The first site—certified organic and biodynamic—was planted in 1992 at the northern tip of the cape. The vineyard faces north, with a creek winding through the middle, adding to its natural charm. We picked from this site twice, 20 days apart, to capture a spectrum of flavour and ripeness. The second vineyard lies in Willyabrup, with vines planted back in 1980. These grow in graniterich, red gravelly loam soils, right on the edge of the Willyabrup Brook. It’s a cooler site, sitting 80 metres above sea level, and produces beautifully loose bunches full of freshness and finesse.

WINEMAKING

Each batch of fruit was hand-picked with a wide range of ripeness levels—adding complexity and contrast. After chilling overnight, the bunches were carefully hand-sorted and lightly coldpressed whole. The juice was left to naturally settle before going into French barriques for fermentation. All were stirred fortnightly on lees to build texture and mouthfeel. The wine was bottled un-fined and only lightly filtered to keep things clean but honest.

TASTE

The CBDB is a single-vineyard, single-varietal expression. This Chenin Blanc, however, is a little more layered. It’s made from fruit across three very different vineyards in Margaret River, each bringing something unique to the mix. It’s a wine of texture, energy, and personality—with the kind of complexity that invites you back for another sip (and probably another bottle).