MYSTERY GEM | MARGARET RIVER, CHENIN BLANC 2025

Set in the cool, coastal surrounds of Western Australia’s Margaret River, this Chenin Blanc is drawn from a vineyard east of Cowaramup, where an east–west row orientation and naturally temperate conditions encourage slow, even ripening. The 2025 season delivered warm days, cool nights, average yields, and no disease pressure, allowing fruit to come in clean, ripe, and full of flavour while retaining bright natural acidity. The result is a wine that captures the prettiness, purity, and finesse typical of this prized Margaret River site.

Very pale straw with a green hue, it opens with lifted aromatics of citrus blossom, lemon, lime, and honeysuckle. The palate is lively and inviting, offering flavours of preserved lemon and tropical fruit, with subtle hints of almond. Fresh acidity drives the wine’s length, while a gentle, lees-built texture wraps around the vibrant line, making each sip both zippy and moreish.

Harvested in the cool of early morning, the fruit was gently crushed and pressed on arrival at the winery, with juice settled before being racked high solids included into a mix of tank and barrel for fermentation. An aromatic yet complex yeast strain and cool ferment temperatures helped preserve freshness and detail, while regular bâtonnage on light lees built supple mouthfeel. After three months on lees, the wine was blended and filtered prior to bottling, ensuring clarity without losing vibrancy.

A beautiful match for food, it pairs effortlessly with roast pork and spiced roast apples, where the wine’s citrus lift and gentle tropical richness cut through savoury depth and echo the sweetness of the dish. Enjoy now for its youthful charm, or cellar for a few years to build added complexity.