Pemberton

Sauvignon Blanc

Cherubino Pemberton sauvignon blanc 2024 ($39) Cherubino sources this savvy from the excellent Channybearup Vineyard in Pemberton. It’s a lightly framed wine but has a delightful crunchy vibrancy with the influence of a small amount of barrel fermentation and three months in oak bringing it to life. Nice fine minerality with a lightly tropical, citrus and guava complexity. Nice wine....

Pemberton

Sauvignon Blanc

I’m not sure how Cherubino has made a wine of this quality in such a hot year. But here you go. A sauvignon blanc from Pemberton which was naturally fermented and matured in French oak for eight months. Nutty stone fruit aromas and then a palate where the balance between the oak and fruit nails it. Textured and rich with...

Pemberton

Sauvignon Blanc

I've been a bit of a fan of this wine since I first saw it a few years ago. It's made in the fumé style, which means after natural fermentation it was matured in French oak, in this case for 4 months, but at the same time it retains its fine linear freshness with a minerally citrus note on the...

Pemberton

Sauvignon Blanc

A beautiful savvy from the Channybearup vineyard in Pemberton. Made in the fume style which means natural fermentation with maturation in oak for four months. There's a nutty fruit-driven aroma with a decent splash of citrus. The palate is generous and intense with a degree of complexity you expect from this fume style.

Pemberton

White Blend

This is pinot gris with a little difference. It's been partially fermented in oak so you get that textural richness to augment the steelier lean varietal characters of the pinot gris. Light and fine with an apple crumble and cut pear combo doing their thing.

Pemberton

Sauvignon Blanc

Crunchy apple and pear characters burst from the glass. This is savvy with a little extra, which comes from the partial barrel fermentation. Gee, it makes quite a difference, transforming that bright and fresh fruit savvy into a wine of great sophistication, but still a lot of fun.

Pemberton

Chardonnay

Sourced from Pemberton and shows that slightly lighter and more pristine character. It's made using a clay cement egg with the principle that the lees are constantly forced up allowing the juice to pick up flavour and mouth feel. It retains a delightfully light feel but with super intensity. An elegant wine with touches of lemon curd and quince gentle...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

A thoroughly beautiful, fresh and vibrant expression of pinot noir designed for drinking in the short term, but with some medium-term options. Comes from the Bellarmine Vineyard at Pemberton, and after 30% whole bunch in the fermentation, it was only lightly touched by oak. Fragrant strawberry and confectionary raspberry notes. The palate is light-bodied, but there is structure with a...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

The 2024 season, although it was hot, turned out to be a pretty good one in Pemberton, and this is a perfect example of what was produced. The aromas show slightly sour cherry, strawberry, and ever-so-faint truffly characters. There's even a little damp earthiness. The medium to light-bodied palate shows more strawberry notes with a touch of raspberry, so it's...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

A beautifully expressive and characterful wine with tremendous power and intensity. It delivers lots of vibrant flavours, with a pristine savoury oyster-shell minerality and a distinctive mineral, savoury, brioche-like character. The use of open-grained, larger-format oak, including about 30% new oak, adds texture without compromising the fruit. It’s all cool barrel fermented with predominantly wild yeasts, contributing to its individuality...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

Now, if you’re into chardonnay with that little extra oomph and richness then this one should be right up your alley. Loaded with butterscotch and ripe stone fruits with a creamy richness complemented by a steely minerality. Garland gets the fruit from Pemberton and then goes to work. A beautify.

Pemberton

Chardonnay

I reckon this wine is really starting to hit its groove. Like most of the chardonnays from this warm year, it was picked reasonably early, and the result is a wine that displays excellent fruit intensity, but with a crispness and a linear feel that defines the wine. Aromas of lemon curd, nectarine, and a little cashew feed into the...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

A delicious slightly sweet take on verdelho. Loads of tropical fruit with a splash of citrus and a squeeze of passionfruit pulp. The crisp acid ensures it never cloys, keeping the palate clean and fresh. Excellent spicy food drink.

Pemberton

Chardonnay

Beautifully crafted chardonnay demonstrating the virtues of Pemberton as a chardonnay region. The aromas are a mix of vanilla and butterscotch with a little lemon curd complexity. Flavours are intense and concentrated but with an effortless feel about them. Slightly nutty cashew with a spicy lift emerging. Classy wine.

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This is an exceptional 100% chardonnay sparkling wine that comes out of the Pemberton region. It's a delicately refined sparkling wine but with penetration and length. Aromas of lemon brioche and subtle saline notes a little sea spray. Then a palate that is balanced and linear. Has some lovely crunchy fruit with the added complexity coming from 18 months on...

Pemberton

Cabernet Sauvignon

Comes from Kosovich's Pemberton Vineyard, which he planted quite a few years ago now. The season was nigh on perfect. The aromas are lifted florals of red berry, blackcurrant, a little liqueur cherry. And then the palate is generous, medium-bodied, with succulent, juicy fruit characters. Buoyant with succulent red berries. Tannins show a fine chalky thread, and the oak is...

Pemberton

Red Blend

This combination of varieties has always been one preferred by the Kosovichs, and in this case, it comes from Pemberton. It's an example of the cooler climate influence on these varieties. Small open vat fermentation and then time in barrels for about 12 months has created a wine of elegance and style. The reserve wine is only made in the...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

Kosovich planted this vineyard some time ago and it's proved to be very good for chardonnay, especially. This one is a beautiful example of the exquisite, fine and delicate fruit you get from Pemberton, but at the same time, it has an underlying power and intensity. Some careful lees stirring and then time in fine-grained oak have created the texture...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

The Kosovichs source this from their Pemberton vineyard. It's an effortless wine of structure and poise. Cloves and spices with a dark liqueur cherry character on the nose. The palate is plush but there is a firmish core to support. Balanced and intense with a long finish.

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

Kosovich sources this from down at Pemberton where the guys planted a vineyard years ago. This is an excellent example of what they are doing. Aromas of bright red fruit showing a raspberry and light cherry combination. Bright crimson colour leads into a light bodied palate. But this has the firm core of serious pinot, a crisp fine acidity and...

Pemberton

White Blend

The fruit for this wine comes from John Brocksopp's property in Pemberton. Fermented with natural yeast in large format oak. This has a lovely texture but it is not overly heavy and thick. It retains a vibrant fine refreshing drive. There is the usual phenolic influence there but there is a fine lift on the nose and palate. Plenty of...

Pemberton

Arneis

From the Riversdale Vineyard at Frankland River comes this mighty impressive arneis. The use of partial barrel fermentation has taken a largely fruit driven wine into another level of complexity. You still have that red apple and pear character but there is a slightly toasty infusion that adds tremendously to the final picture. Even the guys in Piedmont, which is...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

This is an excellent pinot noir from an excellent season at Pemberton. It comes from the Channybearup Vineyard, which produces some outstanding fruit for Cherubino. The oak maturation, as the name suggests, was in foudre for about eight months. Aromas are quite beautiful, with a sour cherry and raspberry combination, then a palate that is medium-weight but with excellent structure....

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This is a lo-fi expression of Pemberton chardonnay, which gives quite a different dimension to this variety. It was whole bunch pressed and wild fermented in 500-litre French puncheons and ceramic eggs, with full solids used to add both texture and complexity. Has an intensity on the palate with fine, minerally fruit and slight and subtle nectarine characters. I like...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This is such a striking wine made from Pemberton chardonnay. It was fermented in a combination of older French oak puncheons and ceramic eggs and has produced a wine that is a pure, bright, and fresh expression of chardonnay from this terrific region. There's a nice lemon meringue character on the palate with a slightly savoury balancing offset. Beautiful mouthfeel,...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This Pemberton chardonnay from Bill and Dan Pannell really does capture so much about this vintage and this region. It has all the delicacy and refinement you expect from Pemberton, but there is a gradual build-up of intensity, which is clearly evident on the palate. Lightly fragrant floral nuances on the nose, with very subtle cashew nuttiness and a faint...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

The Pannells always thought that the 2024 vintage, which of course was very hot, was actually pretty damn good in Pemberton, and here is a compelling, overwhelming example that supports that claim. This is a beautifully presented, supple, generous, medium-bodied pinot, displaying all the virtues of the Pemberton region. There's a nice cherry, subtle, earthy, spicy note on the nose,...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

A wine hat has prompted me to reset my cellaring expectations for these wines. It has picked up a little colour but on the nose and palate it is still remarkably youthful with a lot of primary fruit. The nose has a subtle butterscotch and roasted cashew crème brulee character with a faint hint of toasty marmalade edging in. The...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This was still very tight at the time of tasting but as it breathed it opened up to reveal all that intensity and power in a deeply concentrated and supremely elegant palate. It's a fine style with an opening of lemon butter and subtle minerality. The palate has a controlled chalky character which contributes to its tight linear feel. It's...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

The beauty and pristine nature of this great vintage shine through in this thoroughly beautiful chardonnay. On the nose aromas of nectarine and peach merge with a splash of citrus and a layer of meal. Richer notes of crème brulee and lightly roasted cashew emerge from somewhere deep in the palate. It’s a finer style yet there is sustained persistence...

Pemberton

Chardonnay

There's a striking precision and fineness about a wine from a warm year that still produced excellent fruit in Pemberton. Aromas of peach and light ginger with floral, jasmine-like notes. The palate has a faintly creamy cashew complexity and a nice lift, finishing with a savoury light cashew influence.

Pemberton

Chardonnay

This is a single-vineyard chardonnay, dry-grown, cane-pruned, handpicked. But the key element is it's made of four Dijon clones. And that seems to have clearly impacted its detail and structure. It was aged in French oak barriques, of which 25% was new, for about 10 months. The aromas are more in the savoury spectrum with a slightly chalky, limestone-like character...

Pemberton

Red Blend

This is a blend of 65% merlot, 20% cabernet sauvignon and 15% cabernet franc. Takes the standard wine a little deeper and a little longer with an immediately more complex and layered palate profile. It gets an extra year in older oak which obviously plays a part in its palate feel, creating a nice softening effect. A most complete wine...

Pemberton

Red Blend

A Right Bank-inspired blend of dominant merlot with contributions from cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. It’s a slightly atypical Aussie style with its restrained elegance and less reliance on plump ripe fruit. This is one of the best. Bright aromas of bay leaf, black cherry and tomato bush. The palate is medium-weight with depth and poise. A fine lingering acidity...

Pemberton

Cabernet Sauvignon

This slightly more restrained vintage has contributed to a pretty and delightfully elegant wine. Has an engaging mix of light plum, cherry and licorice. On the finish a little chalky minerality adds that final tick. Love the oak and tannin integration which have contributed to the medium weight frit to create a thoroughly beautiful expression of these three varieties.

Pemberton

Red Blend

An elegant and stylish example from what was a cooler vintage, though it still crams plenty into its tight frame. There's a mix of blue and red fruits and a floral aroma. The palate is still quite tightly wound, yet the seamless integration of oak and fruit controls and extends through to a long finish with effortless ease. A nice...

Pemberton

Red Blend

Here is a sort of left bank, right bank combination. Seamlessly structured and intense red blend that captures what Pemberton can do when the season is right. Aromas of light cedar, some dark black fruits, a little perfumed lift. There's a subtle, earthy, gamey character lurking that adds so much complexity to the primary fruits. It's a wine that exhibits...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

A most pretty wine showing delightfully friendly primary red fruit characters on the nose and then into the palate. Floral notes merge with cherry and spicy slightly earthy notes. The palate is light bodied and deliciously fruit driven, displaying bright fruit characters. The palate is balanced with excellent tannin and oak harnessing the fruit, building relentlessly to a long finish.

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

This was a super year in the most parts of the State, and you can see the thoroughly beautifully expressive sweet and sour fruit characters immediately. First things, first. It totally belies its 10 years of age. Still with primary cherry and raspberry fruits but with that emergence of a meaty, truffly character the first signs of its maturity. Has...

Pemberton

Pinot Noir

Such an elegant and most beautifully pretty wine that is classically pinot in character and structure. The cooler year has held it tight and fine, yet the deeper fruit intensity emerges. The nose is a merging of cherry and spicy raspberry with a chalky limestone dusty overlay. The structure is still quite firm with chalky tannins running the show but...