2024 Cherubino Ovale Caves Road Chardonnay, Margaret River

The Cherubino Ovale Caves Road Chardonnay is a refined expression of Margaret River’s southern coastal corridor, where sea breezes, ancient soils and careful hands converge to craft wines of depth and distinction. Larry Cherubino, one of Western Australia’s most revered winemakers, brings a deft and detailed touch to this cuvée, selecting fruit from prime vineyard parcels along the famed Caves Road, where gravelly loams and cool maritime influences create Chardonnay with energy, structure and poise.

This wine opens with notes of white nectarine, grilled lemon, cashew and struck match, revealing a complex interplay of fruit purity and sulphide-driven savouriness. There's a flinty edge from wild fermentation and extended lees contact, while fine French oak adds discreet spice and creaminess without overpowering the mineral frame. It has that wonderful tension you find in top-tier Margaret River Chardonnay—the richness is there, but it’s coiled and focused, not overblown.

The name Ovale hints at rounded elegance, but don’t be fooled—this is no soft and simple chardonnay. It has backbone, drive and a saline finish that begs for something like seared scallops, crayfish ravioli or roast chicken with preserved lemon. Cellaring over the next 8 to 10 years will bring deeper layers of almond, nougat and baked citrus.