About
Essence
The wines of Pierro are the culmination of passion, innovation, location, climate and time. Wherever our wines are enjoyed around the world today they invariably impart a tangible trace of their idyllic place of origin – warm southern climes, ancient soils, healthful vines and years of skilled hands-on viticulture and winemaking. For over four decades, we have striven to fuse these elements to produce superior wines of singular extraction, character and elegance. Our quest for heightened quality continues with each passing vintage.
Location
We are fortunate in that our beautiful Willyabrup vineyard is located in what is widely regarded as amongst the finest wine grape growing terrain in the world. Located in the heart of Western Australia’s renowned Margaret River wine region, this far-flung locality has a viticultural pedigree second to none.
Surrounded by open water on three sides between capes Leeuwin and Naturaliste, the wine region is almost completely free of pollutants and contaminants. Year-round it is swept by pure, cool sea breezes, blowing in off the Indian and Southern Oceans. Mild, wet winters and sun-splashed summer seasons add to the viticultural equation.
Vineyard
Mike was anything but conventional when it came to establishing Pierro. In fact, in many areas of the vineyard he went completely against the customary methodology.
The soils are moderately deep laterite gravel with interspersed granite, over ancient base rock with friable pink clay merging into a shattered rock layer. These granite soils are some of the most open, warm and well drained of our viticultural soils, allowing great root penetration and exploration.
Pierro was the original high-density vineyard planting in Margaret River and also one of the first in Australia. Vine density ranges from 4,000 to 5,500 vines per hectare, compared to a conventional Australian vineyard of 1,900 per hectare. This was to make the vines more competitive, balance their fruit yield and promote flavour intensity.
Irrigation at Pierro is different from other vineyards in Margaret River. Mike attempts to reproduce natural rainfall patterns when watering, giving the vines a good drink when they need it, rather than trickle or drip-feeding. This mimics a typical summer shower.
Soil, aspect, and a high number of vines per hectare are the critical factors for achieving high quality at Pierro. The vines all face the sun on the mid- to low slopes of the rolling gravel hills formed by the dissecting creek system. The vineyards are managed to maximise fruit, leaf and cane exposure to sunlight; minimise wind damage in the often blustery southern spring; and to heighten flavour development in the summer ripening period.
As it turned out, this lovely Margaret River vineyard, first planted in 1980, now produces a delightful array of wines, including of course one of the world’s most coveted chardonnays.
Founder
Mike emphasises the primacy of viticulture in determining wine quality. For him, winemaking involves team effort, with everything from pruning to hand-picking to bottling contributing to the character of the finished wine. Here is a man who doesn’t crush grapes; he hugs them into the bottle.
Mike also continues to develop the winery with state-of-the-art technology. The winemaking philosophy has always been to combine the traditional hand made techniques of the Old World with the modern technology of the New World. Therefore all the fruit is picked carefully by hand and then chilled before pressing to retain the fruit flavours and aromas. The fruit is then handled in the winery in small batches so each particular vineyard area can receive the attention it deserves.
The result of all this planning, design and hands-on innovation is amply expressed in the Pierro wines.
In the words of Jeremy Oliver, one of Australia’s most highly respected wine writers: “Pierro is one of the few Australian wineries that could claim to have established a trend that many others have followed. Since the mid-1980s Mike Peterkin has crafted a Chardonnay of not only monumental power, but of simultaneously smooth and silky delivery.”
“Pierro Chardonnay is the role model for so many of Australia’s more opulent and hedonistically proportioned chardonnays and is a stunning expression of Margaret River Chardonnay.”
(Image: Pierro Team | www.pierro.com.au)
2025 Blanc de Blanc White blend (Gewurztraminer / Chenin)
Chenin Blanc from 1980 plantings at the Pierro vineyard (touch Viognier and Gewurztraminer from 2025). Hand-picked, chilled, hand sorted and fully whole bunch pressed. Fully fermented in stainless steel to retain freshness and aromatics. 12 grams of residual sugar – ‘off dry’
2025 ‘L.T.C’ - Semillon / Sauvignon Blanc (little touch of Chard)
History - ‘A Classic’
A classic isn’t just something that is famous or distinctive from a past era. It’s something that continues to be relevant and useful outside the specific time it was created. In 1979 Mike Peterkin produced Australia’s first Semillon Sauvignon Blanc. Working at Cullen’s at the time, the wine went on to win a trophy at the Perth Royal Show. He never claimed any originality for the idea, he simply borrowed it from the French. In 1980 he was so convinced of the blend’s potential in Margaret River he devoted a third of the Pierro plantings to the varieties. The L.T.C. has been judged over the last 40 years as not only the first, but as the one of the best in its class. A wine of place, of time and of the people who brought the style to Australia. In the words of Coco Chanel: “Fashion fades, style remains”
Vineyard
Parcels of fruit are hand-picked from several blocks from the Willyabrup sub-region. The oldest vines were planted in 1980 with the youngest planted in 2006. All vines are considered mature and are grown in the gravelly loam granite soils so prevalent in the Willyabrup valley. All vineyard parcels are situated within 3km of the coast and are influenced by the maritime climate and fresh, pure ocean sea breezes prevalent during the growing season.
Winemaking
Each parcel is hand-picked, chilled, hand-sorted and whole bunch pressed. There are multiple picks for this wine. With the first batches being picked for aromatic complexity and acidity, and the latter being picked for flavour and texture. Each batch is kept separate and inoculated with different yeasts depending on the variety and date picked. During this time a small amount is fermented in new and mature French oak barriques for 1-2 months for mouthfeel and texture. These different elements combine as a whole to provide an incredible amount of complexity to the final wine. The separate batches are then combined and left on fermentation lees for 3-4 months prior to bottling.
Varietal Content
Sauvignon Blanc - delicate perfumed aroma and youthful fresh flavour (49.4%), Semillon - gives the wine the ability to mature gracefully (47%), Chardonnay - completes the wine providing body & power (3.6%).
Tasting Notes
A light dry wine, delicious when young but has the capacity and backbone to mature and develop in the bottle for many years. Flavours of citrus, pear, green apple, melon and tropical fruit. Fresh, crisp and dry with both complexity and elegance. An ideal accompaniment to seafood and white meat dishes.
2027 Chenin Blanc - Released Spring 2027
2025 Chardonnay - Released November 2026
History
In the words of Jeremy Oliver, “Pierro is one of the few Australian wineries that could claim to have established a trend that many others have followed. Since the mid 1980’s Mike Peterkin has crafted a chardonnay of not only monumental power, but of simultaneously smooth and silky delivery”. The Pierro ‘style’ was first made in 1986 and refined with every subsequent vintage. Mike had initially intended to specialise in Riesling on his Willyabrup plot, so it was a tad fortuitous that Chardonnay became Pierro’s most famous wine. His vine supplier had been let down on a large order of Chardonnay rootstock, approximately 5000 cuttings, and offered them to Mike at a cut price. In order to help out his friend he agreed to take them. It was an inspired decision. Today the Pierro is regarded as one of the finest Chardonnays in the region. Seeing as Margaret River is indisputably Australia’s premier Chardonnay producing region, this is a major honour.
Vineyard
Today there are five distinct blocks of Chardonnay on the property in Willyabrup, with the average vine age reaching 30 years. 90% of the Pierro Chardonnay is the Gin-Gin clone which has proven itself to produce the best quality wine and one that has been particularly successful in Margaret River. Each block features unique high-density narrow rows on rocky soil that slope down to the Willyabrup Brook and are orientated to the west and north. The vineyards are managed to maximise fruit, leaf and cane exposure to sunlight; minimise wind damage in the spring and to heighten flavour development in the summer ripening period.
Winemaking
Each parcel is hand-picked, chilled, hand-sorted and gently whole bunch pressed. There are multiple picks for this wine. With the first batches being picked for aromatic complexity and acidity and the latter picked for flavour and body. All juice is settled and then fermented in French barriques. The wine goes through a full malolactic fermentation which helps achieve superior texture, mouth feel and a more refined, persistent flavour. Lees are stirred fortnightly by hand in barrel over a period of 12 months prior to blending, settling and bottling. The result is a world class white which is well entrenched in the top Chardonnay’s of Australia.
Tasting Notes
This is a wine of great finesse yet impressive power, tight structure yet generosity of flavour. Ripe melony, peachy characters yet noticeable restraint and subtlety. An unctuous mouth-feel yet with taut, fine acidity on the finish. It will start to be at its best a year from release and will continue to mature gracefully for another 10 years. An ideal accompaniment to seafood and white meat dishes. Ideal cellaring temperature is a constant 14-16 degrees celsius.
2023 ‘VR’ Chardonnay - Released May 2027
2024 ‘L.T.C.f’ - Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot (little touch of Cab Franc)
Vineyard
Parcels of fruit are hand-picked from several blocks from the Pierro estates. The oldest vines were planted in 1988 with the youngest planted in 1998. All vines are mature, low yielding and are grown in the gravelly loam granite soils prevalent in the Willyabrup Valley. Unlike other vineyards in the region, the Pierro vineyard has high density plantings. This leads to a lower quantity of higher quality, balanced fruit on each vine rich in concentration and flavour. All vineyard parcels are situated within 3km of the coast and are influenced by the maritime climate and fresh, pure ocean sea breezes prevalant during the growing season.
Winemaking
The fruit for this wine is hand-picked over a 14 day period in late March. All grapes are chilled then both bunch and berry sorted by hand. What remains is a black caviar appearence to the resulting berries. These whole berries are placed into small open fermenters and plunged by hand three times per day. The wine is left with skins for an average of 20 days before pressing and maturation in 33% new, 1,2 and 3 year old French barriques for 11-12 months. Each year the blend changes slightly depending on the vintage and the yield. But every year the aim is to create a wine that is delicious when young, complex but also elegant, smooth and easy drinking.
Varietal Content
Cabernet Sauvignon - for structure, length and tannin (60.2%), Merlot - smooths the wine, provides softness and depth (24.8%), Cabernet Franc - gives aromatic complexity to the blend (13.3%), Malbec (1.7%)
Tasting Notes
Smooth, silky soft and attractive. An easy drinking medium bodied red wine with elegant flavours of blackberry, cassis mulberry & plum. Best served with red meat dishes such as lamb and duck or alternatively rich pasta dishes with good friends.
2022 Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot ‘Reserve’
Vineyard
Parcels of fruit are handpicked from the north facing slopes of Pierro property in Willyabrup. Each block features unique high-density narrow rows on rocky soil that slope down to the Willyabrup Brook. All vines are mature (over 30 years old), low yielding, with the canopy pruned so the fruit rests close to the earth. This leads to a lower quantity of higher quality, balanced fruit on each vine rich in concentration and flavour. All vineyard parcels are situated within 3km of the coast and are influenced by the maritime climate and fresh, pure ocean sea breezes prevalent during the growing season.
Winemaking
The fruit for this wine is handpicked over a 10 day period between late March and early April. All grapes are handpicked, chilled then both bunch and berry sorted by hand. What remains is a black caviar appearence to the resulting berries. The grapes are fermented in open fermenters, plunged by hand three times per day, with a portion left to macerate for between 30-40 days to enhance structure and flavour. 70% of the wine is matured in new French oak for a period of 18 months which has resulted in additional complexity and structure as well as helping soften the tannins. This is a 10 barrel blend of the best quality red fruit that Pierro grows from the oldest Cabernet vines on the property.
Varietal Content
This wine was vintaged from four different varieties, each making a distinctive contribution.
Cabernet Sauvignon - provides power and longevity (71.4%), Merlot - adds richness and opulance (15.9%), Petit Verdot - structure and complexity (10%), Cabernet Franc - fragrance and delicacy (2.7%).
Tasting Notes
A smooth, rich fullbodied red wine. With flavours of blackberry, mulberry, blackcurrant, plum and spice. Graceful and sophisticated fine tannins providing both incredible structure and length. Best served with Margaret River beef cooked over coals.
2022 ‘VR’ Cabernet Sauvignon - Released May 2027
(Image: Berry sorting at Pierro | www.pierro.com.au)