The 2021 Chardonnay is creamy, salty and refined. As per usual for Pierro, there's a skein of crushed nuts and brine here. It's so polished and spicy as it is, with salted cashews, white peach, red apple skins, fresh grated nutmeg, almond meal, curry leaves ... it's all here. Seamless. Superstar. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

2020 in Margaret River came on quickly, was marred by tiny yields and seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. The wines are turning out to be real superstars. The 2020 Chardonnay has a pineapple tension in the mouth: it is spicy and plush and comforting and great. It has softer edges than the 2018 tasted alongside.

The 2018 vintage in Margaret River (you may be tiring of reading this from me) was one of the greatest, most balanced and powerful years in Margaret River's modern history. It favored both reds and whites and has imbued the wines with equal amounts of grace and coiled, rippling power. This 2018 Chardonnay is such a boisterous powerhouse, a big, big, palate-staining wine. It needs more time to soften out, chill out, shed some of its teenage youth. As an aside, the rarely seen but fervently recommended VR (Vintage Reserve) Chardonnay of the same vintage was a charming wonder and clocked in at around 98 points. A mind-blowing wine.

The Pierro 2016 Chardonnay is punctuated by really vibrant, juicy acidity in the mouth; this is soft and pliable and fresh and pretty. The fruit is still revealing all of its potential, I think. It remains somewhat closed, but it is lingering, long and fine… very very good. It’s all wrapped up in tannin and acid and polish that it’s still closed. How is that six years on….

This 2014 Chardonnay is a fresher and more vibrant version of 2012. This is softer somehow—plusher. It is pillowed and cushioned and salty, layered with preserved citrus, amaro herbs, rosemary, saltbush and fennel flower alongside all the peaches, apples and orchard goodness. This is a bit of a marvel. Whether the 2012 or the 2014 is in a better place right now remains to be seen… Both offer total pleasure, albeit from different sides of the same coin.