Yokel Chenin Blanc 2023

“Yokel is the Jo Perry/Dormilona Swan Valley project, fertile ground these days for avant garde winemaking, which is a wonderful injection into a great wine region, often overlooked. Chenin is a staple there, and an asset. No slouch here. This one sees amphora, large format oak and tanks. Geewhiz, this drinks a treat. Limey, lemony, briny, slightly nutty too. Scents and flavours beautiful and energetic, slick texture upfront finds grip and pucker of talc-like mineral character. There’s a sense of ‘seaside white wine’ going on through it all. It’s how Aussie white wine feels best for gluggability and satisfying our cultural backdrop of easy drinking, sunshine, seafood, southeast Asian cuisine, Mediterranean dishes and the like. Repeat offend here, lots.”

“Made from fruit off the Pinelli vineyard, whole-bunch pressed to large-format oak, Italian amphora and stainless-steel tank. Regular lees stirring for a month to ensure mlf occurs, then racked, blended and bottled. A captivating drink because it’s super savoury, slightly salty, as in lemon salt, and very refreshing. Expect lemon-lime juice with an intriguing texture and flavour I liken to zinc, mouth-watering acidity and refreshment guaranteed. If you’re into seafood, this is your partner, or try it with tempura vegetables dipped in Kewpie mayo.”