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For wine information, please see www.village-cellars.co.jp.* The Darling Scarp or Darling Ranges is an escarpment formed by an exposed fault, where a plateau 230-400m above sea level drops to the coastal plain. Once considered a mountain range, it runs north-south from east of Perth to south of Pemberton, literally standing out from the Great Plateau, a vast plateau of ancient bedrock and soil which makes up almost the entirety of the vast state of Western Australia. Left: Soaking Vermentino in seawater on the coast. Right: Hosting the International Chenin Blanc Symposium in Margaret River.《From Village Cellars》We visited Pierro in March this year. At the winery close to the densely planted fields we experienced pigeage (punch down) and tasting from the fermentation tanks and barrels, and after a short break with a cold beer, tasting some lightly aged Cabernet Merlot and VR Chardonnay. Just as we were getting a sense of Pierro’s high quality, Nic brought out the Las Vino Granite Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon, saying, “Let's try these too!” From the look on his face as he talked about them, we could see he was enjoying winemaking in a different way from Pierro. The high quality of the wines impressed the sommeliers who were with us, and asked if they were available in Japan. This is another reason why we are re-introducing Las Vino. 2024Autumn Village Cellars Wine Cataloguewinemaking, and the packaging, to create an emotional connection to the wine.What this ethos translates into is organically grown where possible, unique sites whether that is soil composition or the varieties planted or a combination of both, that make unique and different tasting wine. These sites take a while to find, but growing up in the region you develop relationships with growers and stumble upon them. For my first vintage I made 3 wines, CBDB - Chenin Blanc Dynamic Blend, a wild-ferment Chardonnay, and a ‘Pirate Blend’ of three classic Portuguese varietals, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cao and Sousao. Over the years I have added further wines as I get introduced to new beautiful vineyards. ――The key to all LAS Vino wines is quality. The quality of the fruit is first and foremost, and it is complemented by a minimalist approach in the winery, preferring hand over machinery, and patience to allow things to develop naturally. That said, especially in the early days I had a higher appetite for risk ‒ if the first wines never worked out, what did I have to lose? (his credit lines were maxed out so actually quite a lot!). So I could experiment with the grapes that other people were ignoring. I use natural fermentation, and over time have come to use large-format oak and amphoras which impart a different texture. We continue to learn and try something new each vintage. In 2022 for instance, working with friends we made 4 barrels of Vermentino, half of which we immersed as whole bunches in seawater for 40 hours, to see the impact of the salt water and if we could minimize the use of sulphur. The result was one barrel that was too salty that was made into Vermouth (another opportunity) and the other 3 barrels were blended to create the wine. The Vermentino had about half the salt content of the ocean and a very unique texture and flavour. ――I’m the general manager. My dad Mike only retired from his medical practice 3 years ago, and wanted to focus on the things he enjoys most ‒ he’s in charge of the winemaking and vineyard direction. Christian our senior winemaker makes the wines and Kip our vineyard manager tends to the vines. As general manager of Pierro and Fire Gully I gently steer the ship. I guess I look at it a bit like a coach, letting the players shine and giving a little guidance and direction applying an overview of the playing field where you can see it as an entirety. It also means I do all the paperwork and business side of the winemaking, applying the finance and business knowledge from my studies.――We will only make 20-30 tons max a year. That’s as much as I can handle with the help of a small team. It allows me to be hands-on in every aspect of the winemaking, and what is happening in every barrel. We make roughly 200 dozen of each of our wines, in the winery at Pierro. We aim to grow, not in production but in quality each year, being small in size helps us in that ethos. CODE12925L.A.S. Vino Granite Grenache 2023 Region: Fergusson Valley, Geographe, Western AustraliaVarietal: Grenache　Alc.13.9％on a north-facing granite slope at 300m above sea level in Fergusson Valley. Bunch and berry sorted prior to a natural ferment in large-format oak, with 20 per cent whole bunch providing structure and aromatics. Aged in amphora and large oak barrels for 11 months. Bottled with no fining and a light filtration. ”RRP　￥8,200“ From a stunning vineyard on the Darling Scarp*, that sits CODE12096CODE12926Region: Margaret River, Western AustraliaVarietal: Cabernet Sauvignon　Alc.15.0％could I add that other wineries in Margaret River aren’t already doing? But I was offered these very special Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, which come from the same organic and biodynamic vineyard as the CBDB Chenin Blanc in Yallingup. The fruit was handpicked, hand-sorted, and naturally fermented as whole berries in large-format oak, with a small portion left on skins for 12 months to add depth and flavour.”PierroFire Gully Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2019 (Screw Cap)Region: Margaret River, Western AustraliaVarietals: Sauvignon Blanc 90% / Semillon 10% Alc. 12.8%PierroSauvignon Blanc Semillon L.T.C. 2023 (Screw Cap)Region: Margaret River, Western AustraliaVarietals: Sauvignon Blanc 50% / Semillon 43% / Chardonnay 7% Alc. 13.2%CODE12859Pierro & Fire GullyThe history of creating premium wines in Margaret River is intertwined with Pierro’s story. Established by Michael Peterkin in 1979, Pierro pioneered high-density planting of 4,000 to 5,500 vines per hectare on a block of rocky land purchased in Wilyabrup in Margaret River. Pierro was the first to make a Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend in Australia, a style now synonymous with Margaret River. Today Pierro adds a little touch of Chardonnay and calls it LTC. The winery also forged a global reputation for the quality of their Chardonnays and reds that express their unique site. In 1998 they bought the nearby Fire Gully Estate to craft classic Margaret River varietals that express the region that are all hand-picked, hand-made and incredibly good value.◆ How does LAS Vino stand apart?◆ What is your role at Pierro?◆ What does the future hold for L.A.S. VinoL.A.S. Vino Cabernet Sauvignon 2022※ See p.31 for tasting noteRRP　￥3,000RRP　￥4,400A small amount of Chardonnay is blended with Semillon & Sauvignon Blanc. The result is a refreshing flavor and a balanced depth of umami, leading to an elegant finish. The fruit is handpicked at different times, and a portion is fermented and aged in barrels, adding a suitable richness and complexity.〈Yasuhiro Momma, Sales Team〉RRP　￥9,500“ I avoided making a Cabernet for many years, because what －7－NEWNEW