2023 L.A.S. Vino Pirate Blend

L.A.S. Vino |Margaret River |Touriga Nacional
One of the most charismatic red wines in Margaret River. Touriga, Tinta Cao, and Sousao all getting along like a house on fire.

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Sale price$74.00
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Description

Nic Peterkin has never been one to follow the Margaret River rulebook. The Pirate Blend is the ultimate proof of that - a trio of Portuguese varieties (Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cao, and Sousao) inspired by Nic’s time making wine in Portugal. We’ve tracked this wine since its first release, and it always feels a bit wild and untamed, even though there’s some seriously savvy winemaking behind the scenes.

The 2023 season in Yallingup was a beauty, with warm, even weather giving these 40-year-old dry-grown vines plenty of clarity. Nic puts in the hard yards with hand-picking and berry sorting before giving the wine 18 months in barrique to knit together. It’s a long stint in oak, but it’s exactly what’s needed to soften the edges of such dark, concentrated fruit.

It’s loaded with plum compote, blueberry, and dark chocolate, backed by sweet spices like cinnamon and clove. The tannins are silky and the finish has an exotic, cocoa-like grip that hangs around. It stands completely apart from the usual Cabernet-heavy landscape of the region, and it’s easily one of the most characterful reds we've seen this year.

Want to see what is on the cutting edge of Margaret River? The Pirate Blend is it!

93 points
"Mostly touriga nacional, with a fair whack of tinta cão and a decent glug of souzao. As usual, it’s an excellent combo. Give it some air space, as it’s a touch reductive when first opened, but that also adds a pleasing meaty/gamey character to the dark fruit. This is studded with Christmas cake spices – think star anise and cinnamon, even a touch of black pepper. Fuller-bodied, with plentiful tannins and ultra-refreshing acidity."
- Jane Faulkner (Halliday Wine Companion)

93 points - "Mostly touriga nacional, with a fair whack of tinta cão and a decent glug of souzao. As usual, it’s an excellent combo. Give it some air space, as it’s a touch reductive when first opened, but that also adds a pleasing meaty/gamey character to the dark fruit. This is studded with Christmas cake spices – think star anise and cinnamon, even a touch of black pepper. Fuller-bodied, with plentiful tannins and ultra-refreshing acidity." - Jane Faulkner (Halliday Wine Companion)

Pirates were the outlaws, the one’s who broke the rules , the fighters, the one’s who lust after life with gusto. They drank with a passion that was truly magnificant. For pirates liquor was the saviour; it soothed the heat of the sun and made the dark nights brighter. This blend is an ode to those salty sea dogs we left behind and those still sailing. Those willing to break the rules and live a life according to nothing but passion and the pursuit of personal desire.


The 2023 vintage was a fantastic vintage with warm weather leading to even ripening and good yields. The Pirate Blend contains three Portuguese varieties: Touriga Nacional for structure and depth. Tinta Cao for aroma and finesse. Sousao is the darkest berry I know, and you know what they say, the darker the berry, the sweeter the fruit. All the fruit was hand picked from 40 year old dry grown vines in Yallingup. The wine was both bunch and berry sorted prior to softening for 18 months in barrique


Tasting Notes:

Ruby red in hue. The wine displays notes of sweet spice, cinnamon, clove, plum compote, blueberry and dark chocolate. Soft silky tannins with an exotic mix of red berry fruit sweetness and cocoa on the palate. Long, complex and an intriguing finish.

Variety: 66.6% Touriga Nacional 26.6% Tinta Cao 6.9% Souzao

Vineyard: Yallingup, Margaret River
Soil: Gravelly loam

Maturation: 18 months in barrique

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type Red
Body Full Bodied
Variety Touriga Nacional
Country Australia
Region Margaret River
Australian State WA
Reviewed By Halliday Wine Companion
Critic Score 93
Alcohol 14%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure DIAM Cork

L.A.S. Vino

Nic Peterkin’s blood runs red with Margaret River wine.

The son of Pierro founder, Dr Mike Peterkin and Shelly Cullen, of you guessed it, Cullen wines fame, the force is strong with this one. His wines are out there, challenging the status quo of one of the country’s most respected wine-producing regions. This is the “New Guard” of Margaret River, and the wines are coming out all guns blazing.

Nic is playing with some varieties off the beaten path of classic Margaret River. The Chardonnays and Chenin Blancs are stellar, as is the Cabernet but the likes of Touriga Nacional and Sousao all find a home amongst his eye-catching range.

There's some serious substance to his project, being named as the 2016 Gourmet Traveller Young Winemaker of the Year for his eclectic and tantalising releases and recently named the Dark Horse of the Year at the 2023 Halliday Wine Companion Awards. Nic is one of the most creative and boundary-pushing winemakers in the country, without question. His Margaret River range is truly unlike anything else you will find in Australia.

Winemaker Nic Peterkin horsing around L.A.S. Vino

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