Larrikins Chardonnay 2023

"A cracking little Margaret River gem from the McCoy family at Larrikins, proving you don’t need a big-name label to make bloody good Chardonnay. Classic Margaret River elegance with ripe fruit, creamy texture and just enough oak to keep things interesting.

An exceptional value drop with enough complexity to keep the wine nerds happy and the casual drinkers coming back for more."

The Taste Test

What's going on in the glass?

Enough to be enjoyable!

🪵🍦🍋‍🟩🍑

Looks: lightly golden

Smell: lime, peach, vanilla, oak

Taste: creamy, little acid

Feel: light to medium bodied

Goodbye: Not long enough

The Damage

What did I pay? A very reasonable price! 💰💰

What I paid: $22

Retails for: $22

Scored from: Online, direct

Total loot: x6

The Verdict

Would I buy it again? Oh shit yeh! 👍🏼 🙌🏼

The drink: 4/5

Bang for buck: 4/5

Go back factor: 4/5

Punt payoff: 4/5

Overall verdict: 4/5

A very, very decent drop from Margs!

Chardonnay has had a rough ride over the years. It’s either wine wankers banging on about “malolactic fermentation” and “flinty minerality”, or someone at a Collingwood vs Freo barbie saying, “Nah mate, I don’t drink Chardy, too fucken buttery!.”

Meanwhile, Chardonnay is quietly sitting there being one of the most versatile grapes around.

Enter the Larrikin Chardonnay from Margaret River - technically bordering Wilyabrup and Metricup, but meh, you get the gist. It’s pretty hard to find a bad Chardy down south, but these guys have nailed this one.

And the name? Larrikin sounds like the bloke who rocks up to a BBQ in thongs with an esky full of Great Northern, says he’s staying for one beer, then three hours later he’s still there talking about the roo bar on his 200 Series Cruiser.

Thankfully, the wine is a little more refined.

There’s stone fruit, citrus, vanilla and a touch of creaminess, with enough oak to give it some bass without feeling like you’re drinking Western Star. It’s fresh, rounded and bloody easy to drink.

And that’s what I love about it. No fancy cheese board or wine degree required - crack it while cooking dinner, pour it for your mates and watch the bottle disappear.

Is it a $150 Chardonnay that’ll change your life? Probably not.

Is it a bloody good little Margaret River Chardy that punches above its price and I’d happily drink again? Absolutely.

4/5 from the Plonk Punter and a well-earned induction into the Punter’s Pick.