2020 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay Australia

Family-owned, Leeuwin Estate, one of the five founding wineries of the now famous Margaret River district of Western Australia, is under the direction of two generations who work with a team of highly skilled winemakers to consistently produce wines ranking alongside the world’s finest. In 1972, legendary Napa Valley winemaker, Robert Mondavi, identified the future site of the Leeuwin vineyard as being ideal for the production of premium wine and provided early mentorship to Denis and Tricia Horgan in the transformation of their cattle farm into Leeuwin Estate. Enjoying its first commercial vintage in 1979, Leeuwin was thrust into the international spotlight when Decanter Magazine gave its highest recommendation to the 1981 “Art Series” Chardonnay. The international accolades have continued and Leeuwin now exports to 30 markets. Celebrating the combination of fine wine, food, art, and music, Leeuwin features an award-winning restaurant, cellar door, and art gallery. The Estate is renowned for staging spectacular events and welcoming visitors from around the world.

Leeuwin Estate releases wines under the Art Series, Prelude Vineyards, and Siblings labels. The “Art Series” represents Leeuwin’s most opulent and age-worthy wines and is identified with paintings commissioned from leading contemporary Australian Artists. Prelude Vineyards wines are made from fruit-producing the most readily expressive wines, with the objective that they will drink well soon after release, whilst the Siblings label celebrates family lineage and the three generations now leaving their footprints on Leeuwin Estate. They all share a place amongst the great wines of Australia, receiving much international acclaim and attention. Leeuwin’s Art Series Chardonnay and Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon are included in the wine auction house, Langton’s, prestigious classification. 

Aging: 11 months in 100% new Bordelais oak.

100% Chardonnay. Immaculate, powerful, intense nose with purity and clarity of primary fruit characterized by pear, white peach, lime curd, and custard apple. There are infinite layers of brioche, grilled hazelnuts, cinnamon quill, shaved nutmeg, black cardamom, and almond meal. A thread of graphite in the background adds elegant complexity. Penetration and drive with incredible shape and frame on the palate. The symmetry of layers, contours, and overall balance is precise. Pear, cut lime and nectarine are definite throughout. Sweet spice and elegant oak use sit neatly with the fruit, underlined by a delicate acid line, leading to a palate with effortless length.

The 2020 vintage in Margaret River was moderate to warm and will be forever remembered for the incredibly compacted harvest period, which started two weeks earlier than the 2019 harvest before it and was all wrapped up by Easter—that's largely unheard of. The 2020 Art Series Chardonnay leads with power and density, not unlike the 2018 before it. Tight and green in the glass, you get salted pear, white peach, nectarine, red apple skins, preserved citrus, and crushed shell. The wine has minerality and tension within the confines of the opulent fruit. Staggering length, as usual. The winemaking remains relatively consistent across the years: hand-picked fruit from Block 20 and 22 (planted in 1976 and 1978, respectively). Thirty percent of the cuve´e was whole bunch pressed to 100% new Burgundian oak, while the balance was destemmed, crushed and pressed to 100% new Bordelais oak. Sulfured post-ferment in order to discourage malolactic fermentation, both components remain in barrel for 11 months. Super wine. ~98 Wine Advocate

 A wine that tells the story of chardonnay's evolution in Margaret River and remains at the top of its game because it's a pure expression of place as much as the producer. It’s refreshing, classy and superfine, the acidity reining everything in and towards an outrageously long finish. Mesmerising. *Gold*  ~97 James Halliday

~97 The Wine Front