99 Points
98 Points
98 Points
97 Points
97 Points

Leeuwin Estate 'Art Series' Chardonnay 2020 Magnum 1.5L

SKU: LECH202020 UCAU

$509.99

Unit price: per

Textural, layered and complex Chardonnay.

Australian Chardonnay at its best.

Grapefruit, pear, nougat, brioche, cinnamon & graphite. Wine with incredible poise and presence, with a long life ahead.

Critic Scores

99 // Ray Jordan

"It would not surprise me if this was considered the greatest Leeuwin chardonnay yet. You would get no argument from me... there is elegance and power here. Subtle layered wine. It was a year of great concentration and power. Has pear and lime character that is part of the DNA. The fruit is generous, especially about the mid palate. Has a subtle and not overstated flinty character with a lift of spice. The oak is brilliantly managed and complementary. It's very tight and precise and the whole-bunch technique gives it that stalky, phenolics character. There's a savoury almond meal character on the finish. Incredible length and power here. The minerally character on the finish is quite pronounced. In the top three, certainly, of any Leeuwin chardonnay."

98 // Erin Larkin

"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 cuvée 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 // Ken Gargett – Winepilot.com

"The latest release, the 2020 (A$160), is considered by many to be as good as any ever made, and it is hard to disagree. 100% new French oak used in maturation here. The wine is the palest yellow, with a nose immediately screaming complexity. Hazelnuts, stonefruits, florals, pears, matchsticks and spices, there is a fine minerally backing here, supporting the wine and maintaining intensity for the full, very long, journey. Touches of the lime notes, typical in this wine, are evident, as is that more-ish salinity on the conclusion. Great intensity, and yet such is the balance that it seems almost imperceptible. Power, layering, elegance and extraordinary length. I gave it 98, but that seems a little cruel. It will drink beautifully for a decade or two and will no doubt reach even higher levels."

97 // James Halliday's Wine Companion

"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."

97 // Campbell Mattinson

"This is a peach of a wine. One sip and wow, you’re into its wonderful world. It has one foot entirely in the elegant camp, and the other comprehensively in the domain of power. It’s seamless. There are peach, cedarwood, white flower, ginger and custard-like characters, along with quartz, though it’s all just rolled and reamed into one. The length of it; it’s brilliant. The off-hand confidence. This is a super release."

Product Details

White

2020

Chardonnay

Leeuwin Estate

Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia

10-15 Years

Stelvin

13.5%

1.5L (Magnum)

In Stock

ONLY 2 LEFT IN-STOCK!

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Description
Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay on release is an achingly painful thing to drink, because once you've known the utter pleasure these wines bring at 5 or more years of age, it becomes a mess of cognitive dissonance to drink them so young. They are closed, taut, coiled, but more than anything, populated by rippling fruit that undulates untold through the interminably long finish. They typically don't reveal their kaleidoscopic spice and prismatic fruit flavour until a little further down the track. So, all I can humbly do here, is place the vintage in context. Through the lens of the cool year, this glitters with a purity and finesse that is deeply attractive. Aligned in style with the 2017.
Tasting Profile

Light

Full

Low Tannin

Tannic

Sweet

Dry

Low Acidity

High Acidity

Aroma:

Apple, Lemon, Nectarine

Palate:

Apple, Cream, Peach

Food Pairings:

Cheese

Fish

Poultry

Tasting Notes

Description

Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay on release is an achingly painful thing to drink, because once you've known the utter pleasure these wines bring at 5 or more years of age, it becomes a mess of cognitive dissonance to drink them so young. They are closed, taut, coiled, but more than anything, populated by rippling fruit that undulates untold through the interminably long finish. They typically don't reveal their kaleidoscopic spice and prismatic fruit flavour until a little further down the track. So, all I can humbly do here, is place the vintage in context. Through the lens of the cool year, this glitters with a purity and finesse that is deeply attractive. Aligned in style with the 2017.

Tasting Profile

Light
Full

Low Tannin
Tannic

Sweet
Dry

Low Acidity
High Acidity

Aroma:

Apple, Lemon, Nectarine

Palate:

Apple, Cream, Peach

Food Pairings:

Cheese

Fish

Poultry

Leeuwin Estate

One of the five founding wineries of the Margaret River district of Western Australia, Leeuwin Estates is proof of the importance of family in winemaking. Since buying their Margaret River property in 1969, the Horgan family has evolved into a team of passionate, highly-skilled winemakers.

Their commitment to excellence across all aspects of their business makes the team behind Leeuwin more than deserving of their many successes. As well as producing truly world-class wine, the estate features an award-winning restaurant, an incredible art gallery, and a venue for live music. Leeuwin Estate's longstanding mission of offering a nonpareil experience to their guests has endeared them to countless wine lovers the world over.

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