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Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
Margaret River
$159.00
Min. Quantity: 1
The Leeuwin Estate Art Series 2021 Chardonnay has an immaculate, powerful, intense nose with purity and clarity of primary fruit aromas and flavours, characterised by pear, white peach, lime curd and custard apple. There are infinite layers of brioche, grilled hazelnuts, cinnamon, shaved nutmeg, black cardamom and almond meal. Slight graphite in the background adds an elegant complexity, while the layers, and overall balance are very precise. Pear, cut lime and nectarine are definite throughout. Sweet spice and elegant oak are balanced with the fruit aromas and flavours, underlined by a delicate acid line, leading to a palate with effortless length. An impressive Margaret River Chardonnay, as always. Ideal with crayfish, roast chicken or baked salmon.
Expert Reviews & Awards
"Cool destemmed fruit with some skin contact. The juice was settled for 3 days, racked and inoculated with yeast. 100% of the juice was fermented in new French oak barriques with the lees stirred regularly. After 11 months in barrels the various components were blended, fined (bentonite, PVPP, milk) and cold stabilized. Bottled 19–21 August 2019. Benchmark pedigree Margaret River chardonnay from the perfect 2018 vintage. Kaffir leaf, ocean spray, nectarine, yellow peach, custard apple and white peach are the start. Saffron curls, vanilla pod and freshly grated nutmeg frame saline acidity, crouched and coiled. Length of flavour extends across the palate in an endless procession of texture and complexity. All of the power, grace and excellence of previous years is here, amplified." (On the 2018 vintage).
Halliday Wine Companion - August 2021 (EL). — 98 Points
Winemaking Notes
Cool destemmed fruit with some skin contact. The juice was settled for 3 days, racked and inoculated with yeast. 100% of the juice was barrel fermented in new French oak barriques and the lees stirred regularly. After 11 months in barrels the various components were blended, fined, cold stabilized and bottled.
Cellaring Notes
Cellar for 15 -17 years from release.
Producer
Leeuwin Estate
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. The prestigious Langton’s Classification of Australian wine includes Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay in the top “Exceptional” category and amongst the iconic “Heritage five” celebrating Australia’s most exceptional, ground-breaking wines, whilst Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon is classified as “Outstanding”. Leeuwin Estate has been included in US ‘Wine & Spirits’ Magazine’s Hall of Fame in the category of ‘International Wineries of the Year’ and with point scores as high as 98/100, US ‘Wine Spectator’ has included Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnays amongst the “Top 100 Wines of the Year” on numerous occasions. Leeuwin Estate’s Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon has been a UK ‘Decanter’ Magazine “Top 50 Wine of the Year” and a US ‘Wine & Spirits’ “Top 100 Wine of The Year”, whilst leading Australian wine commentator, James Halliday, includes Leeuwin in his ‘Top 100 Australian Wineries’. 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.
Variety
About Chardonnay
Chardonnay This famous French variety is easily the most recognised and enjoyed white wine worldwide. Chardonnay has been grown in, experimented with and been successfully adapted to just about every wine-producing region on earth. Chardonnay offers diverse styles from the lean, steely structured, crisp and clean styles, to the more rich, full bodied examples, often enhanced by toasty vanillin oak characters. Chardonnay offers a wonderful spectrum of flavours, from those of lemon and apple through to exotic, tropical fruits and spices. It seems there is a chardonnay to please just about every palate! So what makes it so appealing? Wine consumers love it! Chardonnay offers a range of styles, from crisp ‘Chablis' style examples, to rich and buttery versions. Viticulturists love it! It grows well in a range of climates and soils. It achieves a good level of ripeness, is impervious to disease and apart from spring frosts, climatic threats are limited during the passage of the vineyard year through good vineyard management. Winemakers love it too! Chardonnay is a versatile variety that thrives in a range of climates and soils. As well as achieving a good level of ripeness, it is relatively resistant to disease, and apart from spring frosts, climatic threats are limited during the passage of the year. Key Facts About Chardonnay Chardonnay’s spiritual homeland is Burgundy in France, although there is evidence that links it back to Lebanon in the Middle East. In France it is responsible for the wines known as Chablis and Macon as well as the Village, Premier and Grand Cru wines of the Côte d’Or. Chardonnay is the consummate world traveler. Since the 1960s chardonnay has migrated to all wine growing countries and is produced around the globe. Chardonnay wines are medium straw in colour, deepening to rich yellow and gold with age. Rarely do you see a chardonnay that is pale white in colour, although we have come a long way from the deep heavy yellows of new world chardonnays produced in the 1970s and 1980s. Chardonnay has lots of flavour but this is balanced by a good deal of natural acidity. This balance lends itself to depth of flavour and all well made chardonnays have plenty of dimensions to enjoy. Chardonnay in Australia Nowhere is the versatility of this wonderful grape variety better expressed than across the vineyards, regions and winemaking styles of Australia. The Aussie chardonnay scene is defined by regional diversity making it a virtual playground for our viticulturists and grape growers. Our winemakers develop expertise experimenting with the many regional styles of chardonnay and the numerous winemaking techniques associated with this variety. In Australia, we are not inhibited by the appellation restrictions that put a straight jacket around European grape growers and winemakers, forcing specific varieties to be grown in specific regions. Australian chardonnays, apart from being delicious and well crafted, won’t burn a hole in your pocket. We like to ensure our wines are affordable and able to be enjoyed by as many people as we can. Australian chardonnay is not the world’s cheapest, but the value it represents has carried our reputation around the globe. Regional Chardonnay Chardonnay grows well in almost every wine region of Australia and is the mainstay of a great many vineyards. Its certainty of ripening and universal demand gives a grower something of an assurance against the fickle swings of weather and market place. Chardonnay loves to grow in all climates, producing quite different wines in each. In cooler regions like the Yarra Valley, Tasmania, Tumbarumba and Orange chardonnays show delicate flavours of citrus, grapefruit and green apple. The acidity is lively, sometimes even racy or steely and the fruit is pure, focused and lean. In warmer regions, particularly the Hunter Valley and Margaret River we grow richer chardonnays that show tropical fruit flavours like peach and apricot. In distinctly warm to hot areas like the Barossa Valley, we find rich expressions of ripe pineapple and fig really lifting out of the glass. Australian chardonnays, apart from being delicious and well crafted, won’t burn a hole in your pocket. We like to ensure our wines are affordable and able to be enjoyed by as many people as we can. Australian chardonnay is not the world’s cheapest, but the value it represents has carried our reputation around the globe.
Region
About Margaret River
The Margaret River produces outstanding Chardonnay, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc as well as Bordeaux style red blends made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Located 200 kilometres south of Perth, the Margaret River has a warm maritime climate. This results in grapes that have concentrated fruit aromas and flavours while still retaining high levels of acidity, due to the cooling ocean breezes. This also allows the Margaret River to offer fresh, elegant and restrained wines as well as full-bodied and powerful wines.
Details
Closure: Screw Cap
Country: Australia
Wine Body: Medium Bodied
Wine Sweetness: Dry
Size: 750mL
Non Alcoholic: No
Delivery
We are committed to ensuring your Daily Drop online wine buying experience is as enjoyable as possible and this includes an easy, hassle free wine delivery. We also guarantee our wines 100%. Should they arrive in an unsatisfactory condition, please contact us within 14 days to organise their return and your refund.
Free delivery on orders over $300 for the Sydney Metro area. This covers postcodes between 2000 – 2234.
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