Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series 2020 750ml

Tauter than vintages of yore, boasting complex aromas of pear distillate, citrus verbena, nougat, cashew, cedar-tinged oak and succulent white peach. Immaculately constructed, pure and rather wonderful. Founded on a tensile stream of pungent mineral, transcendental poise and scintillating length. There is little out of place here. Superb New World chardonnay. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

The 2020 vintage was one of generosity, and this wine is inviting and approachable, with plentiful white florals and delicate spices. Speaks with softness and a rounded frame of opulence. White peach skin and a multitude of finely textured, petal-like layers provide cushioning and comfort to the power and tension that are consistent features of Art Series Chardonnay. The wide palate is immensely detailed and complex, the pretty florals and white pear perfume hard to resist. A fine Chardonnay, and one that is drinking gracefully and with abundance in the early years of release.

The 2020 Art Series Chardonnay fruit is ripe and concentrated, the aperture of the warm season focusing the fruit, contributing welcome width and amplitude. This wine was matured for 11 months in 100% new French oak—this is ever the way with this wine—and in some years that shows more clearly than others. It seems that the warmer years, those with expansive fruit profiles, will be the biggest beneficiaries of these conditions. As this is. The 2020 growing season in Margaret River produced wines that reflected the region’s typical balance of fruit concentration and acidity, with Chardonnay showing particular composure and definition. Winter 2019 was characterized by the region's customary wet and windy conditions, replenishing water reserves across the estate. Chardonnay was the first variety to commence budburst in mid-August, following an extended period of sunny weather in late July. Summer was generally warm, with relatively few periods of extreme heat. Veraison occurred earlier than in recent seasons, first observed in the estate's Pinot Noir vineyards in mid-December, with Chardonnay following in the final week of December. Chardonnay harvest began in early February and continued over approximately two weeks. Fruit was harvested progressively across vineyard sites, as differences in ripening patterns, flavor development and fruit composition emerged in response to site-specific conditions. The resulting wines show concentration, structural balance and retained natural acidity.

This stunning version is a fresh, sleek and precise expression of Chardonnay, with bright flavors of peach, lemon zest and candied ginger, plus floral notes of jasmine, orange blossom and dried sage. Hints of salted, buttery shortbread, green cardamom and toasted sesame seed linger on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2036. 350 cases imported.

Vibrant lemon, honeydew melon, salty sea shell and toast open this unmistakably Margaret River Chard. A mineral streak of saline acidity crackles through the middle of the rich, textural mouthfeel, streamlining and providing refreshment amid the toast and lees characters. An impressive wine that deftly demonstrates this classic producer's—as well as this region's—Chardonnay prowess.