tasting notes
LEEUWIN ESTATE ART SERIES CHARDONNAY Preservation of pristine fruit characters through vinification and maturation remains at the heart of winemaking. This, of course, starts in the vineyard where observations, reaction and mitigation of environmental patterns are key to vineyard management practices. The vineyard blocks are planted on a series of rolling hills facing all directions. The morphology of the Gingin clone sees the berries ripen differently. The smaller berries usually possess slightly higher sugars and acidity. Vintage takes place in mid February to early March and the grapes (about 2–3 kilos per vine) are hand- harvested when they have reached a point of ‘energy, bone and pop!’ This translates to intense pure fruit aromas, richness of flavour, fine al dente textures and fresh indelible acidity. These are the hallmark qualities of Gingin clone chardonnay. I have often wondered at the clone’s provenance and passing resemblance to Meursault. Tim Lovett describes the estate-grown chardonnay fruit as a ‘miracle’. The fruit is mostly destemmed, chilled and cold-soaked under a blanket of CO 2 for eight hours to prevent oxidation and promote some skin contact to amplify flavour and texture. Some parcels of fruit are also whole-bunch-pressed to produce more solids and phenolic compounds. After cold-settling, the batches are racked into 100% new French oak. Among the many small refinements is the transition to 100% Bordelaise barriques. Tim Lovett believes in the concept of selecting oak ‘inside out’. He particularly appreciates the tight, slightly green-grained quality of maritime- influenced oak, because it does not overly transmit oaky flavours into the wine during barrel fermentation and maturation. After fermentation the wine is sulphured up and cold-stored in barriques to protect the pristine unsculptured fruit. During barrel maturation the wine is stirred weekly for three months and then every fortnight for eight months. After 11 months in oak, the wine is racked into refrigerated stainless steel for six months before assemblage and bottling. Tim Lovett says ‘the key points surrounding winemaking is that we seek to preserve fruit characters of the vineyard. This is achieved by taking a very light-handed approach. A touch of skin contact prior to fermentation and protective control during the maturation phase promotes flavour and purity of fruit. A fine- boned mineral structure and completeness is achieved through precision oak handling and preserving the natural levels of malic acidity in the wine. Nature takes care of the rest.’ REPUTATION Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay won a reputation among collectors for its cellaring longevity by the 1990s. After the release of the 1987 vintage, it became a reference and one of the few Australian chardonnays that could withstand the test of
Leeuwin Estate 15
Powered by FlippingBook