time. It quickly became the leading collectible Australian white wine in the Australian secondary wine market. It is regarded as an Australian First Growth and classified as ‘Exceptional’ in Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine . The much tinier Giaconda winery, in the Beechworth area of northeast Victoria, and Grosset Polish Hill Riesling from the Clare Valley in South Australia are the only two other Australian white wines that have achieved this accolade. Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay is also highly prized in other forums. Recently the 2018 vintage was voted the top wine in the 2021 ‘Judgement of the Napa’, beating a stellar list of Burgundian and Californian producers. STYLE Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay is long-lived and fine-boned, with superb fruit definition and clarity. Exuberant fruit, savoury complexity, creamy richness, al dente textures and fresh indelible acidity are typical of younger vintages. With a few years of bottle maturity, the Art Series Chardonnay sheds its aniseed top notes, revealing beautifully defined grapefruit / melon aromas and complex lanolin nuances. The palate becomes richer and fleshier, but remains minerally and fresh. These are simply gorgeous wines of great flair, technical brilliance, consistency and longevity. And, like Penfolds Grange, it has always kept true to the original blueprint. Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay is an historic marque, because of its profound impact on the story of Australian wine. It has been bottled under screw cap since 2004.
16 The Wine Journal – 2023
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