LEEUWIN ESTATE ART SERIES CHARDONNAY 2020
| Grape: | 100% Chardonnay |
| Vineyard: | Leeuwin Estate |
| Vintage: | 2020 |
| Origin: | Margaret River, Western Australia |
| ABV%: | 13.5% |
| Colour: | Yellow |
| Aromas: |
Power and presence on the nose, then energy and vitality are the thread. Lemon curd, fresh nashi pear and lime create the shape and frame aromatically. Beneath, there are layers of vanilla pod, tea leaf, lemon myrtle and flint nuances. Heightened fragrance of frangipani and citrus blossom ensue. Neatly packaged and foiled are notes of patisserie, flint and nougat. |
| Flavours: |
The palate is precise, focussed and fine with delicately woven texture through the mid-palate. Juicy white peach combines with pear at the core. Threaded within is harmony, elegance and vibrancy that pulls all elements together in a seamless line. A saline and mineral finish is the hallmark of this classic 2020 vintage. |
Winemakers Highlights
2020 produced another outstanding, characteristic Margaret River vintage. Chardonnay was a stand-out varietal, with remarkable natural acid and fruit weight.
Winter of 2019 yielded typically wet and windy conditions, filling dams on the Estate. Chardonnay was the first varietal to burst in mid-August, encouraged by a prolonged period of sunny weather in late July.
Summer was generally warm with few hot days. Veraison was considerably earlier in 2020, first noted in the Estate's Pinot Noir vineyards in mid-December, while Chardonnay followed in the final week of December.
Chardonnay harvest commenced in early February and continued over a fortnight, as different sites expressed the influences of their terroir on flavour and ripeness.
Reviews
"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." 99 points.
Ray Jordan, Business News, March 2023