Leeuwin Estate, Art Series Chardonnay, 2020

Leeuwin Estate was born in the early to mid-70s when founders Denis and Tricia Horgan, decided to plant vines on their cattle ranch, a few miles in from the coast in Western Australia’s Margaret River, a few 100 miles south of Perth.

It has proved to be an inspired decision and with Robert Mondavi on hand to give advice and guidance in the early days, they hit the ground running. Within a couple of years of their first vintage (1979) they were winning both plaudits and awards worldwide. Their Art Series Chardonnay became one of the most must-have wines of Australia almost overnight.

Fast forward 40 years and their daughter, Simone Furlong, now runs the winery, maintaining the estate’s enviable position at the top table of Aussie wineries. It’s interesting listening to Simone talk about those early days when her parents were starting out, as she feels that perhaps it was their lack of experience in the wine industry that gave them their open-minded, fresh approach to the whole project, which allowed them to break new ground and set higher bars. They were amongst the first to plant Chardonnay, using various Burgundian clones, in an area more familiar with Bordeaux varietals and what a great decision that was.

This wine was 100% new oak barrel-fermented (Bordeaux coopers for a finer grain), bringing texture rather than oak influence to the blend. In the mouth it expresses the vintage’s natural richness, but it also feels like a coiled spring, bursting with life but with so much more to come, given time. The balance is impressive, with a real zing and drive and the layers of fruit have depth and significance. Great potential here and yet another superb vintage for this wine. Drink from 2024.