The Art-Series Chardonnay is one of Australia's top wines since initial acclaim in 1981 when it was thrust into the international spotlight by 'Decanter Magazine' awarding it the highest recommendation. The bottles are distinctive, each vintage wearing a different piece of art reflecting the hand crafted nature of the wines. Langtons identifies it as one of Australia's Top 5 wines.

The new vintage of the Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay releases from the winery on 1 April, with New Zealand's allocation arriving later that month. Pre-order from Wineseeker and save- the wine sells cellar door from $AU 126. Our pre-order special price is $105. Pr-eorders close Friday 13 March.

Immaculate, powerful, intense nose with purity and clarity of primary fruit characterised by pear, white peach, lime curd and custard apple. There are infinite layers of brioche, grilled hazelnuts, cinnamon quill, shaved nutmeg, black cardamom and almond meal. A thread of graphite in the background adds elegant complexity.

Penetration and drive with incredible shape and frame on the palate. The symmetry of layers, contours and overall balance is precise. Pear, cut lime and nectarine are definite throughout. Sweet spice and elegant oak use sit neatly with the fruit, underlined by a delicate acid line, leading to a palate with effortless length.

"Let's put it this way. This is the closest I have come to awarding a wine 100 points...Stellar wine from a stellar vintage. The remarkable this is that this is a wine 100 percent barrel fermented in new French oak barriques with regular lees stirring for 11 months - and it certainly doesn't taste excessive, or even slightly oak. It has such high-fidelity purity with complex seductive aromatics of vanilla bean and light oatmeal with a cutting minerality and spicy lift. But the palate, oh the palate. This is where things start to explode. Power, poise and persistence with a dry savouriness balancing the intense ripe fruit. It is such a long finish with an ever so slightly, charry finish completing a remarkable wine".

99-plus/100

Ray Jordan, The West Australian, 27 February 2021

Margaret River lies in the South-West corner of Western Australia, home to some of Australia's top wines. While native populations have lived here for 30,000 years, European settlement started in the 1830s. Vineyards were first established in the 1960s and 1970s, drawn by the ideal mix of soils and climate for quality viticulture. The region produces just 3% of Australian wine, but more than 20% of their awards.

The maritime climate of Margaret River is perhaps most similar to Bordeaux in a dry vintage, rather than the more famous baking pan of Barossa Valley in South Australia. As a result its top wines focus on elegance rather than power. Volumes are equally split between whites and reds, their best wines typically produced from Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Semillon.

Legendary Napa winemaker Robert Mondavi identified the Leeuwin Estate site in 1972, providing mentorship to Denis and Tricia Horgan to transform the cattle farm into the vineyards that continue today.