Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay Margaret River – 2020

There are many great Chardonnays from Burgundy and elsewhere, but there’s none that I love more than Leeuwin’s famous Art Series. There is no more picturesque winery in the world to visit and there is no other Chardonnay I know at <CHF100/bt which can age so beautifully and consistently for 20 years or more in bottle.

2020 was another outstanding vintage in Margaret River, and Chardonnay was the stand-out varietal, with remarkable natural acidity and fruit weight.

This wine was barrel fermented then aged in 100% new Burgundy barrels for 11 months before bottling. 13.5% alcohol.

“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.

“The 2020 vintage in Margaret River was moderate to warm and will be forever remembered for the incredibly compacted harvest period, which started two weeks earlier than the 2019 harvest before it and was all wrapped up by Easter—that’s largely unheard of. The 2020 Art Series Chardonnay leads with power and density, not unlike the 2018 before it. Tight and green in the glass, you get salted pear, white peach, nectarine, red apple skins, preserved citrus and crushed shell. The wine has minerality and tension within the confines of the opulent fruit. Staggering length, as usual. The winemaking remains relatively consistent across the years: hand-picked fruit from Block 20 and 22 (planted in 1976 and 1978, respectively). Thirty percent of the cuvée was whole bunch pressed to 100% new Burgundian oak, while the balance was destemmed, crushed and pressed to 100% new Bordelais oak. Sulfured post-ferment in order to discourage malolactic fermentation, both components remain in barrel for 11 months. Super wine.” 98/100pts Wine Advocate