2019 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 750ml

Critic tasting note: (2019 vintage) “There’s a heady, floral perfume to this Chard, from one of Margaret River’s best known estates. Orchard blossom mingles with melon, pear and citrus fruit, with sprinklings of toast, salt and a smokey nuance. The palate is light to mid-weight with bright, bouncy acidity. It deftly balances the toasty oak and lees characters with the juicy citrus flavors. Less opulent than some of its counterparts, it makes for delicious drinking now but could age for several years more.” –95/100,Wine Enthusiast

Drinking Window: 2023-2043

Vintage Notes

2019 was an excellent vintage in the Margaret River region, once again producing high-quality wines. Winter was met with cold and wet conditions. Whilst rainfall in June and July was lower than average, significant rainfall in August filled dams on the Estate. The mild start to spring delayed flowering by approximately 10 days over much of the vineyard, before the weather improved significantly and warm blue sky days were once again commonplace. A significant 52mm of rain in late January prepared the unirrigated vineyards for a perfect finish to ripening. Vintage commenced with the harvest of Riesling in the final week of February, followed soon after by Chardonnay in early March.
WinemakingCool destemmed fruit with some skin contact. The juice was settled for 3 days, racked and inoculated with yeast. 100% of the juice was barrel fermented in new French oak barriques and the lees stirred regularly. After 11 months in barrels the various components were blended, fined, cold stabilized and bottled.
Ageing:11 months.
Producer Tasting NotesPurity and clarity are the hallmarks of this wine. Woven lime curd, poached pear, lemon flesh and white nectarine feature at the forefront. This vintage breathes energy with lifted Chinese star jasmine, lime blossom and ginger notes. The complexity of cinnamon quill, toasted hazelnuts, nougat, panna cotta, flint and graphite diligently lie in the background. The palate is bright and energetic, with laced mineral acidity. Bursting lemon, lime and pear skin meet oyster shell and saline notes, providing a precise corridor and direction. Gently coiled textures give lateral capacity and dimension.