New Releases from
Leeuwin Estate Art Series

We are delighted to unveil the new Art Series Collection from Leeuwin. 

As ever, attention builds with each, annual release. Sampling the wines is always a thrill however, these wines are built for the mid-long haul (particularly the Chardonnay) which must be taken into consideration. It is clearly evident that Leeuwin produces some of Australia’s best and most coveted wines – I enjoy pitching them against some of our own agencies which always creates fascinating, in-house debate. 

Pricing: We have been provided with their ‘Recommended Sales Prices’ which will be obeyed from 9:00am Tuesday 9 May. Until then and given the increase in price versus the current state of economic play versus selling their collection, we feel it prudent to provide some relief. For the avoidance of doubt, we are not disrespecting Leeuwin – instead, we are being mindful of you and your wallets. RSPs are provided for each wine. 

Leeuwin deliver all wines in cases of 12x75cl which can be a stretch when buying for under bond storage. Accordingly, we have liaised with our bonded warehouse, LCB and plan to break the cases down to packs of 6x75cl. This may help with budgeting and choosing a wider range…

Do not fear about retaining original boxes as these are delivered in the flimsiest of cardboard. That said, buy two 6 packs and you’re guaranteed the original 12-pack box.

All duty paid stock is available by-the-bottle.

Dispatching will commence on Monday 22 May for arrival on the 23 May

"It would not surprise me if this was considered the greatest Leeuwin chardonnay yet..."

2020 Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay

£80.95 per bottle
Will revert to £86.95 after launch offer

58 bottles remain

£390.00 Under Bond per case (6x75cl)
Will revert to £420.00 after launch offer

Only 3 cases remain

99 Points – Ray Jordan "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."

Stuart McCloskey "As expected, the bouquet is razor sharp and needs coaxing out of the bottle (decant and serve in generous sized glassware). With time, yuzu, liquorice, quartz, flint, lemon peel, lime, fresh mint and jasmine responds to aeration. Similarly, the palate cuts the same path of cleanliness. Seriously impressive and oozes class in the most nonchalant of ways. Perfectly balanced, melodious in fact. The texture washes across the palate with sumptuous ease. Acidity is introduced like an arrow, and straight through the middle. Incisive, taut and fresh. Flavours cover the citrus spectrum – confit lemon along with oodles of minerals and satisfying salinity.  Another vintage that is built for the long term – drinking now (if you aerate) through to 2040+. Outstanding and it’s easy to see why this continues to be one of Australia’s greatest Chardonnays… Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware.” 

The 2020 Chardonnay vintage at Leeuwin Estate

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.

"Gently cooling and wonderfully long. Just fabulous and by far the best Art Series Shiraz release to date."

2020 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Shiraz

£29.95 per bottle
Will revert to £32.95 after launch offer

£135.00 Under Bond per case (6x75cl)
Will revert to £150.00 after launch offer

Stuart McCloskey “Again, another release that showcases nature’s flavours, poise, elegance, and a wine that is comfortable with itself. Sweet spice, raspberry liquor, cherry, bountiful black fruits (mineral tinged) earth, violets, freshness and lift from orange peel, along with a waft of sea spray… The palate is medium bodied, fabulously fresh - the mouthfeel is generous and sits on the side of ‘red’ fruits together with a pinch of cinnamon and anise (served judicially). Super-sleek, unapologetically soothing and I love the sorbet-like character which comes via blood orange. Gently cooling and wonderfully long. Just fabulous and by far the best Art Series Shiraz release to date (well, to me). Drink now (decant for 2-3 hours) and cellar for 10+ years. Sampled using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

The 2020 Shiraz vintage at Leeuwin Estate

2020 produced another outstanding, characteristic Margaret River vintage.

Winter of 2019 was typically wet and windy, although overall winter rainfall was lower than average. Chardonnay was the first variety to burst in the middle of August, encouraged by a prolonged period of sunny weather in late July and early August. Budburst was then noted in the Riesling and Cabernet through late August and September.

Summer was generally warm with few hot days. Veraison was first noted in the Estate Pinot Noir vineyards in mid December, which is significantly earlier than usual. Nets went onto the vineyards through early January, although a good show of Marri blossom in the region kept the birds away from the ripening vines until March, when the Marri flowering was complete.

Harvest commenced in the final week of January, with Pinot Noir being picked for the Estate Brut. Mild, temperate days and cool nights allowed the reds to develop beautiful tannin, flavour and sugar ripeness. Harvest of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz begain in mid-March and the last Estate fruit was picked on April 4.

"Gosh this is good... Leeuwin Estate cabernet is now right up there with the best."

2019 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon

£43.95 per bottle
Will revert to £50.95 after launch offer

£205.00 Under Bond per case (6x75cl)
Will revert to £240.00 after launch offer

Stuart McCloskey "The bouquet is jaw-droppingly wonderful and exudes cooling and soothing ribbons of mulberry, blackcurrant, blackberry, liquorice, graphite, smoked oyster shell, violet, coconut and fresh cedar – florals emerge with more aeration. Like the Chardonnay, everything feels so natural and unforced – Mother nature provides the flavour. No more, no less… Just perfect for fans of Cabernet Sauvignon. The palate firmly sits on the same unforced footing, yet the flavour spectrum is expansive and luminescent. Freshness walks a perfect path through the ripe fruit(s) and the tannins are comfy and certainly do not encroach. Cassis, mulberry along with blackcurrant wrap around the fresh oak – exceedingly pure and utterly seamless. For me, this delivers everything I look for in a young Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now (decant for 2-3 hours) and cellar for 10+ years. Sampled using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front “Gosh this is good. This is the region and the variety and the estate all committing to the task and combining to exemplary effect. Such structure, such fruit, such balance and such impact. Blackcurrant and pencils, dark chocolate and herbs, some eucalypt lift and even some florals. Tannin, my word, it’s beautifully formed, a keel with wings, a determinant. I kept tasting this wine and it kept telling me things. Leeuwin Estate cabernet is now right up there with the best.”

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon vintage at Leeuwin Estate

A sensational vintage in Margaret River, with mild late-vintage weather allowing for the development of excellent flavour and tannin profiles in the red wines.

Winter of 2018 was characterised by typical wet and cold weather. Pruning was challenging, with few blue sky days. It will be remembered for the weeks of strong west to north westerly winds off the Indian Ocean, with several days of southerly hail to add to the strenuous pruning experience. Temperatures in early spring were mild, delaying flowering by ten days over much of the vineyard. Later in the season, the weather improved significantly and warm blue sky days were common place. A significant 52mm of rain in late January established the unirrigated vineyards for a perfect finish to ripening.

In a year where there was no Marri tree blossom to distract the birds from the grapes, every net on the Estate was used and reused. The Cabernet and Shiraz harvest commenced with gusto in mid-April and concluded in the final days of the month.

"Lick smackingly delicious, uber pure and will appeal to those looking for leanness, cleanliness and a crisp walk in the mountains."

2022 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Riesling

£23.95 per bottle
Will revert to £26.95 after launch offer

£105.00 Under Bond per case (6x75cl)
Will revert to £120.00 after launch offer

Stuart McCloskey "The bouquet is super fresh – wonderfully so. Zingy lime, mango sorbet, yuzu, green apple and packed with quartz and chalk. The wine is very young and really requires at least 5-years. Today, the palate is delicate and leads with crisp, green apple, lime juice, pine needle, chalk – zesty and zingy (if you get my drift). Acidity and salinity are bountiful, but remain unintrusive. Simply, at this stage of the wine’s life circle, freshness and citrus remain at the core. Lick smackingly delicious, uber pure and will appeal to those looking for leanness, cleanliness and a crisp walk in the mountains. Served using Zalto Universal glassware. Drink now, but better after 2028…"

Winemaker "Lively and fragrant, amongst chamomile, kaffir lime leaf, Thai basil and galangal, there is a bursting array of finger limes, lemon sherbet and grapefruit zest. Distantly there are subtleties of ocean spray, samphire and petrichor."

The 2022 Riesling vintage at Leeuwin Estate

2022 provided a fantastic vintage at Leeuwin Estate.

Spring of 2021 was typically wet and windy. September and October’s temperatures were milder than usual, delaying shoot growth and flowering dates. Sunny conditions in early-mid November produced a surge in vine growth and a rapid period of vine flowering. Conditions were warm throughout January and February, with the welcome arrival of the sea breeze a daily constant.

There was a substantial showing of Marri blossom around the vineyard and on the capes, so local birds showed little interest in the ripening grapes. Harvest commenced on February 4 with Pinot Noir, followed by the Riesling on February 28. Riesling grapes were picked in the cool of the night.