Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2003

"The classic 2003 Chardonnay Art Series was aged in 100% new French oak for 18 months, but you would never know that. It boasts a layered, white peach and honeyed citrus bouquet intermixed with subtle background wood smoke. Medium to full-bodied with excellent acidity, minerality, and structure, this beauty will be even better with another 1-2 years of bottle age. It should last for 6-7+ years...93" WA 12/06 "Rich, ripe and seamless, not quite as dense as some vintages, but it has real elegance. It plays its citrusy pineapple, guava, pear and spice flavors over a polished frame, read more...letting them linger effortlessly. Could gain greater depth with age....94" WS11/06    (hide)

Freshly grated nutmeg aromas and flavors accent the concentrated pear and peach flavors, picking up toasty oak, creme brulee and a burst of palate cleansing citrus on the generous finish. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years.

document.getElementById("NoProductImage").innerHTML = ""; James Halliday 96 points!"...gloriously tight and racy- with a fusion of stone fruit- melon and minerally acidity so complete you barely notice the French oak in which it was fermented. Food: Wok-fried abalone. Drink: 2008-2018."James Halliday- Top 100 wines 2006.Robert Parker 93 points!"The classic 2003 Chardonnay Art Series was aged in 100% new French oak for 18 months- but you would never know that. It boasts a layered- white peach and honeyed citrus bouquet intermixed with subtle read more...background wood smoke. Medium to full-bodied with excellent acidity- minerality- and structure- this beauty will be even better with another 1-2 years of bottle age. It should last for 6-7+ years."Robert Parker- Wine Advocate #168 (Dec 2006).Tyson Stelzer 95 points!"This is a chardonnay with jaw-dropping texture and mouth-feel. The finish is amazingly persistent with fine acidity and cashew nut complexity supporting its excellent white peach- nectarine and apricot fruit. It was bottled just the day before I tasted it at Leeuwin- and if this is the description of a bottle-shocked wine then I'm speechless!"Tyson Stelzer- 8/12/2005.Leeuwin Estate "Leeuwin Estate's Chardonnay is- in my opinion- Australia's finest example- based on the wines of the last 20-odd vintages- and it is this wine alone that demands a 5-star rating for the winery. The Cabernet Sauvignon can be an excellent wine with great style and character in warmer vintages- and Shiraz made an auspicious debut. Almost inevitably- the other wines in the portfolio are not in the same Olympian class- although the Prelude Chardonnay and Siblings Sauvignon Blanc are impressive at their lower price level." James Halliday Leeuwin Estate Art Series ChardonnayWhen Penfolds began to create a white wine of the stature and image of Grange- several people asked why they didn't just buy Leeuwin Estate. Arguably Australia's leading white wine- Leeuwin's chardonnay is an explosive mouthful of concentrated- creamy Margaret River chardonnay enhanced with excellent oak. It's our best cellaring chardonnay as well. Jeremy Oliver Purchased by Trish and Denis Horgan- Leeuwin Estate lies just south of the Margaret River township. The Art Series Block 20 vineyard lies on deeply weathered and laterised soils with rocky outcrops of gneiss and ironstone gravels. Pristine Chardonnay fruit characters are preserved throughout vinification. The wine is 100% barrel fermented in selected new French oak and matured in the same barrel for approximately 12 months. These are rare- long-lived- fine-boned Chardonnays with superb fruit definition and clarity. They show a balance between exuberant fruit and savoury complexity. The palate is creamy yet a fine bead of acid cuts a swathe across the palate giving life and incredible length. It develops beautifully with grapefruit/melon aromas and complex lanolin nuances. Andrew Caillard MW    (hide)

October 2008

Wine Review Online ReviewIf you love Chardonnay, you owe it to yourself to discover why this amazingly complex wine ranks among the world's best. Its minerality is reminiscent of great Burgundy but is complemented with opulent, ripe fruit flavors.Wine Tasting NotesThe color is bright straw with lime green hues. The fresh nose is typical Leeuwin, with lifted aromas of dried pear and ripe peach accompanied by hints of cashews and integrated French oak. These flavors combine into a finely balanced bouquet; the result of very low yielding vines matched with subtle winemaking to preserve read more...the richness of the fruit. The palate displays the mouth filling and intense flavors of dried pears with the middle palate showing richness from both the fruit and the lees stirring. The length, always a feature of Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay, is long and full flavored with a lingering fresh citrus finish. The new French oak complements the fruit providing a wonderful balance of warm toasty flavors on the finish.    (hide)

January 2009

Buttery nose. Medium length. Highly intense aroma, albeit not the complexity of the 2001. Great Chardy!

July 2008

Rating: 94/100 - As reviewed by Wine Spectator