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2017 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay (Screwcap)

Removed from a temperature and humidity controlled wine storage unit

Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

97The Wine Advocate

...savory and briney with pink grapefruit acidity and a rumbling depth of baritone fruit power. The shape of the wine in the mouth is taut, tense and precise, before opening out through the finish in a plume of pillowed flavor.

96Wine Spectator

Opens rich and lush, with grilled pineapple, ripe pear and fleshy apricot flavors. Details of mineral, lime peel and Meyer lemon add a fresh thread of acidity and a sense of precision, finishing with a note of sesame seed.

96Vinous / IWC

Vibrant, mineral-accented aromas of white peach, pear, honeydew melon and Meyer lemon, along with a bright floral overtone. Juicy and densely packed, conveying a suave blend of richness and vivacity to the mineral-drenched citrus and orchard fruit and floral flavors. Takes on smoky lees, sweet butter and iodine notes with air and shows superb clarity on the strikingly long finish, which echoes the mineral and floral notes.

96James Suckling

Such complexity and resolve make for a very attractive nose with peaches, grapefruit, cedary oak spice, gunflint and wet stones. The palate has a plush, smoothly resolved texture with a rich, creamy texture and all-encompassing, ripe stone-fruit flavors, ahead of a very long, smooth finish.

92Wine Enthusiast

There's a lovely, lifted line of acidity on the palate and the oak is nicely tucked away.

PRODUCER

Leeuwin Estate

Leeuwin Estate is in the Margaret River district. It was planted in 1974 and had its first commercial vintage in 1979. Founders Denis and Tricia Horgan are still the owners and they manage the estate with their son Justin. The estate has 121 acres of vineyards and produces about 60,000 cases a year. It is best known for its Art Series Chardonnay although it also makes “art series” Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. The estate commissions artists to create the art series labels. Since 2002 Leeuwin has bottled all wines with screw caps to avoid cork taint. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “Leeuwin Estate is one of the benchmark wineries of Western Australia. Both reds and whites exhibit cool-climate character and European elegance.”

REGION

Australia, Western Australia, Margaret River

Western Australia is the nation’s largest state by square miles. However, by population and wine production, it is small. Western Australia covers about a third of Australia but has only about 27,000 square miles of vineyards, which produce about 7% of the nation’s wine. Nevertheless, wine writers Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson have noted that “in quality terms (Western Australia) is very near the top, with a distinctive lightness of touch combined with ripeness of fruit – an unusual combination in Australia.” The region’s winemaking history started in the 1830s and was centered in Swan Valley, which remains an important winemaking region despite its extremely hot, dry weather. By the early 20th century, the Swan Valley was noted for its age-worthy Chenin Blanc, and white wine grapes remain a staple of Swan Valley vineyards. Other important sub regions are the Margaret River area, noted for its lush, maritime landscapes, and the Great Southern sub-appellations. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec and Sauvignon Blanc are the major grapes grown.

TYPE

White Wine, Chardonnay

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.

VINTAGE

2017 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay (Screwcap)