Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2010

James Suckling Top 100 Value Wines of the World 2014
James Suckling Top 100 Wines of Australia 2014
James Halliday Top 100 Wines of 2013 

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay needs no introduction. It is an icon of Australian wine and is one of Langton's Heritage Five which celebrates Australia's most exceptional and ground-breaking wines - the other four being Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace, Mount Mary Quintet and Wendouree Shiraz. It is often compared favourably with great White Burgundies. "The Art Series Chardonnay is Australia's finest chardonnay based on the wines of the last 30 vintages. The move to screwcap brought a large smile to the faces of those who understand just how superbly the wine ages."  James Halliday

"The 2010 Art Series Chardonnay is the greatest Australian chardonnay I have ever tasted and is the equal of the greatest White Burgundies. This wine screams class right from the outset. So where to begin? The nose is tight, fine, reserved, elegant and creamy, with stone-fruit (nectarine) and citrus highlights. The palate is incredibly long, supple and refined, with the fruit characters evident, but not obvious. There is a subtly to this wine that is disarming, given the amazing length and intensity of the fruit. This is a truly great wine that needs 5 years to open up and will last for 15 years."  Brendan Jansen MW

The Art Series Chardonnay is sourced primarily from the 1976-planted Block 20 and supplemented with fruit from the 1978-planted Block 22. The quality of the vineyard is well recognised and remains the backbone of the Art Series Chardonnay. The vineyard blocks are planted to the Gingin clone on a series of rolling hills facing all directions. 

"A deceptively complex and incredibly youthful nose that features cut pear, fresh quince and lemon blossom. A savoury line is also evident with sesame brittle, cinnamon stick, rice wafer and hints of cornmeal. On the palate, woven layers of intense white fleshed fruits, diligent oak handling and effortless texture meet seamlessly and are driven by a mineral saline acid spine. Pears, grapefruit and white nectarine are the key fruits of the palate, which is focused with remarkable length and possesses amazing longevity.”  Leeuwin Estate

Expert reviews

"A very assertive nose that has a gently flinty edge, some nicely handled oak and hints of pithy lemon across more peachy stone fruits, tropical hints and a chalky element. Very fresh and tightly wound. The palate is very composed in style, with great depth and oak integration. Long and powerful but quite sleek through the middle. This is tightly coiled for now and releases a slow-burning grilled-nut flavor through the finish. The Aston Martin of chardonnay, with sleek lines and plenty of power under the bonnet. Better in 2018." James Suckling,JamesSuckling.com - 98 points and Top 100 Value Wines of the World 20142 and Top 100 Wines of Australia 2014

"Medium pale colour. Intense grapefruit, pineapple, lemon curd aromas with light roasted hazelnut notes. Generous and creamy with fresh grapefruit, pineapple, nectarine fruits, fine lacy al dente textures, superb mid palate viscosity and underlying vanilla notes. Finishes al dente firm with plentiful stone fruit notes. A reference Margaret River Chardonnay showing extraordinary density, richness and torque, all elements beautifully balanced. Drink: Now-2028."  Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal - 98 points (Tasted 2021)

"The 2010 Art Series Chardonnay is the greatest Australian chardonnay I have ever tasted and is the equal of the greatest White Burgundies. This wine screams class right from the outset. So where to begin? The nose is tight, fine, reserved, elegant and creamy, with stone-fruit (nectarine) and citrus highlights. The palate is incredibly long, supple and refined, with the fruit characters evident, but not obvious. There is a subtly to this wine that is disarming, given the amazing length and intensity of the fruit. This is a truly great wine that needs 5 years to open up and will last for 15 years."  Brendan Jansen MW, Fine Wine Club

"Is this the best Leeuwin chardonnay yet? It's certainly the most different. Tighter, leaner and more cussed but with that hallmark of inner core power and intensity that has made it consistently Australia's best chardonnay. Winemaker says it's been more a tweak than a re-invention. Whatever, it's a great wine."  Ray Jordan – 98 points

"Bright yellow-green; the sheer purity and intensity of this wine is remarkable, even in the context of its imperious ancestry; it has its own flavour and tactile characters stemming from the perfect balance between the white peach and grapefruit flavours carried through the very long and detailed palate by bright acidity. Drink by 2030."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 97 points and Top 100 Wines of 2013 

"What a beautiful wine. Fine, elegant, refined and supple, yet the balance is the best of any wine to date, making this also the best drinking. With finer acidity and brilliant fruit, this will be even better in 10 years. One of my wines of the night."  Brendan Jansen MW, Fine Wine Club (Vertical Tasting 2000 – 2016 vintage, Tasted May 2019)

"Exceptional. It's as powerful a wine as ever but it's coiled and tight with impeccable structure. The oak is more integrated than I've ever seen in a young Art Series Chardonnay. It contributes toast and sweet spice but it's certainly not the dominant feature. Fruit is first and foremost. Focused, fine, intense and persistent fruit. Pears, grapefruit and lemon sidling up to a little nectarine. What I can't see is any white or yellow peach. Some almonds add further savoury interest. As good as it is now, it will mature into one of the great vintages of a wine of outstanding pedigree."  Jeremy Pringle – 97 points

"A preview of something special: the Leeuwin Estate Art Series. It is rated as Australia's most consistently great Chardonnay range by both the Australian and the international wine press. Quite possibly (and possibly could mean probably) it is not only our greatest white wine but could be Australia's most consistent great wine. Other wineries may occasionally produce chardonnays that match or occasionally surpass the Leeuwin releases in some vintages but for consistency the Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay range stands alone. Bob Cartwright and John Brocksopp, the long-term winemaking and viticultural team that created the Leeuwin imagery, retired some years ago and the wine world wondered if the incoming Paul Atwood and David Winstanley team could maintain the Estate's lofty standards. The new team's 2007, 2008 and 2009 vintage Chardonnays came along each better than the previous offerings to date (even if not among the great seven or eight to date: 1982, 87, 1995, 99, 2001, 2002, 2005). So the key wine question at this time of each year is: how good is the new Art Series Chardonnay and, at the price, is it worth purchasing? The 2010, to be released in May, is worth a "superstar” rating in the predominant Leeuwin section in the short list of Australia's most outstanding Chardonnays ever. This wine was tasted masked in a line-up that arguably included six of Australia's greatest ever chardonnays and on my card was the highest pointed wine. This is finer and longer than any Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay to date. This is a great Australian wine."  John Jens, Western Suburbs Weekly - 18.9-19/20 points

"The 2010 Art Series Chardonnay is the greatest Australian chardonnay I have ever tasted and is the equal of the greatest White Burgundies. This wine screams class right from the outset. So where to begin? The nose is tight, fine, reserved, elegant and creamy, with stone-fruit (nectarine) and citrus highlights. The palate is incredibly long, supple and refined, with the fruit characters evident, but not obvious. There is a subtly to this wine that is disarming, given the amazing length and intensity of the fruit. This is a truly great wine that needs 5 years to open up and will last for 15 years."  Brendan Jansen MW, Fine Wine Club – 18.9/20 points

"Long, warm sunny days without rain allowed excellent flavor development during the growing season. It has a lovely complexity to the nose, followed by a seamless, youthfully juicy and very even palate, showcasing a relatively cool spectrum of flavors with a succulent core of poached pear, restrained white peach, layers of fresh and toasted almond slivers and textural almond paste, with waxy lanolin nuances. With its beautifully integrated oak, it has a long, elegant arc of flavor with great clarity."  Decanter - 96 points

"Aromatically tight, but expansive and expressive in the mouth, pouring out its pear, green guava and fig flavors in a generous stream, with glints of spice. Comes together smoothly on a deftly balanced frame to let the finish sail on and on."  Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator – 95 points

"Recent vintages of Leeuwin Chardonnay have been tighter and finer, still the power, but with a little more finesse. Pear, lemon and cinnamon oak with a little smoky barrel work – typical Leeuwin smells, though finer. Medium to full-bodied with a distinct lemony tang and cut to the acidity, spice, Teddy Bear biscuits, savoury toasty elements – gently done- and a fine long zesty finish of impeccable length. You get the power from the vineyard, but with less noise from alcohol and winemaking than some earlier vintages. Excellent release."  Gary Walsh, The Wine Front - 95 points

Awards

James Suckling Top 100 Value Wines of the World 2014
James Suckling Top 100 Wines of Australia 2014
James Halliday Top 100 Wines of 2013 

The winery

In 1969, Denis and Tricia Horgan purchased a farm and plumbing business in Margaret River that they would eventually transform into Leeuwin Estate, one of Australia's most iconic wineries. At the time they had little interest in wine or plumbing (they sold the business), but in 1972 they met legendary Napa Valley winemaker, Robert Mondavi, who wanted to purchase their farm to plant vineyards. The farm was not for sale, but with Mondavi acting as consultant and mentor, they planted vineyards with the dream of becoming a world-class producer of premium wine.

A nursery was planted in 1974, the vineyards were planted over a five-year period from 1975 and Leeuwin released its first commercial vintage in 1979. The Leeuwin Estate vineyards are planted to Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz, but it is the Chardonnay and to a lesser extent the Cabernet that are the stars of the portfolio. Langton's classifies Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay as 'Exceptional' and one of the Heritage Five which celebrates Australia's most iconic, exceptional and ground-breaking wines - the other four are Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace, Mount Mary Quintet and Wendouree Shiraz.

Leeuwin Estate releases its wines under three labels, the Art Series, Prelude Vineyards and Siblings. The Art Series range was created in 1980 and features Australian artwork on the labels.

Denis and Tricia Horgan continue their involvement in Leeuwin Estate, but today it is their two eldest children, son Justin Horgan and daughter Simone Furlong, who run the business as joint chief executives. 

"I fell into the wine industry because Mondavi wanted to buy the land; I thank God that we didn't sell."  Denis Horgan

Art series labels

The Art Series range was created in 1980 and features Australian artwork on the labels.

"I had developed an interest in Australian art in the early days. During a trip to Europe I was invited to meet Baroness Philippine de Rothschild at the Chateau Mouton-Rothschild wine estate in Bordeaux. The winemaker showed me around the winery and art gallery before having lunch with the Baroness.

I was so impressed with the way art had been integrated into the business that I asked Baroness Philippine if she would mind if we used Australian Artwork on our labels. She thought that was a great idea and said, "Go ahead".

So we created the 'Art Series' range in 1980 to define our most opulent and age-worthy wines from each vintage.  The first label carried a painting of our region's famous 'Caves Road' by Robert Juniper. We now have over 150 paintings from Australia's leading contemporary artists in our collection. We display the original artworks in the winery art gallery."  Denis Horgan

The collection now comprises over 150 paintings and features artworks from artists including John Olsen, Arthur Boyd, Sir Sidney Nolan, Lloyd Rees, Albert Tucker, Fred Williams, Robert Juniper, Clifton Pugh and Imants Tillers. The only work not part of the Estate's own collection is Sir Arthur Streeton's Golden Summer, which was kindly offered by its then owner for use on a special Museum Release of the 1987 Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon before moving to its new home at the National Gallery.

Many of the paintings and sculptures were specifically commissioned. Others were discovered in exhibitions around Australia and the artists approached for copyright permission to be reproduced as part of the label series. The first painting commissioned was of Caves Road by Robert Juniper for the 1980 Art Series Chardonnay. John Olsen was approached to paint the first artwork to be used on the Art Series Riesling. He responded with the creation of four works entitled “Frogs in Riesling”. These paintings were so irresistible that the decision was made to purchase all four and all have been used, in a random pattern, on Art Series Riesling labels ever since. This makes the Riesling unique, as for the labels of all other wines, a new work is commissioned each year.

Sir Sidney Nolan, when approached at the beginning of the series, advised he was not a graphic artist and did not paint for wine labels. He was also a red wine buff and was sent two unlabelled bottles of the 1982 Cabernet Sauvignon – one of Leeuwin's best vintages. He responded that for this wine he would happily provide a painting. This resulted in his Dolphin Rock appearing on the label.

With the high calibre of the artists consenting to appear on the labels, it is no longer a challenge convincing leading artists to be part of this collection. Eventually, as the collection builds, it is hoped to tour it in its own right. Some works have been lent from time to time but most are on display in the Leeuwin Estate Art Gallery.

The concerts

"As one of the world's most isolated wine regions, we wanted to be creative in generating reasons for visitors to come and discover Margaret River and our wines.

Our winery overlooks a meadow surrounded by a forest of tall karri trees, creating a beautiful natural amphitheatre. So in 1985 we wrote to the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, the local Ballet Company and the Opera Company inviting them to consider coming down and doing a concert. The idea of alfresco performances in the bush was extremely novel at the time and we didn't get much interest from any of them.

The then Director of The Festival of Perth, David Blenkinsopp, approached us about that time, asking if we would underwrite the visit to Australia of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, something that somewhat shocked us at the time, huge costs, logistics and all of that – no was the answer, unless they would be prepared to perform in our vineyard.

He went off to London to organise the tour and said he'd talk to the LPO and let me know. To my surprise he came back and said they'd love to perform at Leeuwin, as long as we underwrote the whole Australian tour. Trish thought I was mad, in fact everybody I know thought I was mad, but I said yes!

Funnily enough it was a bit like the wine, we didn't know that much about music and certainly nothing about being concert promoters, however we thought the London Philharmonic Orchestra was a pretty good 'band' to start our concerts with! They really might be worth the risk and we needed to generate a profile for our wine business in a creative way.

So 100+ members of The London Philharmonic Orchestra travelled all the way to Margaret River, we built a stage, did some creative things entertainment wise and all had a fantastic night. The concert was a sell-out; we even had to turn away 500. It made front page news, described as “The most extraordinary concert ever held in Australia."

Our wines were successfully launched nationally at functions held off the back of the concerts throughout Australia – it proved to be a highly successful promotion.

The impact of that first concert guaranteed the future success of our concerts. Whilst it cost a fortune in our underwriting of the total Australian tour it was a highly successful launch pad to promote Leeuwin Estate to all the right people at home and Eastern Australia.

That first Leeuwin Concert was so successful that we continued the relationship with the Festival of Perth for another two years, featuring other international orchestras. Then we thought that we needed to do something different and presented Ray Charles. The new format proved to be even more successful so we decided to stick to that format for a while – 32 years later we have presented an eclectic array of the world's leading musicians at Leeuwin, from Sting to James Taylor, Carole King and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa."  Denis Horgan

Text taken from Milton Wordley's article 'People of Wine', https://winetenquestions.com.au/