Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2013

Wine Spectator Best Chardonnay in the World from 2013 Vintage
James Halliday Top 100 Wines of 2016

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

"It is supremely elegant and finely balanced, and has absorbed the new oak in a manner worthy of a Grand Cru White Burgundy, leaving the fragrant bouquet and finely structured palate of startling length to occupy centre stage."  James Halliday

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 concentrated and vibrant aroma, highlighted by lime curd, juicy pears and lemon flesh in the foreground. Beneath lies subtle complexities of cinnamon quill, black cardamom, amongst toasted hazelnuts and pecans. An open, textural and layered entry continues to a youthful and fine palate with laced acidity and a seamless finish. Cut limes, pears and white peach dominate the palate, woven with savoury almonds, sweet spice and seamless elegant length.”  Leeuwin Estate

Expert reviews

"55% machine-picked at night, 45% hand-picked, 64% cultured yeast, 36% wild yeast, fermented in and matured for 11 months in new French oak. It is supremely elegant and finely balanced, and has absorbed the new oak in a manner worthy of a Grand Cru White Burgundy, leaving the fragrant bouquet and finely structured palate of startling length to occupy centre stage. Screwcap. 13.5% alc. Drink by: 2033."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 98 points and Top 100 Wines of 2016 and Special Value Wine  ★ 

"This has to be one of the most delightfully restrained and elegant of any Leeuwin chardonnay I can recall. It is also one of the very best. Everything has come together so perfectly with a mix of creamy stone fruit, roasted cashew and that distinctive grapefruit. The power and lingering intensity are something else. A super wine. Best Drinking: Now to 2028."  Ray Jordan – 97 points

"Lightish green/yellow hue, restrained for its age, and the bouquet is ultra-fresh and youthful, with almost contradictory intensity thanks to concentrated fruit. Tremendous depth of flavour, which rolls on and on across the tongue. Lightly toasted cashews, subtly mealy, focused and tautly framed. A most impressive chardonnay which has a big future. A stunner!"  Huon Hooke, The Real Review – 97 points

"Pale colour. Fresh lime, grapefruit, nectarine aromas with vanilla aniseed notes. Beautifully balanced wine with developed grapefruit, stone fruit, vanilla flavours, hints of butterscotch, fine chalky textures and fine long crisp acidity. Finishes chalky/crunchy with abundant sweet nectarine fruits, roasted hazelnuts and a kick of aniseed. A well developed style with excellent fruit complexity and precision. Drink: Now-2032."  Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal - 97 points (Tasted 2021)

"The 2013 Art Series Chardonnay contains a portion of wild ferment for the first time—33% of the cuvée was fermented using natural yeasts. The wine is layered with characters of coffee grounds, orange peel, cocoa nib, salted honeycomb and toffee apple, all of it tempered by salty acidity. The length of flavor unfurls across the finish; it oozes pedigree and class at this point. It's very good and moving to secondary characters now, while still maintaining a core of pear and peach. Hand-picked fruit from Block 20 and 22 (planted in 1976 and 1978, respectively). Five percent of the cuvée was whole bunch fermented in 100% new oak, while the balance was destemmed, crushed and pressed to 100% new Bordelais oak. Sulfured post-ferment in order to discourage malolactic fermentation, both components remain in barrel for 11 months. Drink: 2023 - 2038."  Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate - 97 points (Tasted July 2023)

"Elegant and graceful, this opens to supple lemon and tangerine flavors, accented by spice, cedar, mineral and white floral touches. Everything is precise and supple, with a juicy touch on the epic finish. Best now through 2026."  MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator – 96 points and Best Chardonnay in the World from 2013 Vintage

"Melon and grapefruit to the fore. This is textured, chewy and full of potential, yet remarkably good drinking already. The finish is near seamless and the acid balance is a highlight. With air, this starts to develop peachy fruit. Another great wine."  Brendan Jansen MW, Fine Wine Club (Vertical Tasting 2000 – 2016 vintage, Tasted May 2019)

"More open now than it was on release, the 2013 Art Series Chardonnay is singing. Hints of toasted nuts and grilled peaches appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate broadens and deepens into ripe tropical flavors without becoming unwieldy and crisp citrus notes bring the wine home on the long, long finish."  Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate - 95 points (Tasted Jan 2020)

"Pale yellow-gold. A highly complex, mineral-laced bouquet evokes fresh citrus and orchard fruits, iodine, toasted brioche and white flowers, and a hint of fennel emerges with air. Shows superb depth and delineation, offering vibrant orange, pear, sweet butter and anise flavors that tighten up slowly on the back half. Powerful yet graceful, displaying superb focus and thrust on an impressively long finish that features lingering floral and mineral flourishes."  Josh Raynolds, Vinous - 95 points

"It's a very good release from Leeuwin Estate, and while the oak influence is still pretty formidable, there's a touch more restraint and finesse in the wine these days, or so it seems. Pear, lime, Teddy Bear biscuits, liberal smoky clove spice oak. Medium to full bodied, powerful fruit, glossy feel, but flinty and dry acid cuts it neat and sparkling, and while the clove spice oak is a bit passive 'Gudang Garam' smoking initially, it fades into the wine with air time. Honey, cashew, pear and limey acid roll away long on the finish. Needs time to settle. Decant now, or cellar for at least a few years. Drink : 2019 – 2030."  Gary Walsh, The Wine Front - 95 points

Awards

Wine Spectator Best Chardonnay in the World from 2013 Vintage
James Halliday Top 100 Wines of 2016
Special Value Wine – Halliday Wine Companion  ★ 

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/