Margaret River’s Leeuwin Estate
The Art of Fine Wine.
Sunday December 1st
15 Leeuwin Estate Wines Including 10 Art Series
2 of the finest ever Art Series Chardonnay- including the Award-Winning Varietal at Halliday Wine Companion Awards, the 2021, as well as the Museum Release 2017 vintage.
4 Art Series Cabernet Sauvignons – including one of the finest ever and long sold-out 2019 vintage.
2 Art Series Shiraz- including the 2022 Current Release & the 2017 Museum Release
2 New Releases- Prelude Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 & Siblings Shiraz 2022
Hosted By Phil Hutchison, Winemaker
Lunch: Noon, 15 Wines & 5 Courses, $195
Masterclass: 4-6pm, 15 Wines with nibbles, $85
Dinner: 6.30pm, 15 Wines & 5 Courses, $195
A lineup of top-rated wines, including:
Art Series Chardonnay 2021
98 Points Huon Hooke
98 Points Ray Jordan
98 Points Cassandra Charlick
97+ Points Erin Larkin
97 Points Gary Walsh
97 Points Jane Faulkner
Museum Release Art Series Chardonnay 2017
Award Winning Varietal, Wine Companion Awards 2021
99 Points James Halliday
98 Points Huon Hooke
97 Points Campbell Mattinson
96 Points Erin Larkin
96 Points Nick Stock
96 Points Josh Raynolds
Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
97 Points Jane Faulkner
96 Points Ray Jordan
96 Points Cassandra Charlick
95 Points Erin Larkin
94 Points Huon Hooke
Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
97 Points Huon Hooke
97 Points Erin Larkin
96 Points Jane Faulkner
96 Points Aaron Brasher
96 Points Ray Jordan
Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
97 Points Jane Faulkner
96 Points Erin Larkin
95 Points Ken Gargett
95 Points Ray Jordan
Museum Release Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
97 Points Huon Hooke
96 Points James Halliday
96 Points James Suckling
95 Points Gary Walsh
94+ Points Erin Larkin
Art Series Shiraz 2022
96 Points Ray Jordan
96 Points Ken Gargett
94 Points Gary Walsh
Leeuwin Estate History & Context
Family owned, Leeuwin Estate, one of the five founding wineries of the now famous Margaret River district of Western Australia, is under the direction of two generations who work with a team of highly skilled winemakers to consistently produce wines ranking alongside the world’s finest. In 1972, legendary Napa Valley winemaker, Robert Mondavi, identified the future site of the Leeuwin vineyard as being ideal for the production of premium wine and provided early mentorship to Denis and Tricia Horgan in the transformation of their cattle farm into Leeuwin Estate. Enjoying its first commercial vintage in 1979, Leeuwin was thrust into the international spotlight when Decanter Magazine gave its highest recommendation to the 1981 “Art Series” Chardonnay.
The international accolades have continued and Leeuwin now exports to 30 markets. The prestigious Langton’s Classification of Australian wine includes Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay in the top “Exceptional” category and amongst the iconic “Heritage five” celebrating Australia’s most exceptional, ground-breaking wines, whilst Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon is classified as “Outstanding”. Leeuwin Estate has been included in US ‘Wine & Spirits’ Magazine’s Hall of Fame in the category of ‘International Wineries of the Year’ and with point scores as high as 98/100, the US Wine Spectator has included Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnays amongst the “Top 100 Wines of the Year” on numerous occasions. Leeuwin Estate’s Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon has been a UK Decanter Magazine’s ‘Top 50 Wine of the Year’ and a US Wine & Spirits Magazine’s ‘Top 100 Wine of The Year’, whilst leading Australian wine commentator, James Halliday, includes Leeuwin in his ‘Top 100 Australian Wineries’.
leeuwinestate.com.au
“Leeuwin Estate is a class act, every facet of its business working with the precision of a Swiss watch. It stands at the very forefront of estate-based, family-owned wineries…”
James Halliday
The Wine List & Menu
On Arrival
Art Series Riesling 2023
93 Points Huon Hooke, The Real Review (December 2023)
Very light straw/yellow hue with a lifted fragrance of gardenia and lemon/citrus blossoms, the wine is delicate, refined and dry, with a refreshing cleanness and lightness but also length of palate. Bracing acidity. Very smart, elegant riesling that begs to be accompanied by food, especially fish.
Sourdough and olives
Siblings Sauvignon Blanc 2024
93 Points Huon Hooke, The Real Review (October 2024)
Very light straw-yellow hue; nettle, bracken and dried-herb aromas, traces of lime/lemon and kiwifruit as well. The wine has good intensity and depth of fruit on palate, backed by some structure which gives power to the finish and adds length. Smart wine.
Art Series Sauvignon Blanc 2023
94 Points Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate (May 2024)
The 2023 Art Series Sauvignon Blanc leads with gooseberry, kiwi fruit, green apple, cassis (something jubey), white strawberry and juniper. In the mouth, the wine is concentrated, saline, textured and long. This is routinely an impressive wine, as it offers elegant drinking in the future as well as today. 2023 was a superb (I repeat, superb) vintage in Margaret River, and this is testament to the restraint of the season that birthed it. Lovely. A portion of this wine is routinely matured in old Bordelais barrels, I assume this has happened again in 2023, and is responsible for some of the textural complexity in the mouth. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
Stracciatella, beefsteak tomato, ginger, spring onion
Prelude Chardonnay 2023
95 Points Gary Walsh, The Wine Front (May 2024)
It’s the best Prelude I can remember tasting, I’ll say that much straight off. A little struck match, very spicy (some pepper and cinnamon), bright citrus and green pear, hazelnut, fine flinty grip, with a cool finish of excellent length. Fine-boned, but delivers just enough flavour. I was so taken by its balance and charm. Superb drinking.
Art Series Chardonnay 2021
98 Points Cassandra Charlick, Decanter (15 March 2024)
2021 was marginally cooler for whites, and while this is young, its power is irrepressible yet it also shows restraint and harmony. A fine gauze of delicate florals and spice tucked behind structure, power and tension. Tuberose, green peppercorn, pear skin, preserved lemon, green cardamon and peach blossom. The palate offers jewelled hues of peach pit; a little flint, lots of wet stone minerality and crushed white sage dance with a very fine thread of salinity and lacy acidity. This takes time to unravel and unfurl, but once it does, it's got everything. The structure is superb and the 100% new oak meticulosity managed. Is this the greatest Art Series yet?
Museum Release Art Series Chardonnay 2017
Award Winning Varietal, Wine Companion Awards 2021
99 Points James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion (June 2021)
This achieves another step up the quality ladder for Leeuwin Estate, seemingly impossible. There's been no change in the vinification, nor in the vineyard. The change is an increase in the intensity of the flavours, and hence their length and aftertaste. It's an extraordinary wine, among the greatest of Burgundy (and elsewhere in the world). Whatever you expect from its future development will be delivered.
Abrolhos scallops, nori, tobiko
Prelude Cabernet Sauvignon (New Release), 2022
Prelude Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
93 Points Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate (July 2023)
The 2020 Prelude Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is juicy and bright on the nose. Despite its glossy exterior, the wine maintains a freshly turned earth/bramble vibe on the nose, which directly places it as varietally true. A honing beacon, if you will. The moderate to warm 2020 vintage is responsible for the density of fruit flavour in the mouth. Very good. The drinking window is conservative, but it takes into consideration primary fruit, which I personally prefer, to some extent, in most wines. This is characterised by cassis, blueberry, salted liquorice, summer raspberry and even a hint of star anise through the finish.
Mushroom and melted leek tart, fraiche
Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
97 Points Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (August 2024)
One of the distinctive features of this wine, and in a way a DNA link to all Art Series cabernet, is its savouriness. It’s the rolled tobacco, nori, iodine and whiff of new leather plus the cedary oak, but these are not separate, they form a whole impression. There’s also the core of excellent fruit, the structure, the supple tannins and the bright acidity. And the joy of drinking it.
Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
97 Points Huon Hooke, The Real Review (November 2023)
Deep red with a good tint of purple in the rim, the bouquet showing tobacco/cedar, nori/briar, and peaty/iodine-like nuances. It's full-bodied and powerful, with lavish tannins, bright acidity, and good concentration. Redcurrant and blackberry—red and black fruits both evident. A very smart and age worthy cabernet.
Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
97 Points Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (August 2023)
It’s masterful to craft a wine that is structured, detailed, powerful and concentrated, and yet, it feels effortless. Mulberries, cassis, warm spices, violets and cedary oak come together in harmony while the tannins sashay across the palate. Flavours persist, as does the finish, and it will age beautifully but hard to resist now. Impressive wine.
Museum Release Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
97 Points Huon Hooke, The Real Review (June 2017)
Deep red/purple: an outstanding colour in depth and hue. The bouquet is clean, fresh and alive with bright black fruit and violet aromas, touches of cedar and toasty oak, the palate very deep and concentrated, with lush fruit and abundant tannins, which counterbalance the fruit and sweetness. A powerful yet elegant cabernet with a very long and distinguished future ahead of it. An outstanding, profound wine.
Twice cooked lamb shoulder, melted beetroot, tadziki
Siblings Shiraz 2022 (New Release)
91 Points Ray Jordan, WA Wine Review
A neatly crafted medium bodied shiraz that has a tiny percentage of malbec. It’s bright as a button with lifted berry fruits displaying a light dusting of spices and a little savoury influence. The palate is smooth and seamlessly brought together with the fruit pretty and delicious. Nice earlier drinking wine.
Art Series Shiraz 2022
96 Points Ray Jordan, WA Wine Review
In many ways a breakthrough wine for Leeuwin and a clear marker of where they have been heading with this variety. As with the Siblings a small amount of malbec has been added along with the spicy and textural impact from a little viognier. It’s so delightfully poised and presented with its pretty and perfumed aromas opening with a plummy mulberry blue fruit character emerging immediately. It’s soft and supple with fine fruit characters supported with fine chalky tannins. Has a silky texture with an ever so subtle grainy feel adding to its appeal. Looking very smart.
Museum Release Art Series Shiraz 2017
Open and closed fermenters with 20% whole bunches, plunged/pumped over daily, pressed to new and used barrels for a total of 18 months in oak. Deep, bright purple, crimson; after early (10 years) hesitation about the synergy that might be gained from this marriage of wine and place all doubts were comprehensively answered. Lovely medium to full-bodied blackberry and co flavours.
95 Points James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion (July 2021)