“I’ve never seen a winemaker do that before,” said a fellow attendee at a Leeuwin Estate & Flint Wines tasting, held in Brighton last month. Senior winemaker Tim Lovett, who was presenting the Leeuwin’s new Art Series wines amongst others to an on-trade audience, was speaking so intensely and so passionately about his wines and Margaret River where they hail from, that he very well near shed a tear. Lovett choked, collected himself, explained his passion and carried on with the show.
And well he might get emotional. The wines he has been making at this pioneering estate for the past 14 years are some of the best in the world, and tasted like they were at Wild Flor restaurant where the event was being held.
“Margaret River is known for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chadonnay but Shiraz is the unsung hero, it’s the wine that you need to watch.” Tim Lovett, Wild Flor, Brighton
As with all of this South-West Australian region, that is blessed with a Mediterranean climate, maritime influence and a bedrock of ancient soils, the vinous calling cards are Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay – and the Art Series are some of the best there are... Leeuwin Estate’s Art Series Chardonnay accurately likened to a Montrachet by wine writer Oz Clarke some years ago. A.
The new 2021 Art Series Chardonnay is breathtaking and the museum releases that were also tasted at lunch show how well these wines can age – thanks to a core of bright acidity that is a hallmark of all of Leeuwin Estate wines. The Indian Ocean which is just 7 kilometres away is described by Lovett as “nature’s air conditioner… it’s important for the acidity and also getting consistency vintage to vintage.”
Old vines also help maintain the quality of the wine, (Leeuwin owns some of the oldest Chardonnay in the region having first planted in 1974) as do soils that have allowed high quality heritage clones of each variety to be planted – GinGin for the Chardonnay and SA126 and ‘Houghton clone’ for the Cabernet Sauvignon which produces wines with a distinctive textural tannin structure.
Simone Furlong: at pains to point out that Prelude and Siblings are not 'second wines'
The wines that Lovett showed at the event, accompanied by Simone Furlong, whose parents first established the winery under Robert Mondavi’s guidance, were spearheaded by the four Art Series wines but interestingly they didn’t eclipse the wines in the other two ranges – Prelude which are earlier-released wines and entry-level Siblings. In fact the Siblings Shiraz was one of the wines of the tasting, 'cheap as chips' and would make a perfect by-the-glass wine for a pairing menu on many a wine list.
Taken as a portfolio, what was so impressive about the Leeuwin Estate wines was how consistent the winemaking has been over the years. Lovett has reined in the oak a little, and is picking some of the fruit, particularly the Shiraz, a little earlier but the estate has always ploughed its own furrow quite literally, and never been a follower of fashion. Their museum releases don’t include: an 'ABC-style', creamy-malo white; or a struck match-dominated wine; or those battery acid-charged, austere Chards that, thankfully, are no longer the rage.
And for that at least we can all feel quite emotional about these wines...
So how were the new Art Series wines showing?
Art Series Riesling 2023, Margaret River
A distinctive and quite different style of Riesling, more akin to that coming out of New York State than Clare Valley. Bright, crisp, fresh, zesty perfume – lemon blossom and lime sherbet. The wine starts off warm and open and then you really feel the tension, a dry, citrus bite, a taste of Apple Sours; the wine has good balance although on the lean side, with a lovely dry, almost chalky finish. 12% abv £16
Art Series Chardonnay 2021, Margaret River
A magnificent wine which has always been true to itself and shuns fashion. It’s one of the world’s top Chardonnays make no mistake and is a beauty now but will age gracefully for decades to come. On first nose there’s the faintest hint of struck match but it’s way out there in the background and integrated so it comes across more as a smoky lime note, there are green apples and a touch of acacia – there’s nothing that hogs the limelight as so often happens with great wines. Medium weight, you enjoy a nice balance of ripe, flavoursome fruit, firm acidity and fine-boned texture, with a lovely dry stone-like finish and an afterglow of oak – rich and integrated into the mix. 13.5% abv £53.50
Art Series Shiraz 2023, Margaret River
Elegant, Rhône-esque Shiraz that leans more towards maritime-influenced Hawke’s Bay and Martinborough (eg. Kusuda) than it does to the Barossa. Deep purple with ripe, peppery black fruit, wild blackberry, spices (black cardamon), a touch of eucalyptus possibly. To drink the wine is medium weight, fine-grained texture, ripe fresh fruit, decent concentration, with some rich intensity – dried plums, a fruit cake note – but the acidity (30% whole bunch) keeps it knitted together wonderfully. Larger format oak is used for 18-months ageing which brings texture but allows the focus to fall on the fruit. Not what you expect from Aussie Shiraz. 13.5% abv £21.50
Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Margaret River
One of the wines of the tasting with immaculate purity of fruit shining at its core – a legacy of the fruit being picked just right and not left to hang too long. From the first aromatics to the last drop this is an attractively made and unmistakably pure Cabernet Sauvignon. Ripe, crushed blackcurrants leap out of the glass, toasty oak in the background, a hint of coconut. On the palate the wine is medium bodied, fresh fruit with grip – decent structure – but it’s that lovely purity you keep coming back to. 13.5% abv £35
Comparing the Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon with the 2020 Prelude Cab Sauv, Lovett explained that Art Series comes from specific blocks, is all hand harvested and the berry size is smaller ie. there is more skin to juice.
“You have to be really patient and pick on tannin ripeness which is all built into the skins… too early and you get pyrazines too late and it’s jammy.”
Tasting two Art Series library wines
Art Series Chardonnay 2015 (£69) which was just getting into secondary character – a light gold, more honeyed vanilla, a broader palate with nougat and nashi pear notes. The length and flavours in the finish were spectacular. So fresh it’s Incredible to think that this is nine years old – if anything the downside of the screwcap freshness is that (like Kumeu River) it takes so bloody long for these wines to develop! We finished with Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (£85.50) served from magnum which was ruby red and still feeling youthful, although the seamless integration of tannins and acidity in the balance reflected the wine’s maturity. Medium-full bodied it had a wonderful energy, great purity and a sturdy backbone of acidity.
Tasting the Siblings and Prelude wines
Leeuwin Estate has two other wine ranges which Simone Furlong was at pains to point out were not ‘second wines’ although with less precise fruit sourcing, selection and time in barrel they are clearly made for earlier drinking and do not have the gravitas of Art Series.
Siblings is the entry level range – we tried Siblings Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (£13.50) which was an Old World-style SB and very good it was too. Crisp, clean with the very faintest touch of tropical fruit on the nose, with lime, and mineral. Very good value, as was the Siblings Shiraz 2020 (£13.50) which was one of my wines of the tasting and is a sommelier’s dream for a by-the-glass tasting flight.
Lovett explained that he set out to showcase the true personality of Shiraz with “elegance, spice and purity, not jam and high alcohol.” A lot of effort has been put into picking the right sites, getting the fruit ripe and picking marginally earlier to bring the wine in at 13.5% abv.
Lovett has indeed got blue and black fruits driving the wine with some nice spicy cocoa notes. Vivid purple like a Beaujolais Nouveau, the nose and palate had a wild, grippy quality – good depth, medium weight, ripe and fulsome, and a nice peppery grip to the finish. I wouldn’t want to drink half a bottle but a glass or two with rare magret de canard and a morello cherry compote would be just perfect.
“Margaret River is known for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chadonnay but Shiraz is the unsung hero,” Lovett explained, “it’s been too long in the shadow of Cabernet but it’s the wine that you need to watch.”
Compared with the Art Series Shiraz the Siblings Shiraz has just 10% whole bunch used and aged in smaller barrels for 14 rather than 18 months.
“I make Shiraz in a Syrah way, I grew up in South Adelaide so I know how it works.”
The other wines we tasted were two Prelude wines (named because the wines are released before the Art Series): Prelude Vineyards Chardonnay 2022 (£20) which was fresh, clean with bright citrus and green apple. The flavours were good but lacking a bit of texture and oomph. Prelude Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (£19.50) I liked more, reminding me as it did of some of the fresher style of Cab Sauv coming out of South Africa – flavoursome but tense and with a crispy, ‘green’ edge. The tannins were powder-fine like cocoa dust.
The wines of Leuwwin Estate are imported and sold in the UK through Flint Wines. All prices are single bottle, trade, ex-VAT
