February 14, 2025
leeuwin-art-series-chardonnay-2021-benchmark-australian-white
Art Series Chardonnay 2021
A new batch of our previously sold-out benchmark Australian Chardonnay. Now Available in limited quantities:
98 Points, Vinous - "Tremendously concentrated and compact, with extreme drive and massive persistence, it positively vibrates with energy. "- Huan Hooke
With a loyal following, Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay is one of the most coveted Chardonnays to have come out of Australia. Its trademark elegance, precision and complexity, and compete with the old-world's top Grand Cru Chardonnays. 2021 was one of the most anticipated releases of this wine to date and we have just got our hands on a parcel to offer. We strongly believe that you need this wine in your cellar.
For those who don't know, Leeuwin Estate, a cornerstone of the Margaret River wine region in Western Australia, is renowned for its prestigious Art Series wines. Founded in 1973 by Denis and Tricia Horgan, and famously endorsed by Robert Mondavi, Leeuwin consistently showcases fine wine-making through its celebrated Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Art Series represents the pinnacle of Leeuwin Estate's offerings, featuring the most luxurious and cellar-worthy wines. Each bottle in this series is adorned with artwork from some of Australia's foremost contemporary artists, linking exceptional winemaking with artistic expression.
Langton’s Wine Classification is Australia's most prestigious ranking system for fine wines, recognizing excellence and investment potential. Wines are classified based on quality, track record, and demand, with categories like "Exceptional" and "Outstanding," similar to Bordeaux’s 1st Growth system. The Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay is one of only three Chardonnays to be classified as "1st Classified" by Langton’s, equivalent to a 1st Growth in Australia.
With 98 points from Vinous, it clears previous vintages by a whole 2 points to be the high-scoring vintage of this wine yet. Erin Larkin of the Wine Advocate follows suit with 97 points having tasted it on two separate occasions. We have put both reviews below for you.
Don't let the screwcap fool you, this is one of the most serious age-worthy whites coming out of Australia. It will happily cellar for two decades.
As we sold out quickly last time, I suggest jumping on these quickly.
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2021
98 points | Vinous, Angus Hughson
This stunning 2021 Margaret River Chardonnay Art Series shows beautiful racy lines with a slick and seamless style as it bursts with toasted cashews, melon, lemon peel and pith aromas lifted by mandarin rind. Fabulous fruit density with immense power yet retaining refinement and shape over a long, strong finish. Energetic, vibrant, perfectly formed and built for the long haul.
98 Points | The Real Review, Huan Hooke
Light straw colour with a reserved lemon/grapefruit aroma, fresh and penetrating, the palate brisk and bright with vibrant acidity and intense grapefruit/lemon flavours that persist the full length of the very long palate. Superb vitality and balance. It promises to reward cellaring too. Tremendously concentrated and compact, with extreme drive and massive persistence, it positively vibrates with energy. Very cellarworthy, too.
97 Points | Wine Advocate, Erin Larkin, Tasted July 2024
Leeuwin seems to be striding from strength to strength. The ever-dependable, consistent, age-worthy Art Series Chardonnay is great every season. It is always a reflection of the vintage, but it is Art Series Chardonnay first. The style is entrenched in the history of the wine, and as the vines gain in age, the fruit spectrum of the wines expand in complexity. So, each year seems to be "better than ever," and that makes sense when you drill down into site and production, both of which are tightly controlled to a high level of detail. While the 2021 Art Series Chardonnay is arguably finer than the 2020 or undoubtedly the 2022 yet to be released, it makes an impact as an excellent Art Series Chardonnay and sits beside the 2017 in style.
97 Points | Wine Advocate, Erin Larkin, Tasted February 2024
The 2021 Art Series Chardonnay leads with a distinctly floral nose: jasmine and white garden rose, wisteria and lemon blossom. The season was a challenging one in Margaret River, defined by the rainfall, which was constant. The temperatures were modest (not cool, as plenty of rain might suggest),and given that the region is so diverse in terms of distances between vineyard areas, this created quite a patchwork of outcomes for producers. On the palate, the wine is powerful and savory—it leans heavily on exotic dry spice and cracked honeycomb, with hints of salted butter on fresh white bread, beeswax and salted pink grapefruit. Stylistically, it is not dissimilar to the 2017; however, the dovetailing of acid and fruit feels seamless and well matched here. The wine is piercing and structural, tightly coiled and almost rigid, in the best of ways. It's an impressive wine, one that, at this stage of its life, is defined by its penetrating acid line. Sealed under screw cap.