Big and buttery up front but dissipated quickly. Almost a little too heavy to begin with. Wondered if it has got a little too old now? Still an excellent Chardonnay through and very elegant
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Well, the piss yellow green colour has faded (thankfully)!. Bright colour, hints of lime tinge on the colour. Interesting nose, started soft and buttery but after one hour woody notes came through followed by hints of Amafli lemons. Butter on the palate plus the woodiness. Love this wine and will no doubt continue to evolve both in glass and bottle
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Under cork. Our last bottle of the 2004. Gold now. It has mellowed nicely with time. Judging by my notes not as full and decadent as the last opened three years ago but still rich. Bosc pear, baked apple, spice and a touch of toffee. Good acidity on a long finish. We loved this wine in its youth but it is better now.
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Crowd favourite over the Grand Cru Chablis. Which was surprising. Coming it at 14.5% alc, it’s big and bold. White fruits, pears, a little honeysuckle. Some flint on the nose? As excellent as the first bottle.
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Drank over 2 nights. Under screwcap. Was worried it was outside the drinking window, but CellarTracker reviews suggested it was fine. And indeed it was. Golden yellow colour now, buttery vanilla - classic early 2000s Australian Chard. But that’s not a bad thing given how “lean” some are now. Some gun flint on the nose. White fruits. But still some acidity.
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Posh and decadent (in a good way) with great fruit and acidity on the finish. Butterscotch, lemon, ripe apple and spice. We have been buying this wine through several vintages now and like to hold off for a few years. We need to wait longer. At fourteen years this bottle has moved up to another level. Matching it with grilled lobster did not hurt. An exceptional wine.
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Brian + Sylvia, Wedding Dinner (Leeuwin Estate): Pretty good, and some on the table really liked this, but I somehow thought the 2014 that we had alongside showed just that touch better. This had plenty of honey and caramel, burnt butter and bitter almond notes on the nose and palate - the oak coming out a bit more as the fruit receded. It was perhaps just a bit too popcorny for my liking. Still though, a nice new world Chardonnay nose. The palate was rather richer than on the 2014, with ripe yellow fruit aplenty in a creamy mouthful, before the oakier popcorn notes came out again on the finish. Lots of layered depth here, but it was also nicely balanced by a good bit of acidity. All in all, a yummy wine drinking well at the moment, but a touch obvious for me.
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Was worried about 13 year old Aussie Chardonnay in a screw top. Wow. This is as good as any aged Burgundy 1er Cru. Straw colored, notes of apple, pear, and earth on nose. Wonderful mouth feel, well balanced, long finish. Doesn't get any better. Unfortunately my last 2 bottles. Drink now
What a spectacular bottle of Chardonnay. One of the best Chards I have ever had. Sadly this is my last bottle of this wine. I Opened this and began drinking immediately. The color was a medium straw color. The nose has apple, pear, honey and butter. On the palate there was an initial hint of grapefruit but that quickly disappeared and the wine presents an amazing medley of rich, crisp and fresh fruit flavors, lychee nuts and honey. The balance is amazing with just-right fruit infused acidity and a super long finish. I think this wine is in prime time but also believe that it should go at least another 5 years.
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Bubbles, Rose & Whites on a Sunday Afternoon (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Medium dark golden color. From a cork top, 750ml, PNP, drank 1+ glass over 75 minutes. I was concerned by the color when I poured this; but oh no, this was a sheer delight. I don't recall ever having a Leeuwin from a bottle with a cork. Now maybe the screw caps show just as well with this kind of age- and it sure would be fun to see side by side - but I've never felt like they really got substantially better. Lovely color, intense nose rich and layered both on the nose and palate; golden fruit, creme brulee, honey, custard, pineapple, apple. The palate has a creamy texture, full bodied but still lithe, very nice acids that keep this lively,spiced, honey cake, golden apple, pineapple, subtle oak, long and coating finish.
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Drinking my last bottle. The previous three that I have drunk in the last month have been sadly too mature. This particular bottle is truly excellent. Its amazing that a new world white of 13 years old can have aged like a top class burgundy. This one did but can't be relied on to do so. Lovely rich, honeyed liquid with pear and apricot aromas. A very clean and dry aftertaste. I am glad that I got to taste this but I won't risk leaving my other vintages so long, well maybe just keep one to see!!
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I don't know, all i know is it's good, its very good and special indeed - it's the kind of wine you don't drink every day, and today is just a perfect occasion. Out of the bottle, it has a bright golden tinge, scent of vanilla and whatever it is that is so damn fragrant. It tastes sensational, the mouth feel was luscious, the palate was mellow, none of that oaky or doughy stuff that i normally find annoying in chardy.
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Monthly tasting club "The Tasting Club" 2016-?; Oaked Chardonnay (@ WW): Beautiful and mature bouquet with yellow fruits, almond and luxurious oak. On the palate very tasty and rich with vanilla, hay, beautiful acidity, bitterness and a great length. Really luxurious wine and completely ready now. 93 – 94
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Lovely palate super evolved nose. Actually not quite fully open. Smells like amazing whitnrburgundy. Doesn't feel like a white wine any more. Just feels like an amazing great wine.
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Considerably more advanced from last bottle ~5 years ago. The fruit and oak are now out of balance. There is just a hint of oxidation on the finish. Past prime.
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12 years on and just gets better and better Colour pale good with green tinges Aromas of dried pear, honeydew melon, citrus, cloves and plenty of spicy vanilla and nuts oak. Great intensity and balanc On the palate full bodied and intense with flavours of the nose pear, lemon peach Some aged characters developing adding complex to the palate Enormous richness and length of flavour on the finish I would rather have half a bottle of this than a bottle of many $40 Chardonnay's
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This is a very high quality wine and at 11 years of age it is still vibrant and full of fruit and life. Complex aromas and fantastic concentration also alcohol and oak are in perfect balance with the fruit. Yet the fruit is too sweet for my taste (tinned pineapple, melon, banana with butterscotch nuances). I can understand how one can enjoy this wine, but sadly I did not and I thought its sweetness clashed with the food. Does the above sound contradictory?
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A couple of relatively recent bottles from this vintage have seemed good although past their best. But most have aged more gracefully. Tonight it is rich and decadent with flavors of crème brûlée, baked apple and almost overripe lemon on the finish. The best it has been to date. Exceptional.
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Found five bottles at $55 each in an end of bin sale. I had to go for it. First bottle was corked, drank it anyway. Second bottle was fading, but a real pleasure to drink. Obviously not as well stored as my home bottles but hey, its still darn delicious.
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Enjoyed this Aussie favorite on the 4th of July. Now a shade over a decade old, this bottle was drinking nicely. Well balanced and well proportioned, with ample acidity and zest. Very enjoyable on a warm evening.
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Second of three bottles. Just love this wine. Big fruit on the nose and the palate with minerality and not much oak. Yummy stuff. Perfect balance. Right up there with the best Chardonnay in the world. I am a red wine guy but this is really special stuff.
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Gold color. Creme brûlée, spice and citrus. Rich and decadent at this point. Suitable food pairings have changed and narrowed as it has grown richer and deeper with time. I prefer it best alone now.
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First bottle that shows signs of being past its prime. Like the last it is full, rich, and complex but a little of the edge is gone. The finish is a bit flat. Bottle variation is possible. We will drink another fairly soon. If this is a one off, fine. If not the rest will be consumed by year-end.
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This bottle was wonderful, just like the others. There are many ripe flavors of pear, peach, and lemon. I am also tasting some caramel and marshmallow. My last bottle (for now...).
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This is note number 1000 for me. The wine is worthy of the occasion. The note not so much. No change from prior notes. All I have said previously about this wine is still true. Superb.
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An evening with Ib B (Frederiksberg): Questionable fill. Color golden. Hints of ox, otherwise fresh with good acidity, vanilla, orangepeel. Not a dead ringer for burg, I fear, initially. But: When served, it was fresh and alive – even the color seemed to have changed, very much alive. KH guessed chardonnay, everyone was guessing old world. A success, in that sense, and something is going with these wines, they are exciting. Drink up, though.
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Consistent with previous notes. This bottle is at its lofty best tonight. Deep gold color. Rich, full, smooth, tropical and nutty complexity. Served with grilled lobster tails for my daughter's birthday and smiles all around.
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Fully mature. Oak well integrated in full fruit and mineral flavors. Apple, pear, melon and a touch of butter. Beautiful nose but lacking a little on the finish.
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I am a little late to the party but this is fast becoming my favorite new world Chardonnay producer. This vintage has plenty of life left in it. See previous notes for detail.
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One of the best Chardonnays that I have ever tasted was a 2002 Art Series and this bottle is right there. Full, rich, butterscotch, mineral, peach, Meyer lemon, spice, nutty, creamy texture, good acidic balance and absolutely outstanding. And a perfect match this evening for steamed Dungeness Crab.
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Similar to 04/25/12. My 2nd time enjoying this wine and once again I think 1er or Grand Cru vs. new world chardonnay. A fabulous pairing with Thai curry mussels. Delish! Probably the most impressive Australian white wine I've had to date.
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Interesting nose that smelled distinctly aged along with aromas of butterscotch and lime. An interesting and pleasant combination. I tasted stone fruits and citrus with traces of butterscotch and oak. Smooth, lingering finish. A very enjoyabl wine and a good find. When this wine was offered around the table, one person turned it down saying, " I prefer reds." After some persuading, he agreed to a taste and immediately said "I like it." After a few more sips, this was followed with "I could drink a whole bottle of this!" Most people at the table had never tasted an Australian Chardonnay and it was very well received by a table full of generally red wine drinkers. I think the store from which I purchased this bottle will be getting a few visitors soon. I know I will be buying more to share.
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Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay (AuZone, Stockholm): Bright yellow. Nose with plenty of citrus including zest, some honey, slightly flowery, some spice, slightly develped. Deep notes and an impressive nose. The palate is quite concentrated, and shows honey, citrus, minty mineral notes, high acidity, and a long aftertaste with fresgness, mint and mineral. Deep fruit, delicious notes of maturity, a big wine. This bottle was sealed with a natural cork.
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Yet another year of producing an amazing Chardonnay by Leeuwin Estate. Leeuwin produced a bigger wine this year that boasts alcohol at 14.5%. The wine was aged for 18 months in 100% new oak with no malolactic fermentation. Barrel maturation on yeast lees imparts subtle nutty aromas. The 2004 is less "tropical" than previous vintages but continues to be the perfect example of Australian new world Chardonnay. From the beautifully deep "golden" yellow coloured wine rises aromas of lemon, pear, peach with a touch of pineapple. The wine fills your mouth with its trademark honey oil flavours layered with pears and a touch of apple. This is a heavy textured wine that in spite of its very high alcohol content drinks extremely smoothly. Juicy is a common term that floats around the tasting table. The long citrus finish is perfectly complimented by the treatment of new French oak. Now for the bad... the wine has more than doubled in cost from the first bottle I bought back in 1999. From $50 to $120 once professional reviews made the mainstream and especially after R. Parker declared this to be Australia's best Chardonnay if not the best overall wine. With scores ranging 94 to 98 this wine has simply squeezed me out of the market. Although I find it to be one of the world's greatest Chardonnays....at $120 a bottle I prefer to buy a top Corton-Charlemagne or a mid-tier Grand Cru from Bourgogne.
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Runny Returns.....the Great Australian Wine Dinner. (Chez Patrick Restaurant, 2/F, Garden East, 222 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong): Green-gold with the lightest dash of yellow gold. Nose is lovely and open....ripe green melon and orange canteloupe melon with a more acidic note of mandarin oranges in the background. Palate is weighty, good firm oak, rich, lots of ripe honeydew melon. Good minerality but definitely in the background with this bottle. Heady. A big resonance on the finish. Very easy to enjoy. This has put on weight since I last drank it 9 months ago. Very Mersault-like, as Chris pinpointed.
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Sealed under screwcap this thing is very smart. There are ripe peaches on the nose along with mint, spice and mineral. It is dense and chewy with sappy fruits and high quality, supportive oak. It is broad shouldered and powerful without being too heavy and under this closure you’d expect it to live for a couple of decades.
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Shared 2 bottles at Ashley's Rooftop Dinner Party. Didn't know the Sea Bass had a hot chili sauce. Would have chosen a Viognier, Riesling, Rhone White, or Gewurtztramier.
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A journey back to 2004, but in two parts. My bottle, under cork (and apperently the last vintage under cork). Andy's bottle, direct from Australia off the original release, under cap. Of course the idea was standard -- what is the difference. But for us it was two fold deeper. First, I have maintained that the post 2004 cap closed bottles are too high in sulfur, muting the wine for at least two to three extra years. Second, a question of longevity under the cap -- does the wine last longer?
To the tasting -- universally (in a room full of people, expert and novice, long term Arty Chard drinkers and newbees to the subject matter), again, it was universally agreed that the 2004 under cork was better -- more harmonious, more integrated, tastier, livelier, everything in everyway, better.
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Consistent with previous note from 2010. "Burgundian nose of wet rocks and ripe fruit. Mineral, peach, Meyer lemon, butterscotch and perfect acidic balance. It is rich but not heavy. Long finish." Still in peak form.
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Farewell Runny....at least for now! (Chez Patrick Restaurant, 2/F, Garden East, 222 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong): Lovely light silver-green colour....it doesn't look like an 8 year-old New World Chardonnay for sure. Nose is just absolutely lovely.......honeysuckle and heady white acacia flower perfume on an English summer's evening.....Montrachet standard.....flint on the back end...wow! Palate is gorgeous warm Charentais melon...ripe....great depth and length that reveals multiple citrussy lemon elements and a great mineral and acidic cut. This is outstanding by any standard and much better than the 2006 vintage that I have and normally rave about....more citrussy and multi-layered. This stopped everyone in their tracks and paired beautifully with Chef Patrick's signature Saint Jacques d'Hokkaido Marinees.
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Very impressed. This is a big chard and makes me think Corton rather than Carneros. Big concentrated lemon flavors ride along an oily voluminous body. Thanks to Steve8 for bringing this to our little offline.
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Consistent tn's. Sadly, my last one, too bad too, since this is really just getting going. Apple, flint, smoke, fresh pear and tropical notes. Medium-full palate follows from the nose. Rich, precise and enjoyable, especially the citrus tang on the end. Drink thru 2021, 14,5% abv, score: A-
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My absolutely favorite Art Series Chardonnay. Bold sweet fruit on the nose, something above and beyond just regular Chardonnay. Sensational on the palate, lengthy finish, incredible wine. Absolutely stunning. Nate is floored.
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Absolutely delicious. Art Series is consistently my favorite chardonnay and this did not disappoint. My first 2004 in a couple of years and it is aging vey nicely. Beautiful nose of floral and citrus. Buttery but nor oaky or overpowering and balanced by the citrus, lemon, grapefruit. Lots of acid and still very lively. A very well balanced, harmonious wine. Should continue to age well and nice I have 9 left.
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Layers of fig, melon and spicy vanillin oak envelope the nose and set the expectation the wine will be something special.
The palate certainly doesn't disappoint showing great precision and depth of stone fruits contrasted by well defined mineral acidity; as the wine moves across the mid to back palate there is spicy oak, fig and supreme length of nougat and almond characters that all combine to create a wonderfully concentrated and complex finish. Review Link - www.winereviewer.com.au (drink from 2011-2017)
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Slow-O 3 hours, served over the following 3 hours. This had some stiff competition last night - '05 Ex Voto, '07 Rochioli Chard. I rated this last among the three, but more because the others were that great, and not because this was that bad. It still has a very youthful color; the acidity seems racy, almost nervous. This will likely hit peak in 2 years and then drink well for another decade after that. I've got one left, so I'm hoping it will pick up a more complexity along the way. Excellent food wine. 14,5% abv, approx $60.
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can always count on leeuwin to deliver a well balanced matured Chardonnay and once again they have delivered. Strong fruit still evident and in great balance with the oak and a long strong finish on this wine
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This is the third taste of this I've had, and the most disappointing. So how do I give it a 90? Well, it's still a very well made wine, but this bottle is very high in alcohol, or at least exhibits a hot, short finish, with somewhat simple, overbearing tropical fruit, and buttery essence. While it's pretty, it's just too over the top fruit forward for my palate, although I can see the appeal. A glass consumed last October was much more complex anf Burgundian.
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This is my first taste of a Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay. Deep yellow color. Burgundian nose of mineral and ripe fruit. Mineral, peach, Meyer lemon, butterscotch and perfect acidic balance. It is rich but not heavy. Long finish. I am officially a fan.
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Very light smoky flavors and minerals in the bouquet beside the citrus. Good citrus acidity on the palate and multiple tropical flavors. Mouth filling and a long finish. Still quite youthful and fresh.
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Real piss yellow green! Melted butter nose with melon notes. There are also still some green notes. Palate seems a little dumb, some chalkiness, good fruit still but something's missing. Lovely finish but this underwhelmed with a chicken lasagne.
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really very good. so well balanced. oak is quite distinctive but the acidity and fruit ensure this is not overpowering though I understand some would not like
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Probably my favorite chardonnay. Beautiful golden color with fragrant apple and tropical fruit aromas. The spicy vanilla flavors meld seamlessly with the silky texture. Everything is so well balanced that it's hard to believe that its 14.5% ABV.
Wow what a change. You can see the earlier wine From my previous note. Still initially lemon and citrus, the acidity still provides a bite and seems a touch out of balance, but as previous reviews noted, balance and creaminess coming on. Butter and vanilla, and a palette coating creaminess is rising. Needs time, but could be great!!!!!!!! I am so glad i kept this wine. Wait 5 years
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Golden color. Nice citrus nose. Multiple flavors with citrus dominant and butter in the background. Still lots of acidity. Years to go. Another excellent Art Series chard but that's to be expected from Leeuwin.
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Another outstanding Art Series Chardonnay. Light gold color with greenish tint. Multiple aromas. Nicely balanced with lively acidity. Light butter with almond notes. Loads of citrus flavors. Lengthy finish. Excellent with our homemade Chesapeake Bay blue crab cakes. Nice to have 11 more!
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Ripe stone fruits layered on mouthwatering acidity. This has a crispness I have not noticed in other Leeuvin Chards. No one would accuse this of being a flabby Aussie chard- a really nice Mosel-like freshness in this effort.
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Fragrant, floral notes on the nose. Gentle and creamy. Lovely balance. Lightly oaked and smoky. There's a touch of sweetness provided by the ripe fruit. Very good to drink now.
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Miki's Birthday Lunch (Top Deck, Jumbo Floating Restaurant, Aberdeen Marina, Hong Kong): Green-tinged straw colour. Nose of lemon peel, gooseberry, chalk and flint with a touch of nail varnish and then fresh dough mix as it opens up. On the palate it has a lovely crisp acidity, some fresh but not sweet pineapple, stony....not buttery at all. Fresh hazelnuts and a lovely acidic backbone. Oak is completely integrated and very quiet in the background. Impressive length. Excellent.
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Fabulous drink! Stunning nose and a complex and fruity palate to follow. Had me back for more. Sadly one bottle broken by the restaurant or we could have gone on to the fourth!
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Opulent, round, and quite lush compared to '03 and '05. While I have heard great things about how this wine will age I believe we are in the glory days of the '04. '03 and '05 might go longer. But what a beautiful wine this was.
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Really sumptuous and flavorful with a light touch. I found a truly wonderful texture on this after an hour of air and served just slightly chilled, not cold. Great with fancy Mac n' cheese and an avacado-herb-cream green salad. Rich and layered but not at all flabby. Great Chardonnay that will wow the naysayers.
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Tangy, bright acidity matched with incredibly full body. Apparently undergoes full malo and 100% new French oak, which shocked me. There were hints of the oak treatment on the finish and a certain creaminess from malo (but balanced against prickly acidity) but it tasted nothing like a big California butter-chard. Guessing it's a combo of terrior, French v. American oak, and preserving the acidity. Beyond that, citrus notes and some peach and pear. Touch of floralness and even some sweet dried herbs. Also got candided ginger and Skittles. Crazy. Complex stuff, certainly ageworthy. Evolved in the glass at each sip. Highly recommended.
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What can I say? I love this wine. It is an incredible bargin for $76. I have noticed that as time goes on -- both the bottle being open and the wine aging, that it picks up more mineral and clear water tastes and textures. It will be interesting to track this as it ages.
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A beautifully balanced (relatively) gentle wine of butter, hazelnuts and lemon - my favourite Oz chardonnay - drink soon or keep but I don't think it will improve
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light golden colour. This wine is really starting to hit its stride now, still strong notes of vanilla oak but beautifully refined melon, peach/stonefruit flavours emerging. the palate length is also improving and good fresh acidity. im sure this still has a few years of positive development left but it is a very fine wine now.
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EWS California Chardonnay vs. White Burgundy (Warwick Hotel, NYC): Tasted blind. Medium yellow with intense oak and vanilla on the nose, with aromas of licorice and grappa. Almost "sweet" on the palate and a little hot on the finish. Unusual flavor profile, with tropical nuances on the finish, but over the top for me.
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This bottle seems to lack that precious and glorious nose. It still has a full and lively mid palate. Sitll beautiful. So another perhaps for the nose!
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medium golden yellow Nose: pear, touch honey, thyme, steel, minerals Pal: pear, green apples, mineral, touch effervescent, well integrated oak Feel: medium, savory, acidic Finish: long TC9
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This is an amazing chardonnay. Perfectly balanced between fresh fruit, cinnamon and toasty oak flavors, and acidity and balance. A simply ravishing wine.
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Showed very well next to many outstanding whites poured that night. Floral & fruit nose with a multitude of different fruits up front and mid palate. Not for those who prefer a ton of oak, won't find it here,but good acidity and lovely balance. Good stuff would buy a lot more if not so $$$.
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Pineapple and red grapefruit came through, with good, clean acidity; however, the fruit was thin. Assuming all four of us at dinner didn't simultaneously lost our appreciation of for chardonnay, and based on the almost-universal rave reviews for this wine, we may have experienced the bad luck of bottle variation. I didn't enter a score, but would have given this wine an 88-89.
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This Australian Chardonnay to me is about as good as you can get where you want the Chardonnay grape to drive the aroma, flavors, etc. Excellent balance with any new oak subdued. Very smooth. I paid $60/bottle. If you are into pure Chardonnay wine I highly recommend. If you like heavy oaked California Chardonnays this wine will disappoint. As to aroma and flavors this is a wine with sufficient complexity to allow you to just use your imagination. Gooseberry, apple, pear. WS rated it 94 for what it is worth.
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Outrageous! Light, creamy, layered, with wonderful citrus, pear, nectarine and apple currents in a mineral laden frame with deceptive body and excellent length. Delicious and complete but some upside potential, too. Rating lowered to 93 because of inconsistent performance over next two days... but still an obviously great wine at all stages.
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At Pastis, Coral Gables w Danny Spring & Jean-Marc, and Rich Findler. Danny's wine. Leewin is consistently my favorite Chardonnay in the world. This is the current release and it is drinking beautfully now w pineapple tropical fruit flavors, and good acidity. Like normal Art Series Chard's this will only improve with age. I still have a 97 and 98 left, which I'm saving for a while and will move on to the 99 and 02's. Need to get some of the 04's.
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A beautiful Chardonnay. Perefectly balanced oak, nicely integrated acid, great with food or on its own. We partnered this with Fresh Sweet Corn Chowder with Crab.
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Leeuwin Estate Cellar Door Visit & Lunch (Margaret River, Western Australia): Straw colored, hints of green. Nose of peaches and Fig Newtons. Wow, really intense flavors. Beautiful layers of peach, pears, pear skin, buttered toast, nuts. Incredibly complex finish, tons of layers. Oak is totally under control. I had this with a Butter Poached Marrin (something like an american crayfish) salad, the taste pairings were interesting: With the marrin a sweetness came out which I hadn't noticed before. With the parsley, arugula, and mint salad the apple and pear flavors came forward (this was an excellent combo). This wine gets better as it warms up a bit - hints of an oiliness. This is as good as some of the best French Chardonnay I've had. I don't normally like Chardonnay, but this could be the best wine I've had in Australia. AU$85
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1/12/2022 - Shads389 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Big and buttery up front but dissipated quickly. Almost a little too heavy to begin with. Wondered if it has got a little too old now? Still an excellent Chardonnay through and very elegant
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7/30/2021 - Wrighty Likes this wine: 91 Points
Well, the piss yellow green colour has faded (thankfully)!. Bright colour, hints of lime tinge on the colour. Interesting nose, started soft and buttery but after one hour woody notes came through followed by hints of Amafli lemons. Butter on the palate plus the woodiness. Love this wine and will no doubt continue to evolve both in glass and bottle
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2/14/2021 - tantotinto wrote: 95 Points
Under cork. Our last bottle of the 2004. Gold now. It has mellowed nicely with time. Judging by my notes not as full and decadent as the last opened three years ago but still rich. Bosc pear, baked apple, spice and a touch of toffee. Good acidity on a long finish. We loved this wine in its youth but it is better now.
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9/5/2020 - chadslater Likes this wine: 92 Points
Crowd favourite over the Grand Cru Chablis. Which was surprising. Coming it at 14.5% alc, it’s big and bold. White fruits, pears, a little honeysuckle. Some flint on the nose? As excellent as the first bottle.
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8/1/2020 - chadslater Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank over 2 nights. Under screwcap. Was worried it was outside the drinking window, but CellarTracker reviews suggested it was fine. And indeed it was. Golden yellow colour now, buttery vanilla - classic early 2000s Australian Chard. But that’s not a bad thing given how “lean” some are now. Some gun flint on the nose. White fruits. But still some acidity.
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4/20/2020 - Frijole wrote:
dark gold, lots of clarity, silvery hue
Nose: pear, tart apple, stone fruit, marigold, honey, wax, butter, touch lemon, thyme, white pepper, musk, minerals, oak
Pal: pear, tart apple, stone fruit, marigold, brioche, cashew, honey, wax, butter, lemon, white pepper, thyme, musk, minerals, toasted caramel, oak, complex
Feel: full, medium, savory, minerals
Finish: long
TC10
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1/1/2019 - carstenf wrote: flawed
What a pity...
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5/8/2018 - tantotinto wrote: 95 Points
Posh and decadent (in a good way) with great fruit and acidity on the finish. Butterscotch, lemon, ripe apple and spice. We have been buying this wine through several vintages now and like to hold off for a few years. We need to wait longer. At fourteen years this bottle has moved up to another level. Matching it with grilled lobster did not hurt. An exceptional wine.
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12/9/2017 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Brian + Sylvia, Wedding Dinner (Leeuwin Estate): Pretty good, and some on the table really liked this, but I somehow thought the 2014 that we had alongside showed just that touch better. This had plenty of honey and caramel, burnt butter and bitter almond notes on the nose and palate - the oak coming out a bit more as the fruit receded. It was perhaps just a bit too popcorny for my liking. Still though, a nice new world Chardonnay nose. The palate was rather richer than on the 2014, with ripe yellow fruit aplenty in a creamy mouthful, before the oakier popcorn notes came out again on the finish. Lots of layered depth here, but it was also nicely balanced by a good bit of acidity. All in all, a yummy wine drinking well at the moment, but a touch obvious for me.
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9/27/2017 - maw246 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Was worried about 13 year old Aussie Chardonnay in a screw top. Wow. This is as good as any aged Burgundy 1er Cru. Straw colored, notes of apple, pear, and earth on nose. Wonderful mouth feel, well balanced, long finish. Doesn't get any better. Unfortunately my last 2 bottles. Drink now
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9/24/2017 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 98 Points
What a spectacular bottle of Chardonnay. One of the best Chards I have ever had. Sadly this is my last bottle of this wine. I Opened this and began drinking immediately. The color was a medium straw color. The nose has apple, pear, honey and butter. On the palate there was an initial hint of grapefruit but that quickly disappeared and the wine presents an amazing medley of rich, crisp and fresh fruit flavors, lychee nuts and honey. The balance is amazing with just-right fruit infused acidity and a super long finish. I think this wine is in prime time but also believe that it should go at least another 5 years.
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6/11/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Bubbles, Rose & Whites on a Sunday Afternoon (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Medium dark golden color. From a cork top, 750ml, PNP, drank 1+ glass over 75 minutes. I was concerned by the color when I poured this; but oh no, this was a sheer delight. I don't recall ever having a Leeuwin from a bottle with a cork. Now maybe the screw caps show just as well with this kind of age- and it sure would be fun to see side by side - but I've never felt like they really got substantially better. Lovely color, intense nose rich and layered both on the nose and palate; golden fruit, creme brulee, honey, custard, pineapple, apple. The palate has a creamy texture, full bodied but still lithe, very nice acids that keep this lively,spiced, honey cake, golden apple, pineapple, subtle oak, long and coating finish.
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5/15/2017 - Sievvy wrote: 94 Points
Drinking my last bottle. The previous three that I have drunk in the last month have been sadly too mature. This particular bottle is truly excellent. Its amazing that a new world white of 13 years old can have aged like a top class burgundy. This one did but can't be relied on to do so. Lovely rich, honeyed liquid with pear and apricot aromas. A very clean and dry aftertaste. I am glad that I got to taste this but I won't risk leaving my other vintages so long, well maybe just keep one to see!!
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12/24/2016 - kwattro Likes this wine: 96 Points
I don't know, all i know is it's good, its very good and special indeed - it's the kind of wine you don't drink every day, and today is just a perfect occasion. Out of the bottle, it has a bright golden tinge, scent of vanilla and whatever it is that is so damn fragrant. It tastes sensational, the mouth feel was luscious, the palate was mellow, none of that oaky or doughy stuff that i normally find annoying in chardy.
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8/18/2016 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Monthly tasting club "The Tasting Club" 2016-?; Oaked Chardonnay (@ WW): Beautiful and mature bouquet with yellow fruits, almond and luxurious oak. On the palate very tasty and rich with vanilla, hay, beautiful acidity, bitterness and a great length. Really luxurious wine and completely ready now. 93 – 94
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7/29/2016 - milwaukeewino wrote:
Lovely palate super evolved nose. Actually not quite fully open. Smells like amazing whitnrburgundy. Doesn't feel like a white wine any more. Just feels like an amazing great wine.
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7/13/2016 - mjf@ulkner wrote:
Considerably more advanced from last bottle ~5 years ago. The fruit and oak are now out of balance. There is just a hint of oxidation on the finish. Past prime.
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5/19/2016 - rossi.wine wrote: flawed
Tasted blind. Very dark and evolved in colour. Oxidised on the nose, same on the palate, a real shame.
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5/3/2016 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Leeuwin Estate Tasting and Dinner (EL Ideas Chicago, IL): A bit darker color than the '05. Great balance of acidity, floral, peach,must drinking really great.
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3/5/2016 - beatles wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with Peter, Susanne, PPJ, Maria-Terese, Thomas - chez moi (Frederiksberg): Great showing; rich with butterscotch, vanilla, orangepeel, but there is an underlying acicity and freshness here, that goes on and on. It is not trying to be burgundy, just great Australien, cool chardonnay. Under screwcap.
(#dinner with Peter&Susanne, PPJ etc.)
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2/25/2016 - LindsayM Likes this wine: 96 Points
12 years on and just gets better and better
Colour pale good with green tinges
Aromas of dried pear, honeydew melon, citrus, cloves and plenty of spicy vanilla and nuts oak. Great intensity and balanc
On the palate full bodied and intense with flavours of the nose pear, lemon peach Some aged characters developing adding complex to the palate
Enormous richness and length of flavour on the finish
I would rather have half a bottle of this than a bottle of many $40 Chardonnay's
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9/22/2015 - Stefanos T. Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is a very high quality wine and at 11 years of age it is still vibrant and full of fruit and life. Complex aromas and fantastic concentration also alcohol and oak are in perfect balance with the fruit. Yet the fruit is too sweet for my taste (tinned pineapple, melon, banana with butterscotch nuances). I can understand how one can enjoy this wine, but sadly I did not and I thought its sweetness clashed with the food. Does the above sound contradictory?
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9/8/2015 - tantotinto wrote: 95 Points
A couple of relatively recent bottles from this vintage have seemed good although past their best. But most have aged more gracefully. Tonight it is rich and decadent with flavors of crème brûlée, baked apple and almost overripe lemon on the finish. The best it has been to date. Exceptional.
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8/17/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Found five bottles at $55 each in an end of bin sale. I had to go for it. First bottle was corked, drank it anyway. Second bottle was fading, but a real pleasure to drink. Obviously not as well stored as my home bottles but hey, its still darn delicious.
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7/4/2015 - Chaz Bham wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyed this Aussie favorite on the 4th of July. Now a shade over a decade old, this bottle was drinking nicely. Well balanced and well proportioned, with ample acidity and zest. Very enjoyable on a warm evening.
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1/7/2015 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 95 Points
Second of three bottles. Just love this wine. Big fruit on the nose and the palate with minerality and not much oak. Yummy stuff. Perfect balance. Right up there with the best Chardonnay in the world. I am a red wine guy but this is really special stuff.
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12/25/2014 - tantotinto wrote: 94 Points
Gold color. Creme brûlée, spice and citrus. Rich and decadent at this point. Suitable food pairings have changed and narrowed as it has grown richer and deeper with time. I prefer it best alone now.
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12/23/2014 - V64 wrote:
Tasting wine AGM 2015, against a Yattana of the same vintage
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11/1/2014 - cob wrote: flawed
Oxidized, what a bummer. The other three I had were beautiful.
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8/3/2014 - tantotinto wrote: 92 Points
First bottle that shows signs of being past its prime. Like the last it is full, rich, and complex but a little of the edge is gone. The finish is a bit flat. Bottle variation is possible. We will drink another fairly soon. If this is a one off, fine. If not the rest will be consumed by year-end.
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6/26/2014 - JuliannaDHS Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle was wonderful, just like the others. There are many ripe flavors of pear, peach, and lemon. I am also tasting some caramel and marshmallow. My last bottle (for now...).
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6/25/2014 - tantotinto wrote: 94 Points
This is note number 1000 for me. The wine is worthy of the occasion. The note not so much. No change from prior notes. All I have said previously about this wine is still true. Superb.
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5/31/2014 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
An evening with Ib B (Frederiksberg): Questionable fill. Color golden. Hints of ox, otherwise fresh with good acidity, vanilla, orangepeel. Not a dead ringer for burg, I fear, initially. But: When served, it was fresh and alive – even the color seemed to have changed, very much alive. KH guessed chardonnay, everyone was guessing old world. A success, in that sense, and something is going with these wines, they are exciting. Drink up, though.
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5/10/2014 - BinVA Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not as full as the last bottle. Didn't quite come together over dinner either. Good but not as good as expected.
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2/28/2014 - salua wrote: 92 Points
great wine. Drinking very well. Still a bit of acid but plenty of fruit and balance. Drink over next few years
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1/19/2014 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Marks duckhouse – Beaucastel VV, Le Pavillon & a lot of domestic wines (Marks duckhouse, Falls Church, Va): Ripe yellow fruits, lemon curt, cooked apple, a hint of oak and mineral. Good concentration, a hint of oak, intense ripe yellow fruit intensity and mouth puckering acidity. Sort of very dense wine but the acidity gives the freshness.
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1/8/2014 - tantotinto wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with previous notes. This bottle is at its lofty best tonight. Deep gold color. Rich, full, smooth, tropical and nutty complexity. Served with grilled lobster tails for my daughter's birthday and smiles all around.
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12/20/2013 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
As always the Art Series Chardonnay ages beautifully. Equal to a fine Burgundy. Unfortunately my last bottle.
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10/12/2013 - mclanew wrote: 92 Points
Fully mature. Oak well integrated in full fruit and mineral flavors. Apple, pear, melon and a touch of butter. Beautiful nose but lacking a little on the finish.
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9/23/2013 - tantotinto wrote: 94 Points
I am a little late to the party but this is fast becoming my favorite new world Chardonnay producer. This vintage has plenty of life left in it. See previous notes for detail.
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8/18/2013 - WineDoctors wrote: 92 Points
with scallops, bright and not overoaked; also paired with roast corn thai coconut broth. last vintage with a cork, still drinking well
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8/4/2013 - tantotinto wrote: 94 Points
One of the best Chardonnays that I have ever tasted was a 2002 Art Series and this bottle is right there. Full, rich, butterscotch, mineral, peach, Meyer lemon, spice, nutty, creamy texture, good acidic balance and absolutely outstanding. And a perfect match this evening for steamed Dungeness Crab.
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7/20/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Bleeding from the cork and yes, the palate is show oxyidization. Too bad.
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7/19/2013 - Racer117 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar to 04/25/12. My 2nd time enjoying this wine and once again I think 1er or Grand Cru vs. new world chardonnay. A fabulous pairing with Thai curry mussels. Delish! Probably the most impressive Australian white wine I've had to date.
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6/22/2013 - JuliannaDHS Likes this wine: 92 Points
Interesting nose that smelled distinctly aged along with aromas of butterscotch and lime. An interesting and pleasant combination. I tasted stone fruits and citrus with traces of butterscotch and oak. Smooth, lingering finish. A very enjoyabl wine and a good find. When this wine was offered around the table, one person turned it down saying, " I prefer reds." After some persuading, he agreed to a taste and immediately said "I like it." After a few more sips, this was followed with "I could drink a whole bottle of this!" Most people at the table had never tasted an Australian Chardonnay and it was very well received by a table full of generally red wine drinkers. I think the store from which I purchased this bottle will be getting a few visitors soon. I know I will be buying more to share.
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5/23/2013 - Vintomas wrote: 94 Points
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay (AuZone, Stockholm): Bright yellow. Nose with plenty of citrus including zest, some honey, slightly flowery, some spice, slightly develped. Deep notes and an impressive nose. The palate is quite concentrated, and shows honey, citrus, minty mineral notes, high acidity, and a long aftertaste with fresgness, mint and mineral.
Deep fruit, delicious notes of maturity, a big wine.
This bottle was sealed with a natural cork.
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5/4/2013 - Happy Sommelier Likes this wine: 97 Points
Yet another year of producing an amazing Chardonnay by Leeuwin Estate.
Leeuwin produced a bigger wine this year that boasts alcohol at 14.5%. The wine was aged for 18 months in 100% new oak with no malolactic fermentation. Barrel maturation on yeast lees imparts subtle nutty aromas. The 2004 is less "tropical" than previous vintages but continues to be the perfect example of Australian new world Chardonnay. From the beautifully deep "golden" yellow coloured wine rises aromas of lemon, pear, peach with a touch of pineapple. The wine fills your mouth with its trademark honey oil flavours layered with pears and a touch of apple. This is a heavy textured wine that in spite of its very high alcohol content drinks extremely smoothly. Juicy is a common term that floats around the tasting table. The long citrus finish is perfectly complimented by the treatment of new French oak. Now for the bad... the wine has more than doubled in cost from the first bottle I bought back in 1999. From $50 to $120 once professional reviews made the mainstream and especially after R. Parker declared this to be Australia's best Chardonnay if not the best overall wine. With scores ranging 94 to 98 this wine has simply squeezed me out of the market. Although I find it to be one of the world's greatest Chardonnays....at $120 a bottle I prefer to buy a top Corton-Charlemagne or a mid-tier Grand Cru from Bourgogne.
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3/26/2013 - tantotinto wrote: 92 Points
Not quite up to our last bottle but still very good. Very full and mature. Butterscotch and lemon. Long Finish.
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3/22/2013 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 91 Points
Runny Returns.....the Great Australian Wine Dinner. (Chez Patrick Restaurant, 2/F, Garden East, 222 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong): Green-gold with the lightest dash of yellow gold. Nose is lovely and open....ripe green melon and orange canteloupe melon with a more acidic note of mandarin oranges in the background. Palate is weighty, good firm oak, rich, lots of ripe honeydew melon. Good minerality but definitely in the background with this bottle. Heady. A big resonance on the finish. Very easy to enjoy. This has put on weight since I last drank it 9 months ago. Very Mersault-like, as Chris pinpointed.
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3/12/2013 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Sealed under screwcap this thing is very smart. There are ripe peaches on the nose along with mint, spice and mineral. It is dense and chewy with sappy fruits and high quality, supportive oak. It is broad shouldered and powerful without being too heavy and under this closure you’d expect it to live for a couple of decades.
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3/9/2013 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Shared 2 bottles at Ashley's Rooftop Dinner Party. Didn't know the Sea Bass had a hot chili sauce. Would have chosen a Viognier, Riesling, Rhone White, or Gewurtztramier.
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1/26/2013 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pineapple flavors w great acidity and minerality. Can go on forever. Much better than the O4 Astralis we also drank.
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12/7/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Great as always. Our New York foodies here for Art Basel really liked it. Like all Art Series Chardonnay's keeps improving with age.
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11/24/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
A journey back to 2004, but in two parts. My bottle, under cork (and apperently the last vintage under cork). Andy's bottle, direct from Australia off the original release, under cap. Of course the idea was standard -- what is the difference. But for us it was two fold deeper. First, I have maintained that the post 2004 cap closed bottles are too high in sulfur, muting the wine for at least two to three extra years. Second, a question of longevity under the cap -- does the wine last longer?
To the tasting -- universally (in a room full of people, expert and novice, long term Arty Chard drinkers and newbees to the subject matter), again, it was universally agreed that the 2004 under cork was better -- more harmonious, more integrated, tastier, livelier, everything in everyway, better.
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10/24/2012 - tantotinto wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with previous note from 2010. "Burgundian nose of wet rocks and ripe fruit. Mineral, peach, Meyer lemon, butterscotch and perfect acidic balance. It is rich but not heavy. Long finish." Still in peak form.
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6/22/2012 - samer wrote: 90 Points
strong floral notes, summery & crisp slightly acidic on the palate. Nice history/age on it and could last another 2-3 yrs.
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5/8/2012 - hehimm wrote: 97 Points
See my notes from 10/08/2011. No need to ad or subtract to those notes. If you have any enjoy now or hold for several more years.
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5/4/2012 - Goldstone wrote: 93 Points
Farewell Runny....at least for now! (Chez Patrick Restaurant, 2/F, Garden East, 222 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong): Lovely light silver-green colour....it doesn't look like an 8 year-old New World Chardonnay for sure. Nose is just absolutely lovely.......honeysuckle and heady white acacia flower perfume on an English summer's evening.....Montrachet standard.....flint on the back end...wow! Palate is gorgeous warm Charentais melon...ripe....great depth and length that reveals multiple citrussy lemon elements and a great mineral and acidic cut. This is outstanding by any standard and much better than the 2006 vintage that I have and normally rave about....more citrussy and multi-layered. This stopped everyone in their tracks and paired beautifully with Chef Patrick's signature Saint Jacques d'Hokkaido Marinees.
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4/28/2012 - samer wrote: 92 Points
highly complex, with a nose of honey & strawberries and a tongue of lemon + plums + apricots. This bottle could age a little more, too.
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4/25/2012 - Racer117 wrote: 92 Points
Very impressed. This is a big chard and makes me think Corton rather than Carneros. Big concentrated lemon flavors ride along an oily voluminous body. Thanks to Steve8 for bringing this to our little offline.
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4/25/2012 - Javachip wrote: 90 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 4/25/2012 (Bay Park Fish Co., San Diego, California): Clear straw yellow. Bouquet of quince, star fruit, and fig. Similar on the palate, plus coconut, cream, oak, and a touch of broccoli. Elegant, well balanced, outstanding. Group's THIRD PLACE for this flight.
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1/19/2012 - samer wrote: 92 Points
nice minerality, big bouquet, well-balanced age-able chardonnay
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1/6/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Consistent tn's. Sadly, my last one, too bad too, since this is really just getting going. Apple, flint, smoke, fresh pear and tropical notes. Medium-full palate follows from the nose. Rich, precise and enjoyable, especially the citrus tang on the end. Drink thru 2021, 14,5% abv, score: A-
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12/5/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
My absolutely favorite Art Series Chardonnay. Bold sweet fruit on the nose, something above and beyond just regular Chardonnay. Sensational on the palate, lengthy finish, incredible wine. Absolutely stunning. Nate is floored.
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10/8/2011 - hehimm wrote: 97 Points
Absolutely delicious. Art Series is consistently my favorite chardonnay and this did not disappoint. My first 2004 in a couple of years and it is aging vey nicely. Beautiful nose of floral and citrus. Buttery but nor oaky or overpowering and balanced by the citrus, lemon, grapefruit. Lots of acid and still very lively. A very well balanced, harmonious wine. Should continue to age well and nice I have 9 left.
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9/24/2011 - Patrick - winereviewer.com.au wrote: 97 Points
Layers of fig, melon and spicy vanillin oak envelope the nose and set the expectation the wine will be something special.
The palate certainly doesn't disappoint showing great precision and depth of stone fruits contrasted by well defined mineral acidity; as the wine moves across the mid to back palate there is spicy oak, fig and supreme length of nougat and almond characters that all combine to create a wonderfully concentrated and complex finish.
Review Link - www.winereviewer.com.au (drink from 2011-2017)
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8/13/2011 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Slow-O 3 hours, served over the following 3 hours. This had some stiff competition last night - '05 Ex Voto, '07 Rochioli Chard. I rated this last among the three, but more because the others were that great, and not because this was that bad. It still has a very youthful color; the acidity seems racy, almost nervous. This will likely hit peak in 2 years and then drink well for another decade after that. I've got one left, so I'm hoping it will pick up a more complexity along the way. Excellent food wine. 14,5% abv, approx $60.
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7/26/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs-III(Double Blind): Bob's wine.
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7/23/2011 - paulfeeney wrote: 94 Points
can always count on leeuwin to deliver a well balanced matured Chardonnay and once again they have delivered. Strong fruit still evident and in great balance with the oak and a long strong finish on this wine
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6/6/2011 - essconsults wrote: 90 Points
This is the third taste of this I've had, and the most disappointing. So how do I give it a 90? Well, it's still a very well made wine, but this bottle is very high in alcohol, or at least exhibits a hot, short finish, with somewhat simple, overbearing tropical fruit, and buttery essence. While it's pretty, it's just too over the top fruit forward for my palate, although I can see the appeal. A glass consumed last October was much more complex anf Burgundian.
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4/25/2011 - mariolanza wrote: 91 Points
Drinking well and will drink better in the future, great wine. Tastes like a Meursault.
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1/16/2011 - mariolanza wrote: 92 Points
Great wine, classic Leeuwin Chardonnay. Needs time to evolve more
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10/30/2010 - tantotinto wrote: 93 Points
This is my first taste of a Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay. Deep yellow color. Burgundian nose of mineral and ripe fruit. Mineral, peach, Meyer lemon, butterscotch and perfect acidic balance. It is rich but not heavy. Long finish. I am officially a fan.
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10/21/2010 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Very light smoky flavors and minerals in the bouquet beside the citrus. Good citrus acidity on the palate and multiple tropical flavors. Mouth filling and a long finish. Still quite youthful and fresh.
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10/19/2010 - mouton45 wrote: 92 Points
first bottle.... great with chicken velutte leftovers
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10/15/2010 - Wrighty wrote: 89 Points
Real piss yellow green! Melted butter nose with melon notes. There are also still some green notes. Palate seems a little dumb, some chalkiness, good fruit still but something's missing. Lovely finish but this underwhelmed with a chicken lasagne.
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9/26/2010 - quickben wrote: 90 Points
really very good. so well balanced. oak is quite distinctive but the acidity and fruit ensure this is not overpowering though I understand some would not like
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9/19/2010 - talesofthegrape Likes this wine:
Probably my favorite chardonnay. Beautiful golden color with fragrant apple and tropical fruit aromas. The spicy vanilla flavors meld seamlessly with the silky texture. Everything is so well balanced that it's hard to believe that its 14.5% ABV.
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9/4/2010 - jlgnml wrote: 94 Points
super good, not high on the alcohol aftertaste. smooth.
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8/24/2010 - Margauxguy wrote: 93 Points
Wow what a change. You can see the earlier wine From my previous note. Still initially lemon and citrus, the acidity still provides a bite and seems a touch out of balance, but as previous reviews noted, balance and creaminess coming on. Butter and vanilla, and a palette coating creaminess is rising. Needs time, but could be great!!!!!!!! I am so glad i kept this wine. Wait 5 years
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6/22/2010 - hehimm wrote: 95 Points
Golden color. Nice citrus nose. Multiple flavors with citrus dominant and butter in the background. Still lots of acidity. Years to go. Another excellent Art Series chard but that's to be expected from Leeuwin.
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5/30/2010 - hehimm wrote: 95 Points
Another outstanding Art Series Chardonnay. Light gold color with greenish tint. Multiple aromas. Nicely balanced with lively acidity. Light butter with almond notes. Loads of citrus flavors. Lengthy finish. Excellent with our homemade Chesapeake Bay blue crab cakes. Nice to have 11 more!
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5/22/2010 - mariolanza wrote: 91 Points
Almost sweet and perfumed on opening. Great acidity, long life, very high quality
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4/26/2010 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 91 Points
Ripe stone fruits layered on mouthwatering acidity. This has a crispness I have not noticed in other Leeuvin Chards. No one would accuse this of being a flabby Aussie chard- a really nice Mosel-like freshness in this effort.
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1/14/2010 - winesteward wrote: 89 Points
Fragrant, floral notes on the nose. Gentle and creamy. Lovely balance. Lightly oaked and smoky. There's a touch of sweetness provided by the ripe fruit. Very good to drink now.
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11/1/2009 - Goldstone wrote: 93 Points
Miki's Birthday Lunch (Top Deck, Jumbo Floating Restaurant, Aberdeen Marina, Hong Kong): Green-tinged straw colour. Nose of lemon peel, gooseberry, chalk and flint with a touch of nail varnish and then fresh dough mix as it opens up. On the palate it has a lovely crisp acidity, some fresh but not sweet pineapple, stony....not buttery at all. Fresh hazelnuts and a lovely acidic backbone. Oak is completely integrated and very quiet in the background. Impressive length. Excellent.
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11/1/2009 - runny wrote: 95 Points
Fabulous drink! Stunning nose and a complex and fruity palate to follow. Had me back for more. Sadly one bottle broken by the restaurant or we could have gone on to the fourth!
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5/30/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Opulent, round, and quite lush compared to '03 and '05. While I have heard great things about how this wine will age I believe we are in the glory days of the '04. '03 and '05 might go longer. But what a beautiful wine this was.
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4/5/2009 - silton wrote: 93 Points
Really sumptuous and flavorful with a light touch. I found a truly wonderful texture on this after an hour of air and served just slightly chilled, not cold. Great with fancy Mac n' cheese and an avacado-herb-cream green salad. Rich and layered but not at all flabby. Great Chardonnay that will wow the naysayers.
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3/10/2009 - nzinkgraf wrote:
toasty cereal grain. not much fruit to the nose. hints of pineapple on the palate, but it's not going to open up too much before i have to leave.
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1/27/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Not as whorish and bountiful as I once remember it being. But still charming to the last for me and utterly worth the time. It is love.
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10/22/2008 - Margauxguy wrote: 89 Points
Young and tight, floral nose, lemon, cirus nose and pallette, almost a little to sweet, needs time?
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9/24/2008 - milwaukeewino wrote:
Tangy, bright acidity matched with incredibly full body. Apparently undergoes full malo and 100% new French oak, which shocked me. There were hints of the oak treatment on the finish and a certain creaminess from malo (but balanced against prickly acidity) but it tasted nothing like a big California butter-chard. Guessing it's a combo of terrior, French v. American oak, and preserving the acidity.
Beyond that, citrus notes and some peach and pear. Touch of floralness and even some sweet dried herbs. Also got candided ginger and Skittles. Crazy.
Complex stuff, certainly ageworthy. Evolved in the glass at each sip.
Highly recommended.
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9/23/2008 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Exceptional again.
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9/10/2008 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
What can I say? I love this wine. It is an incredible bargin for $76. I have noticed that as time goes on -- both the bottle being open and the wine aging, that it picks up more mineral and clear water tastes and textures. It will be interesting to track this as it ages.
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9/6/2008 - hargy wrote: 92 Points
A beautifully balanced (relatively) gentle wine of butter, hazelnuts and lemon - my favourite Oz chardonnay - drink soon or keep but I don't think it will improve
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8/30/2008 - BigJ wrote: 93 Points
light golden colour. This wine is really starting to hit its stride now, still strong notes of vanilla oak but beautifully refined melon, peach/stonefruit flavours emerging. the palate length is also improving and good fresh acidity. im sure this still has a few years of positive development left but it is a very fine wine now.
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8/6/2008 - Deb293 wrote: 86 Points
EWS California Chardonnay vs. White Burgundy (Warwick Hotel, NYC): Tasted blind. Medium yellow with intense oak and vanilla on the nose, with aromas of licorice and grappa. Almost "sweet" on the palate and a little hot on the finish. Unusual flavor profile, with tropical nuances on the finish, but over the top for me.
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7/23/2008 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
This bottle seems to lack that precious and glorious nose. It still has a full and lively mid palate. Sitll beautiful. So another perhaps for the nose!
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7/2/2008 - Frijole wrote:
medium golden yellow
Nose: pear, touch honey, thyme, steel, minerals
Pal: pear, green apples, mineral, touch effervescent, well integrated oak
Feel: medium, savory, acidic
Finish: long
TC9
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7/2/2008 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
This is an amazing chardonnay. Perfectly balanced between fresh fruit, cinnamon and toasty oak flavors, and acidity and balance. A simply ravishing wine.
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6/3/2008 - Carl Thoma wrote:
Rich, balanced, good acidity, peach noise, pure chardonnay, smooth. $60-74. WS 94, ST 94.
HR
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6/1/2008 - Tangokaren wrote: 92 Points
Showed very well next to many outstanding whites poured that night. Floral & fruit nose with a multitude of different fruits up front and mid palate. Not for those who prefer a ton of oak, won't find it here,but good acidity and lovely balance. Good stuff would buy a lot more if not so $$$.
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6/1/2008 - ajaffee wrote:
Pineapple and red grapefruit came through, with good, clean acidity; however, the fruit was thin. Assuming all four of us at dinner didn't simultaneously lost our appreciation of for chardonnay, and based on the almost-universal rave reviews for this wine, we may have experienced the bad luck of bottle variation. I didn't enter a score, but would have given this wine an 88-89.
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5/17/2008 - Carl Thoma wrote: 93 Points
This Australian Chardonnay to me is about as good as you can get where you want the Chardonnay grape to drive the aroma, flavors, etc. Excellent balance with any new oak subdued. Very smooth. I paid $60/bottle. If you are into pure Chardonnay wine I highly recommend. If you like heavy oaked California Chardonnays this wine will disappoint. As to aroma and flavors this is a wine with sufficient complexity to allow you to just use your imagination. Gooseberry, apple, pear. WS rated it 94 for what it is worth.
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5/4/2008 - winesteward wrote: 90 Points
Fresh, flavorful. Yellow fruits - pineapple and mango with a citrussy edge. Good balance. Needs time to calm down as it seems a bit aggresive.
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1/18/2008 - silton wrote: 93 Points
Outrageous! Light, creamy, layered, with wonderful citrus, pear, nectarine and apple currents in a mineral laden frame with deceptive body and excellent length. Delicious and complete but some upside potential, too. Rating lowered to 93 because of inconsistent performance over next two days... but still an obviously great wine at all stages.
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12/10/2007 - padapuma wrote: 95 Points
Great acidity and balance. Tons of citrusy oily fruit with a finish to boot
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11/17/2007 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
At Pastis, Coral Gables w Danny Spring & Jean-Marc, and Rich Findler. Danny's wine. Leewin is consistently my favorite Chardonnay in the world. This is the current release and it is drinking beautfully now w pineapple tropical fruit flavors, and good acidity. Like normal Art Series Chard's this will only improve with age. I still have a 97 and 98 left, which I'm saving for a while and will move on to the 99 and 02's. Need to get some of the 04's.
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9/18/2007 - Wrighty wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Denis Horgan plus an Art Series Chardonnay vertical from 1997 to 2004 (Crown Wine Cellars (Hong Kong)): Consistent with previous note.
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9/18/2007 - Wrighty wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Denis Horgan plus an Art Series Chardonnay vertical from 1997 to 2004 (Crown Wine Cellars (Hong Kong)): Yellow green colour. Picked up on pear skins. Intense nose. Palate is tight and concentrated with a long finish.
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8/31/2007 - brucejones wrote: 96 Points
A beautiful Chardonnay. Perefectly balanced oak, nicely integrated acid, great with food or on its own. We partnered this with Fresh Sweet Corn Chowder with Crab.
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4/15/2007 - brucejones wrote: 94 Points
Leeuwin Estate Cellar Door Visit & Lunch (Margaret River, Western Australia): Straw colored, hints of green. Nose of peaches and Fig Newtons. Wow, really intense flavors. Beautiful layers of peach, pears, pear skin, buttered toast, nuts. Incredibly complex finish, tons of layers. Oak is totally under control.
I had this with a Butter Poached Marrin (something like an american crayfish) salad, the taste pairings were interesting: With the marrin a sweetness came out which I hadn't noticed before. With the parsley, arugula, and mint salad the apple and pear flavors came forward (this was an excellent combo). This wine gets better as it warms up a bit - hints of an oiliness. This is as good as some of the best French Chardonnay I've had. I don't normally like Chardonnay, but this could be the best wine I've had in Australia. AU$85
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