Wine Article
2017 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series
Last edited on 11/14/2020 by srh
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============== LindsayM (3/27/20)::
Intense exuberant but beautifully defined fruit is balanced by savoury oak complexity. The palate is creamy yet a fine bead of acid cuts a swathe across the palate giving life and incredible length. With age the wine becomes a harmonious whole with beautifully defined grapefruit/melon aromas and complex lanolin nuances. The palate is richer and fleshier but remains tightly bound by mineral acidity. Leeuwin Estate seeks to preserve the pristine fruit characters of Chardonnay throughout vinification and maturation. This is achieved through minimal or gravity fed handling, meticulous attention to detail and no malo-lactic fermentation. The wine is 100% barrel-fermented in selected new French oak and matured in the same barrel. Battonage builds texture and flavour complexity.
Vineyard Notes
Winter of 2016 was characteristically wet, with August experiencing a recent rainfall record with 228 mm - resulting in a significantly higher than average annual rainfall total. Chardonnay was the first variety to burst in late August, followed by the Riesling and Cabernet through September. Spring was generally milder and experienced slightly more rainfall than average. Flowering in all varieties was delayed 10 days as compared to 2016, with this period generally sunny, resulting in excellent set across most varieties. Summer was mild with few hot days, and veraison occurred 3 weeks later than in 2016. Harvest commenced in the Riesling in the last week of February, followed by Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc in the first weeks of March.
A later than usual, but nonetheless excellent vintage.
Winemakers Notes
Cool destemmed fruit with some skin contact. The juice was settled for 3 days, racked and inoculated with yeast. 100% of the juice was barrel fermented in new French oak barriques and the lees stirred regularly. After 11 months in barrels the various components were blended, fined, cold stabilized and bottled.
Tasting Notes
The purity on the nose is unmistakable; defined by a fruit spectrum of Japanese pear, Tahitian lime and Meyer lemon. Floral notes combine with subtle spice, highlighted by frangipani, chamomile, cinnamon and cardamom. Delicate notes of cashew, almonds, sesame and graphite are threaded in the background.
A clear expression of primary fruit unfolds into a delicate, contoured and layered mid-palate, neatly laced with a fine acid structure. Again, the hallmark fruits of pear and lime are present, with secondary notes of oyster shell, lightly toasted almonds and nutmeg. Presence, poise and enviable length combine in symmetry, creating an articulating line and dimension.
============== srh (11/14/20) from U.S. Distributor’s site::
“Cool de-stemmed fruit with some skin contact. The juice was settled for three days, racked with some barrels inoculated with yeast, others left to ferment naturally. 100% of the juice was barrel fermented in new French oak barriques and the lees stirred regularly. After 11 months in barrels the various components were blended, fined, cold stabilized and bottled. 13.5% ABV, 7.62 g/L T.A., & 3.12 pH;” 800 cases imported to the U.S.
99 pts & “Best Chard” Halliday Wine Companion (8/1/20),
98 The Real Review (Huon Hooke, 3/20/20),
96 & “Highly Rec” WS (Worobiec, 8/12/20) @ $89,
96 Suckling (Stock, 4/28/20),
93 Wine & Spirits (Greene, 10/’20), and
92 WE (Pickard, 12/1/20) @ $89!
Intense exuberant but beautifully defined fruit is balanced by savoury oak complexity. The palate is creamy yet a fine bead of acid cuts a swathe across the palate giving life and incredible length. With age the wine becomes a harmonious whole with beautifully defined grapefruit/melon aromas and complex lanolin nuances. The palate is richer and fleshier but remains tightly bound by mineral acidity. Leeuwin Estate seeks to preserve the pristine fruit characters of Chardonnay throughout vinification and maturation. This is achieved through minimal or gravity fed handling, meticulous attention to detail and no malo-lactic fermentation. The wine is 100% barrel-fermented in selected new French oak and matured in the same barrel. Battonage builds texture and flavour complexity.
Vineyard Notes
Winter of 2016 was characteristically wet, with August experiencing a recent rainfall record with 228 mm - resulting in a significantly higher than average annual rainfall total. Chardonnay was the first variety to burst in late August, followed by the Riesling and Cabernet through September. Spring was generally milder and experienced slightly more rainfall than average. Flowering in all varieties was delayed 10 days as compared to 2016, with this period generally sunny, resulting in excellent set across most varieties. Summer was mild with few hot days, and veraison occurred 3 weeks later than in 2016. Harvest commenced in the Riesling in the last week of February, followed by Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc in the first weeks of March.
A later than usual, but nonetheless excellent vintage.
Winemakers Notes
Cool destemmed fruit with some skin contact. The juice was settled for 3 days, racked and inoculated with yeast. 100% of the juice was barrel fermented in new French oak barriques and the lees stirred regularly. After 11 months in barrels the various components were blended, fined, cold stabilized and bottled.
Tasting Notes
The purity on the nose is unmistakable; defined by a fruit spectrum of Japanese pear, Tahitian lime and Meyer lemon. Floral notes combine with subtle spice, highlighted by frangipani, chamomile, cinnamon and cardamom. Delicate notes of cashew, almonds, sesame and graphite are threaded in the background.
A clear expression of primary fruit unfolds into a delicate, contoured and layered mid-palate, neatly laced with a fine acid structure. Again, the hallmark fruits of pear and lime are present, with secondary notes of oyster shell, lightly toasted almonds and nutmeg. Presence, poise and enviable length combine in symmetry, creating an articulating line and dimension.
============== srh (11/14/20) from U.S. Distributor’s site::
“Cool de-stemmed fruit with some skin contact. The juice was settled for three days, racked with some barrels inoculated with yeast, others left to ferment naturally. 100% of the juice was barrel fermented in new French oak barriques and the lees stirred regularly. After 11 months in barrels the various components were blended, fined, cold stabilized and bottled. 13.5% ABV, 7.62 g/L T.A., & 3.12 pH;” 800 cases imported to the U.S.
99 pts & “Best Chard” Halliday Wine Companion (8/1/20),
98 The Real Review (Huon Hooke, 3/20/20),
96 & “Highly Rec” WS (Worobiec, 8/12/20) @ $89,
96 Suckling (Stock, 4/28/20),
93 Wine & Spirits (Greene, 10/’20), and
92 WE (Pickard, 12/1/20) @ $89!