Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
There is almond meal, yellow peach, nectarine and nashi pear. The wine is creamy and plump on the palate, but as mentioned in my review of the 1995, the wine is driven by the phenolic structure, undulating, powerful and serious, firm and long.Five percent of the cuvée was whole-bunch fermented in 100% new oak, while the balance was destemmed, crushed and pressed to 100% new oak, mainly Bordelais. Sulfured post-ferment in order to discourage malolactic fermentation
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Wine Spectator
Elegant and graceful, this opens to supple lemon and tangerine flavors, accented by spice, cedar, mineral and white floral touches. Everything is precise and supple, with a juicy touch on the epic finish. Drink now through 2026.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
In baseball, one of my favorite expressions is, "That player has the rare combination of power and speed." Some of the sport's greatest outfielders—Willie Mays and Barry Bonds (in his early years)—could smash baseballs 500+ feet while still being fleet of foot. The same parallel can be seen in world-class Chardonnays. Whether they hail from Burgundy, California, Australia, or other growing regions, these wines are often higher in alcohol (i.e. power) and thick on the palate. The 2013 Leeuwin Estate Art Series offers an amazing amalgamation of fullness and vitality. Not just content to be rich and powerful, this wine stays light on its feet with its bright acidity. Margaret River experts credit the use of the Gin Gin clone as one of the reasons that this grape variety can produce lavish wines without the loss of acidity in this temperate growing region. Pair the wine's creamy, core fruit flavors, full-bodied textures, and perky acidity with shellfish in a creamy sauce. Put some food on the barbie and play ball. (Tasted: July 10, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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James Suckling
Fabulous flamboyance and opulence yet a freshness and brightness underneath. Full body, lemon curd, apple meringue undertones. Vibrant finish. Screw cap. Drink now.
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Wine Enthusiast
As always at Leeuwin Estate, the Art Series Chardonnay is a star. Now incorporating some natural ferments and slightly more solids, the 2013 features some more savory elements than in the past. A hint of pencil shavings highlights the pear and pineapple fruit, which offers plenty of flesh without being overbearing.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Home to some of Australia’s most elegant and long-lived red and white wines, Margaret River is situated in the farthest reaches of Western Australia. Relatively warm and dry, the region is cooled by breezes from the Indian Ocean. Margaret River takes some inspiration from Bordeaux, producing top-quality Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux Blends with firm structure, mouthwatering acidity, balanced alcohol and notes of herbs and spice. For white wines, refreshing blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon as well as complex, age-worthy Chardonnays are regional specialties.