Leeuwin Estate is one of the five founding wineries of Margaret River, planted on what was once a cattle farm on the recommendation of Napa Valley's Robert Mondavi, who identified the site's potential for premium wine in 1972. Denis and Tricia Horgan established the estate in 1973, releasing their first commercial vintage in 1979. Two years later, Decanter's highest recommendation for the 1981 Art Series Chardonnay put the winery, and the region, on the world stage. The estate remains family owned, now under the joint stewardship of Justin Horgan and Simone Horgan-Furlong. Winemaker Phil Hutchison has shaped the day-to-day style of the wines at Leeuwin for over a decade, working alongside Senior Winemaker Tim Lovett and viticulturist David Winstanley. The range runs across three tiers: Siblings for early, easy drinking; Prelude for classic Margaret River character at an accessible price; and Art Series, the estate's most opulent and age-worthy wines, each vintage labelled with a new commissioned work from an Australian artist.

This release spans three vintages, each with a distinct signature. It opens with the Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon, from 2022, a year Wine Front's Campbell Mattinson called a "freak vintage" for Western Australia, delivering power, balance and ripeness across the board. The 2023 Chardonnay vintage drew more attention still: Decanter's Cassandra Charlick described it as one of the finest Margaret River Chardonnay years of the past decade, a season that shaped both the Art Series and Sparkling Brut in this release. Then came 2024, the hottest and driest growing season on record for the region. Under Winemaker Phil Hutchison's hand, the resulting wines, the Prelude Chardonnay and Siblings Shiraz in this release, show the benefit of diligence in the vineyard under pressure: concentrated, well defined, built for early drinking without sacrificing structure.

This brilliant Chardonnay will surely come to be ranked, not only amongst the best ever from this legendary estate... A very pale lemon with a vaguely green hint running through it, this is pristine, intense, beautifully balanced and seamless. The oak has almost been completely absorbed, although it is fair to say that it'll probably look even better in twelve months. The wine is, however, immensely enjoyable now. The nose reveals hints of apricot flesh, limes, citrus skins, oatmeal, Madagascan vanilla, gentle touches of grilled cashews, stonefruits and jasmine. Such intensity but meshed with freshness, energy and elegance. Powerful but poised, there is incredible length here, seemingly never-ending, with laser-sharp acidity just one of the many components. There is complexity already evident, although one suspects it is a shadow of what is to come...