Established in 1973 by Denis and Tricia Horgan, Leeuwin Estate is one of Margaret River’s founding wineries and helped define fine wine in Western Australia, with early encouragement from Robert Mondavi and a long-standing reputation for producing benchmark Chardonnay.

From Margaret River, one of Australia’s premier maritime wine regions, the Art Series Chardonnay draws on the area’s coastal influence and long growing season to deliver both concentration and finesse. Leeuwin’s Art Series wines have become iconic expressions of the region, with Chardonnay standing as the estate’s signature wine.

Grapes for the 2022 Art Series Chardonnay were hand harvested and de-stemmed with fermentation occurring in 100% new French oak barriques and then aged for 11 months with regular lees stirring. The palate offers intertwining layers of pear, nectarine, white peach and lemon curd, with beautiful minerality. Subtle notes of sherbet, aniseed and cardamom add complexity, while vibrant natural acidity and harmonious texture carry the wine through a long, poised finish.

A beautiful match for butter-poached lobster, roast chicken with tarragon, or seared halibut in a creamy lemon sauce.

“The 2022 season was warm and low-yielding, particularly for Chardonnay, and many of the wines produced in the region this season can be typified by their nuttiness and a distinct chamomile tea/white flower character. Here, the 2022 Art Series Chardonnay is showing both of those characters, neatly wedged into the authoritative profile of Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay. Today, for perhaps the first time ever in seeing these wines on release, I note that the oak is a key player in the drinking experience—as ever, seamlessly matched to the fruit and an important part of the wine’s style and evident here today. There are toasted nuts, yellow fruits, exotic spices and an open fan of acidity/phenolics through the finish. This 2022 will prove to be a powerful and statuesque player in the wider footprint of Art Series Chardonnays. It’s one to collect, but for drinking in the short/immediate term, decanting is recommended. Sealed under screw cap. The wine was scheduled to be released March 9.”
97 points, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate, March 2025

“It’s still a baby, but there is no question of what lies within. Tuberose, lemon leaf, green spice, preserved lemon, toasty oak, cracker and perfumed white peach. On the palate, flavour is concentrated and intense, and combined with the firm structure of this wine, powerful enough to hold up to the oak. There’s vibrant, lacy acidity, ripe and powerful Gingin fruit, yet in no way eding towards flreshy. It’s voluminous and complex, but laster-beam precision keeps things taut. The palate blooms with opulent florals, doughut peach, nectarine skin, lemon blossom, crushed roast cashew, orange blossom and crushed citrus leaf. A silvery salinity on the finish tickles. A wine of polish, precision and immense power, yet all in balance. This is one for the distance.”
97 points, Cassandra Charlick, Decanter, April 2025