Iconic Margaret River Chardonnay with pear, white peach, citrus and profound length
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2023 is one of Australiaâs most celebrated white wines, and a benchmark Margaret River Chardonnay with serious depth, polish and collector appeal. Powerful yet beautifully controlled, it delivers layers of fresh pear, white peach, ripe lime, jasmine, vanilla pod, cashew and toasted macadamia.
The 2023 vintage was an exceptional Margaret River season, producing fruit with outstanding ripeness, clarity and composure. This release has intensity, texture and remarkable length, with fully integrated French oak and a long, finely balanced finish.
Tasting Notes
Aroma: Fresh pear, white peach, ripe lime zest, jasmine, white florals, vanilla pod, cashew and toasted macadamia.
Palate: Concentrated and refined with apple, pear, white nectarine, ripe citrus, layered texture, natural acidity and beautifully integrated oak.
Finish: Profoundly long and composed with citrus, stone fruit, toasted nut complexity and a fine mineral line.
Halliday Wine Companion - 97+ Points
As youâd expect from an excellent vintage and a producer of exceptional chardonnay, this is superb. It glimmers light straw and olive in the glass, and itâs superbly modulated â from the flavours to the texture. It is quite a pared-back style, tight and linear with restrained power, savoury and moreish. Just another cracking Art Series Chardonnay. Jane Faulkner
WA Wine Review 2026 - 99 PointsÂ
âThis is a case of the planets aligning with one of the great names in Australian chardonnay from what I think is the finest vintage in the history of West Australian modern winemaking. This is quintessential Leeuwin, controlled power, but with the subtle finesse and delicacy that is the signature of this great vintage. The nose is a wonderful mix of quince paste, cut lime, spice, grapefruit, and a subtle dusting of powdery talc. The palate captures the vintage so well. 7 The flavour profile gradually builds and accelerates with tremendous drive through to a powerfully long finish, which is an essential part of the Leeuwin DNA. And yet all of this is done with such beautiful restraint and a controlled structure. It's such a young wine at the minute, but you know that deep within there's real power and latent energy that we'll see it develop so typically into a great mature chardonnay with extended cellaring. Up there with the finest releases.â Ray Jordan
Wine Pilot - 99 PointsÂ
âThis brilliant Chardonnay will surely come to be ranked, not only amongst the best ever from this legendary estate, not only among the best from this thrilling region, but among the best Australia has ever made. This is Grand Cru quality at what has sadly become Village pricing. A profound Chardonnay destined to become a bucketlist wine. 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. The intensity never wavers for an instant over the full journey. Stunning stuff, it will still be magnificent in twenty years, likely even more so, and still have life ahead of it. Leeuwin have made some mindbogglingly good Chardonnays over the years, but I think none better.â Ken Gargett
The Real Review - 98 PointsÂ
âLight bright yellow, a very youthful colour for a 2023, and the bouquet is likewise fresh but also seriously detailed, with creamy lees, malt, nougat, beeswax and custard apple aromas, the palate similarly complex and profound, with a chew of oaky tannins that lingers on the aftertaste. Long, long carry. A very powerful chardonnay, searingly intense and strongly structured, and needing more time yet to come into full harmony. Outstanding.â Huon Hooke
Tamlyn Currin, Jancis Robinson.com - 17.5/20
âWeâve been reviewing this wine for nearly 20 years and have covered more than two decades of vintages. It has a track record. To me, the 2023 tastes like a kid doing handstands on lemon sherbet; like sunlight on rippling water; like the lemon-balm leaves I picked this morning just outside my kitchen door which I crushed in an ancient cool white-marble mortar before I popped them in a tea cup. It tastes like the love child of bergamot and honeydew melon. It tiptoes, like a child through the dewy grass of an orchard on an early summer morning, and I can taste the sweet strands of green summer grass. You could drink this baby now. But Iâd wait.â
The Wine Front - 97 PointsÂ
âLime and finger lime, Solo! (though ideally donât slam it down fast), fresh pineapple, pear, plenty of clove and ginger oak, aniseed, a light flinty smokiness, honey cashew and white flower perfume. Itâs medium-bodied, thereâs a richness to fruit and oak here, yet it stays tight and controlled, with pitch-perfect acidity, a light chalkiness to texture, closing with superb length. Power with precision. You can drink it now, sure, though ideally wait for all the components to mesh. Itâs an outstanding release.â Gary WalshÂ
The Wine Front - 97 PointsÂ
âVery good wine. Quite the palate-staining flavour profile. Lots of inward concentration, Glossy and very polished. Not a hair out of place. It feels very fine wine terrority, undeniable. And a kind of gulpability to it too; moreish and refreshing. Everything just so. Very, very good wine.â Mike Bennie
Serving Suggestions
Serve chilled at around 10 to 12 degrees. Decant gently or allow time in the glass for the wine to open. A superb match for lobster, scallops, roast chicken, white fish, creamy seafood dishes, mushroom risotto, Comté, Brie or refined vegetable dishes.
About The Winery
Leeuwin Estate is one of the founding wineries of Margaret River and one of Australiaâs most respected family owned producers. Established in 1973 by Denis and Tricia Horgan, the estate developed with early guidance from Robert Mondavi, who recognised the potential of the property for world class wine.
The first commercial vintage was released in 1979, and Leeuwin quickly became internationally recognised when its Art Series Chardonnay earned major praise after a blind tasting held by Decanter Magazine. Since then, Art Series Chardonnay has become one of Australiaâs most iconic white wines.
Margaret River is one of the great Chardonnay regions of the world, shaped by maritime influence, cooling sea breezes, sunny days and cool nights. These conditions help Chardonnay develop ripe fruit flavour while retaining freshness, acidity and fine structure.
The Art Series range represents the estateâs most age worthy and collectible wines, with each bottle featuring artwork from leading Australian contemporary artists. The 2023 Chardonnay label features Distant Blue Hill by Mark Howson.
Cellaring Potential
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2023 is exceptional now with careful serving, but it is built for long cellaring. Drink now to 2040 under excellent storage conditions. With time, expect the fresh pear, peach and citrus notes to develop into lemon curd, almond, toast, honey, grilled nuts and deeper savoury complexity.
Collectorâs Note
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay is one of Australiaâs great collector white wines. Its inclusion in the Langtonâs Classification, global reputation, limited release nature and proven ageing ability make the 2023 vintage a standout bottle for serious Chardonnay lovers and collectors.
Details
Producer: Leeuwin Estate
Vintage: 2023
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Margaret River, Western Australia
Bottle Size: 750ml
Style: Premium dry white wine
ABV: 13.5%
Oak: 11 months in 100 percent new French oak barriques
Artwork: Distant Blue Hill by Mark Howson
Sustainable: Certified member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia
