Leeuwin Estate of Margaret River is one of Australia's leading Chardonnay makers with their Art Series Chardonnay widely considered the greatest white wine made in the country. Leeuwin's Prelude Chardonnay always delivers an exceptional value entry-point to this acclaimed Margaret River producer, with the 2021 vintage one of the finest in recent memory.
The 2021 Leeuwin Prelude Chardonnay again delivers a top class Margaret River Chardonnay with the purity, finesse and length of flavour we've come to expect from Leeuwin Estate. This opens with an aromatic and expressive nose with notes of pear, lemon, grapefruit, nougat and a touch of brioche complexity. The palate is intense and concentrated with plenty of white nectarine, pear and lemon underpinned by subtle toasted hazelnuts and a sherbet-like acid thread. Another ripping example of Prelude Chardonnay, this delivers extraordinary value-for-money drinking.
"97 Points. Only Leeuwin Estate could come up with a second label of such extreme quality. The quartz-green colour heralds a laser-cut wine of great purity with a perfumed, grapefruit-accented bouquet underscored by cleansing, refreshing acidity on the palate. Oak was an agent in its structure but plays no part on its palate."- James Halliday, winecompanion.com.au.
“This astonishingly luxurious Margaret River Chardonnay won a coveted spot in my 100 Best Australian Wines Report 2022/23. One might have expected its big brother, 2019 Art Series Chardonnay, to hog the limelight, given it is a near-perfect creation, but I cannot draw my eyes away from Prelude’s price, and the incredible value found here. Put this wine up against other Margaret River stalwarts, Burgundies, and Californian Chardies with similar price tags, and it blows them out of the water. This is a ‘Grand Vin’ in all but name, and while I might have deployed this ‘second label’ creation for starters duties in days gone by, it is the star of the show this year.”- Matthew Jukes, MoneyWeek, December 2022.
“Has been through a few subtle iterations in recent years and this one reverts to a previous style which is more generous and immediately flavoursome. Has a creamy texture with a light lemon curd and peachy stone fruit all held with deliberate restraint to give it that extra polish and classy dimension. 93 points"- Ray Jordan, WA Wine Review 2023.
