Leeuwin Estate Art Series Shiraz 2023

Description

Product Information: The Leeuwin Estate Art Series Shiraz 2023 is striking expression of the Margaret River terroir, offering a wine of exceptional complexity and precision. The nose displays elevation, vibrancy and fragrance, highlighted with cherry blossom, violets, and rose water. Threaded within is a core of blue fruits, mulberries and damson plums. White pepper, anise, cinnamon and clove provide extra layers of complexity. Delicate, woven, and layered, there are blackberries, black pastille and blueberries surrounding the palate. A fine graphite line through the mid-palate aligns with bright acidity and elegant tannin. Gentle and balanced stalk components fill out the mouthfeel and lead on to a long, lingering and savoury finish. This Shiraz is a true testament to Leeuwin Estate’s commitment to excellence. Nose – Rose Petals, Mulberries, Petrichor Quite the savoury style, we have notes of liquorice, animal skins, dry herbs, blackcurrants, cloves and a hint of graphite. Palate – Blackcurrants, Blueberries, Pink Peppercorns Inspired by the wines of the Northern Rhone and the use of different oaks of different formats, which contribute to the subtlety and poise on the palate. Finish – Coffee Bean, Goji Berry, Sage An elegant wine with fine bony tannins and tremendous length. A touch of sage, spice and pepper with darker blueberry and plummy fruit. This just might be the value buy from the Art Series range – actually, from recent releases, it surely is. From a stellar vintage, the fruit was individually berry sorted with 20% whole bunches added to the ferment. Total maturation was for a year and a half in a mix of new and slightly older barriques and larger format French oak. A dark mauve/maroon colour here, this is beautifully structured. The aromas weave through blackfruits, plums, graphite, chocolate, aniseed, smoked meats and bay leaves. The oak has been superbly handled. This is an exquisite example of Margaret River Shiraz, one of the absolute elite. It is finely balanced with an attractively supple texture, laser-like focus and impressive length. A refined style, with melting tannins, which will continue to provide enormous pleasure over the next decade. One of their very best. – Ken Gargett, WinePilot.com, 96 Points. The 2023 Art Series Shiraz, which at this stage is pre-release, shows precision and detail on the nose, with raspberry leaf tea and iodine, blood and blood orange, licorice and milk chocolate. In the mouth, the acidity is intense, but it works so nicely within the layers of gently settled tannins—like sheets of tissue paper. It’s a lovely wine, wearing the benefits of intensive viticultural work and matching effort in the winery. – Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 95 Points. A few years ago, Leeuwin made the decision to bounce back with shiraz after it had been missing from the portfolio for many years. I, for one, am glad they did, and this is yet another example of how far they’ve come with developing this variety. It’s a combination of a lot of hard work and an uncompromising focus on shiraz. And in this year, the season is exceptional. It’s medium-bodied, but there’s a concentration and intensity. It presents with an effortless ease and refinement as it pushes through to its long finish. Spicy plummy fruits, a little licorice, dusty earth, and some chalk dust characters add to the complexity on the palate. There’s perfume and a prettiness here, and it is quite a masterful expression of Margaret River shiraz.. – Ray Jordan, WA Wine Review, 96 Points. The Finer Details Style – Red Wine Varietal – 94% Shiraz, 3% Viognier, 3% Malbec Country – Australia Region – Margaret River, Western Australia Vintage – 2023 Bottle Size – 750ml ABV – 14% Closure – Screw Cap