Leeuwin Estate Art series Chardonnay 2005 (screw cap) WA, Australia.
Fresh. Very light yellow colour. Chewy fruit. Quite concentrated but not over ripe or dense. Good acidity which leads to a vibrant wine in the glass. Stone fruit and lemon on the nose any chalky overtones on the palate. Minerally on the finish.
Sanjay, I’ve had a few different LEAS, including the '05, and with a few years cellar time they often show very well, even in the most august Chardonnay company.
Cheers, Howard
While living in Melbourne back in 2003, and working for a wine shop, we put on a 21 year vertical of LEAS. We had secured a 20 year vertical from the inaugural 1980 through to the 1999 at auction and then added the 2000. The bottles had been extraordinarily well looked after and were in stunning form. The 1980-82 were showing their age but were still very interesting drinking, but things really perked up from the 1983 onwards with almost all of them in very good shape (from memory, only one wine was a little under par). The 1983, 1987, 1992, 1995 and 1999 were the absolute standouts and really showcased the ability of this wine to age with grace.
I still have one lonely bottle of the 1995 in the cellar which I really must ferret out and pair with my very last 1996 Giaconda.
Howard
For long LEAS has been one the best chardonnay going out of Australia. Its long lived and intense. They had an occasional tendency to be a bit fat but since 2010 they have become more steelier and tighter. For the better.
Mark
I have had multiple vintages of the LEAS over the years. Few years ago we had a reconditioned bottle of 1987 at a tasting event. '87 as you know was one of the iconic vintages for LEAS. It still looked superb.
Always prefer Giaconda, but there are many more good producers there.
My top go to producers:
Vasse Felix Heytesbury (WA)
Oakridge 864 (Yarra valley, VIC)
Penfolds Bin A reserve
Bindi Quartz (Macedon, Vic)
Pierro (WA)
Hoddles Creek (Yarra valley, VIC) (NB: Friends with winemaker and family)