2020 Shiraz Art Series
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Tasting notes
It's the Cabernet and Chardonnay that steal the limelight at Leeuwin, but the Shiraz is a really charming wine that should not be dismissed. The nose offers dark plum, sweet spice and bramble fruit, expressive and vibrant. The tannins are sweet and ripe, yet there's a savoury, smokey grip on the finish, offset by sweet-and-sour cherry tones. This isn't stereotypical Aussie Shiraz, showing some Old World restraint but the classic Margaret River purity of fruit.
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Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Subtle with polished tannins. Dry finish but really quite subtle. Lots of potential for evolution here. (JR)
The 2020 vintage was a very good vintage in Margaret River for the variety, and at that point, perhaps the best yet—the low yields and warm/dry conditions played into the hands of the variety. The 2020 Art Series Shiraz typifies this, in that the tannins are resolved, and in the context of Margaret River, really quite firm. The Shiraz clones on the estate vineyard in Wallcliffe are 470, Waldron and Peppy Park cuttings (planting 2019). Sealed under screw cap. The fruit for this wine was wholly sourced from the estate Peppy Park vineyard, 17 kilometers south of the main estate vineyard in the Boodjidup/Wallcliffe area. The wine was matured for 18 months in 600-liter demi-muids (a Bordelais and Rhône coopers). "Our priority is opening up the canopies to obtain proper solarization of bunches," said Lovett.
2% Malbec. An excellent vintage for the region. Abundant marri blossom kept the birds off the grapes. 20% whole bunches. 30% new oak for the first stage of maturation of individual lots then, as usual, blending and the blend was aged further, being bottled in early December 2021. Very reticent nose and still a baby – much more so than the 2019 Siblings Shiraz). Not really that communicative at the moment. It’s all buried! Acidity and finely extracted tannins dominate the fruit. Lots of energy but it’s all tightly furled at present. (JR)
About the producer
Leeuwin Estate is one of Australia’s leading wine producers. Based close to Cape Leeuwin, in the southern reaches of Margaret River, Western Australia, this remote estate is best known for its Art Series wines.