Leeuwin Estate, Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River, Western Australia 2010

Since 2002, led by winemaker Paul Atwood, working with viticulturist David Winstanley, Leeuwin has embarked on a new programme to refine its Cabernet so that it would stand shoulder to shoulder with the Art Series Chardonnay at the top of the varietal tree. With 38 years of vine age, the best batches of fruit come from moderate-yielding, home-block estate vines grown on free-draining, gravelly soils and picked at optimum ripening followed by a gentle fermentation and blending to French oak.   Roger Jones <br /> Eucalyptus on nose and palate. Savoury leather and a touch of coffee – very fresh fruit and oak. Lovely bursts of vanilla which softens the wine. A fantastic Cabernet that needs another year to perform at its best.   Pierre Mansour <br /> Youthful, stylish blackberry fruit that opens up in the glass. Amazingly pure aroma, and a dense palate, which is full of generous, sweet fruit. This wine is attractive, pleasurable and long. Stunning!   Anthony Rose <br /> Broodingly youthful nose with a touch of mint. Vigorous, almost chunky red with subdued, elemental aromas. Powerful, sweet, ripe cherry fruit and evolving fine tannins. The brightness of fruit, spicy oak polish and the finesse of tannins suggest an even brighter future.   Leeuwin Estate was founded by Denis and Tricia Horgan in 1969  and is located in the Margaret River region of Western Australia. In 1973, Denis met an American who was also interested in buying land in the area, ‘to produce high quality varietal wine’. The name meant nothing to Horgan at the time, but the American man was Robert Mondavi, the late 'Grand Old Man' of American wine. Their partnership lasted until 1983. Horgan’s instinct about his land proved correct: the first vines he planted included the Chardonnay patch known as Block 20 – his ‘golden acre’ (1.8 hectares) – which still produces the grapes that form the backbone of the Art Series Chardonnay. This wine is regularly named as one of Australia's best Chardonnays.