Leeuwin Estate’s 2023 Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon Launch
Leeuwin Estate joins us at Lamont’s Cottesloe for three special events, celebrating the launch of their 2023 Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon!
The critics are already saying…
“This has to be the finest Art Series cabernet released to date.”
- Ray Jordan on the 2023 Leeuwin Art Series Cabernet
“It was a sensational vintage, and this is a sensational wine to match.”
Erin Larkin on the 2023 Leeuwin Art Series Cabernet
12 Leeuwin Wines including…
7 Art Series across 5 varietals
3 Chardonnays
2025 Prelude | 2023 Art Series | 2018 Art Series [Museum Release]
2 Shiraz
2024 ‘Siblings’ | 2024 Art Series
3 Cabernet Sauvignons
2023 Prelude | 2023 Art Series [New Release] | 2013 Art Series [Museum Release]
Sunday, November 29th
The 2023 Leeuwin Art Series Cabernet Launch
Hosted by Simone Furlong and Justin Horgan,
Second-generation Leeuwin Estate Co-CEOs
Lunch: 12–3pm | 12 wines & 4 courses |$185
Masterclass: 4–6pm | 12 wines & canapés | $95
Dinner: 6.30–9.30pm | 12 wines & 4 courses | $185
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Family owned, Leeuwin Estate, one of the five founding wineries of the now famous Margaret River district of Western Australia, is under the direction of two generations who work with a team of highly skilled winemakers to consistently produce wines ranking alongside the world’s finest. In 1972, legendary Napa Valley winemaker, Robert Mondavi, identified the future site of the Leeuwin vineyard as being ideal for the production of premium wine and provided early mentorship to Denis and Tricia Horgan in the transformation of their cattle farm into Leeuwin Estate. Enjoying its first commercial vintage in 1979, Leeuwin was thrust into the international spotlight when Decanter Magazine gave its highest recommendation to the 1981 “Art Series” Chardonnay.
The international accolades have continued and Leeuwin now exports to 30 markets. The prestigious Langton’s Classification of Australian wine includes Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay in the top “Exceptional” category and amongst the iconic “Heritage five” celebrating Australia’s most exceptional, ground-breaking wines, whilst Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon is classified as “Outstanding”. Leeuwin Estate has been included in US ‘Wine & Spirits’ Magazine’s Hall of Fame in the category of ‘International Wineries of the Year’ and with point scores as high as 98/100, US ‘Wine Spectator’ has included Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnays amongst the “Top 100 Wines of the Year” on numerous occasions. Leeuwin Estate’s Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon has been a UK ‘Decanter’ Magazine “Top 50 Wine of the Year” and a US ‘Wine & Spirits’ “Top 100 Wine of The Year”, whilst leading Australian wine commentator, James Halliday, includes Leeuwin in his ‘Top 100 Australian Wineries’.
leeuwinestate.com.auLeeuwin Estate is a class act, every facet of its business working with the precision of a Swiss watch. It stands at the very forefront of estate-based, family-owned wineries…
James Halliday -
Celebrating the art of fine wine, the Estate’s most opulent and age worthy wines, the “Art Series’ are identified with paintings from Australia’s leading contemporary artists on the labels. A pioneer in wine tourism, Leeuwin Estate incorporates a multi-award-winning Restaurant, Cellar Door and Art Gallery and creates unique visitor experiences.
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay and Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon are both included in the prestigious ‘Langtons Classification of Australian Wine, representing Australia’s most highly sought-after wines based on consumer demand, collectability, and prices fetched at auction. Art Series Chardonnay has been included in the special designation of ‘1st Classified,’ reserved for a small cohort of wines representing the most desirable wines in Australia that compete with the world’s finest. Leading Australian wine commentator, James Halliday, includes Leeuwin in his ‘Top 100 Australian Wineries’, and has written, “Leeuwin Estate is a class act, every facet of its business working with the precision of a Swiss watch. It stands at the very forefront of estate-based, family-owned wineries…” Leeuwin Estate has been included in US ‘Wine & Spirits’ Magazine’s Hall of Fame in the category of ‘International Wineries of the Year’ and with point scores as high as 98/100, US ‘Wine Spectator’ has included Leeuwin’s Art Series Chardonnays amongst the “Top 100 Wines of the Year” on numerous occasions. Leeuwin Estate’s Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon has been a US ‘Wine & Spirits’ “Top 100 Wine of The Year”. The Estate has won numerous awards for its Restaurant and tourism activities.
Meet Simone Furlong and Justin Horgan | Our Hosts
Simone Furlong grew up on the family vineyard, Leeuwin Estate, but left for university and then spent years working in marketing in London before she considered a career in the wine industry. Her parents planted Leeuwin’s first vines in 1973 in the beautiful Margaret River, 280 kilometres south of Perth, and produced their first commercial vintage in 1979.
“I had many fond memories of exploring the white sandy beaches and tall karri tree forests around the property,” says Simone, “but it wasn’t until I was much older that I considered promoting it as a career path.”
Now she is the joint Chief Executive of Leeuwin Estate, along with brother Justin Horgan, and the property has been transformed from a humble beach-holiday destination to one of Western Australia’s most highly regarded wineries.
“We’ve always been a low-volume, high- quality wine producer,” she says. “It’s quite a small parcel of exceptional land, so the wines are very site expressive.”
Describing the Margaret River as “one of the world’s most remote wine regions”, Simone believes it’s the area’s ancient gravelly soil, coupled with its cooling maritime conditions, that has allowed the vineyards to produce such rich, high-quality wines.
The Wine List & Menu (TBC)
On Arrival
2024 Leeuwin Estate Sparkling Brut
92 points, Jeni Port, Wine Pilot
Pale-mid straw with a detailed bouquet in yellow apple, citrus, honeysuckle, white flowers and biscuit. Margaret River is home to a relatively modest, but dedicated, group of sparklings. Here, the region’s number one white grape – Chardonnay – buddies with Pinot Noir to deliver a strong, citrus-focussed sparkling shaped by gentle florals, apple, biscuit and hints of rockpool and light creamy notes. Plenty of lemony bright acidity, plenty of Margs energy on show."
First Bracket
2026 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Riesling
94 points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
The vines for this 2025 Art Series Riesling were planted in 1976, and it remains one of the very few Rieslings from Margaret River. It's always fleshy and herbal and a little exotic, but equally, it is saline, fresh and mineral, and the finish is long and chalky. I like this wine, always have. Sealed under screw cap.
2026 Leeuwin Estate Siblings Sauvignon Blanc
93 points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Very light straw-yellow hue; nettle, bracken and dried-herb aromas, traces of lime/lemon and kiwifruit as well. The wine has good intensity and depth of fruit on palate, backed by some structure which gives power to the finish and adds length. Smart wine.
2026 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Sauvignon Blanc
95 points, Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot
I have to say, I think this is the best Art Series savvy yet released. It combines the beautiful aromatic nuances evident immediately with a crafted textural palate. The palate is sublime with its rich intensity and concentration of fruit lifted and revealed with a minerally acidity. That texture comes from 30 per cent barrel fermentation in one-year-old French oak barriques and then four months fermentation in barrels. The blend of these with some tank fermented components has created an ideal expression of this variety.
Second Bracket
2025 Leeuwin Estate Prelude Vineyards Chardonnay
94 points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
The 2024 Prelude Vineyards Chardonnay is excellent. The warm conditions of 2024 have produced a tranche of wines that show great drinkability early. This is concentrated, saline, punchy, spicy and a little flinty. It's really good. It's coming to the end of its release cycle now and will soon be replaced by the 2025 vintage in mid-2026.
2023 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
99 points, Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot
This is a case of the planets aligning with one of the great names in Australian Chardonnay from what I think is the finest vintage in the history of West Australian modern winemaking. This is quintessential Leeuwin, controlled power, but with the subtle finesse and delicacy that is the signature of this great vintage. The nose is a wonderful mix of quince paste, cut lime, spice, grapefruit, and a subtle dusting of powdery talc. The palate captures the vintage so well. The flavour profile gradually builds and accelerates with tremendous drive through to a powerfully long finish, which is an essential part of the Leeuwin DNA. And yet all of this is done with such beautiful restraint and a controlled structure. It’s such a young wine at the minute, but you know that deep within there’s real power and latent energy that we’ll see it develop so typically into a great mature Chardonnay with extended cellaring. Up there with the finest releases.
99 points, Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot
This brilliant Chardonnay will surely come to be ranked, not only amongst the best ever from this legendary estate, not only among the best from this thrilling region, but among the best Australia has ever made. This is Grand Cru quality at what has sadly become Village pricing. A profound Chardonnay destined to become a bucket list wine. A very pale lemon with a vaguely green hint running through it, this is pristine, intense, beautifully balanced and seamless. The oak has almost been completely absorbed, although it is fair to say that it’ll probably look even better in twelve months. The wine is, however, immensely enjoyable now. The nose reveals hints of apricot flesh, limes, citrus skins, oatmeal, Madagascan vanilla, gentle touches of grilled cashews, stone fruits and jasmine. Such intensity but meshed with freshness, energy and elegance. Powerful but poised, there is incredible length here, seemingly never-ending, with laser-sharp acidity just one of the many components. There is complexity already evident, although one suspects it is a shadow of what is to come. The intensity never wavers for an instant over the full journey. Stunning stuff, it will still be magnificent in twenty years, likely even more so, and still have life ahead of it. Leeuwin have made some mindbogglingly good Chardonnays over the years, but I think none better.
2018 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Wines of 2022
James Halliday Top 100 Wines of 2021
99+ Points - Ray Jordan, The West Weekend
Let's put it this way. This is the closest I have come to awarding a wine 100 points. Stellar wine from a stellar vintage. The remarkable thing is that this is a wine 100 percent barrel fermented in new French oak barriques with regular lees stirring for 11 months - and it certainly doesn't taste excessive, or even slightly oak. It has such high-fidelity purity with complex seductive aromatics of vanilla bean and light oatmeal with a cutting minerality and spicy lift. But the palate, oh the palate. This is where things start to explode. Power, poise and persistence with a dry savouriness balancing the intense ripe fruit. It is such a long finish with an ever so slightly, charry finish completing a remarkable wine.
Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal - 99 points (Tasted 2021)
Pale colour. Fresh lime, grapefruit, yeasty tonic water aromas with grilled nut notes. Fragrant grapefruit, white peach, nectarine fruits, bitter lemon, hint of tropical fruit notes, lovely integrated savoury oak complexity, al dente chalky textures, and fine mineral acidity. Finishes crunchy and long. A beautifully balanced Margaret River Chardonnay with superb precision, purity and concentration. A classic. Drink: Now-2036
98+ Points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
I’m not sure that this wine, nor this vintage, needs a detailed preamble, such was the extensive coverage it received on almost every platform, both while the vintage was playing out and upon release of the magnificent wines that it yielded. 2018 was one of those years in Margaret River that was responsible for most producers’ best wines, in both red and white. The marri blossom was abundant (which occupied the attention of the birds, thus reducing a key viticultural pest), and the weather conditions were benign, erring on the side of warm. In short, it was a cracking year.
This 2018 Art Series Chardonnay might just be one of the best Chardonnays Leeuwin has released to date. The fruit fills right out to the perimeters of the élevage, the acidity is fierce but no more so than the concentration of flavors and the phenolic structure of the wine protects and encourages the tremendous length through the finish. It needs no more than that. It remains incredibly vital and young, and it shows little signs of evolution. This blue-chip wine is still ascending.
Third Bracket
2024 Leeuwin Estate Siblings Shiraz
91+ points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
…It carries a deal of musky-vanillin oak and a good push of plum-driven fruit flavour too, all of which makes for satisfying drinking. Woodsy spice notes play a role too. You have to enjoy oak flavour but with that proviso, it's good drinking and a good release. (Drink between 2026-2031)
2024 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Shiraz
93 points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
The 2024 Art Series Shiraz leads with mint and raspberry, cassis and ironstone notes, and there's blood plum too. The palate is layered with black cherry and strawberry, cocoa and star anise, with chalky tannins to close. It's a lovely wine. The season was warm, and the results have shown the adaptive skill in local viticulture."
Fourth Bracket
2023 Leeuwin Estate Prelude Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
94 points, Tom Kline, Wine Pilot
Bay leaf, cocoa powder, blackcurrant, black olive brine, flickers of graphite, shortbread and plum. Savoury complexity hovers over a core of elegant fruit making for a beguiling perfume. The palate displays power and elegance with an assertive, architectural feel — firm, grainy tannins, blackcurrant, sweet shortbread and black olive again, plum, lashings of brown spice. Excellent length, with bright acidity towing things along with coolness. This will age brilliantly over the next five to ten years — remarkable at $34. If the 2023 Margaret River releases are anything to go by, savvy drinkers should be paying close attention — and moving quickly.
2023 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon [New Release]
97 points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
The 2023 Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon leads with tapenade and cassis, nori, iodine, sundried kelp and raspberry seeds, then comes graphite, violet and licorice root. This is elegant, lingering and long, showing the balance and levity inherent in the 2023 vintage. It was a sensational vintage, and this is a sensational wine to match.
97 points, Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com
This sits on the very top shelf of the best Art Series cabernets released by Leeuwin. Of course, the season was marvellous, being slightly cooler and quite long, and it certainly suited this slightly more southern vineyard. It's allowed good, slow, well-developed ripening without going over the top. And it's contributed to a wine of real varietal energy and definition. Leafy red fruits with a combination of black and graphite characters. Totally seamless, and yet there's real power here, with an engine room of fine, firmish tannins and fine-grained oak capturing and gathering the fruit to its sustained finish. A wine of great cellaring potential. This has to be the finest Art Series cabernet released to date.
2013 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon [Museum Release]
97 points, Huon Hooke, huonhooke.com.au
Deep red/purple: an outstanding colour in depth and hue. The bouquet is clean, fresh and alive with bright black fruit and violet aromas, touches of cedar and toasty oak, the palate very deep and concentrated, with lush fruit and abundant tannins, which counter-balance the fruit and sweetness. A powerful yet elegant cabernet with a very long and distinguished future ahead of it. An outstanding, profound wine.
96 Points James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion (June 2021)
Destemmed, crushed, matured for 12 months in French oak (40% new). The unadorned purity of this cabernet follows precisely in the footsteps of its predecessors. It is unlike most other Margaret River cabernets, a red brother to the Art Series Chardonnay, even if not quite as magical as that wine. The '13 regional vintage was highly rated at the time, a rating justified today.
96 Points James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (July 2017)
Aromas of black licorice, black berry and rust. Hot stone. Full body layered and juicy with loads of fresh fruit and chewy tannins. Sexy, muscular cabernet with tone and focus. Screw cap. Hard not to drink now. Better in 2022 but gorgeous now.
Available to taste throughout the events
2026 Leeuwin Estate Rosé