Bob McDonald

9.5

Very pale lemon in colour. Funky solids aromas / intoxicating. Lots of winemaking on show here. Great intensity - taut and lean almost quivering with pentup energy. On palate grapefruit, lime and touch of pineapple. Lots of citric acid. Certainly a different animal to Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay which is full luscious peaches and cream. This wine from Penfolds won the 2016 James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge from 630 entries. Penfolds Winemakers for years have been concentrating on making their top white wines to the same standards as their famous reds and with this Chardonnay it is clear they are on the way to achieving this. — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Nose and palate like a New World Chardonnay. Some funky leesy notes and some sulphidic Struck match. Trace of pineapple juice on palate. Lightly oaked with muted acid. Good Wine but the Verget is $59 and the Leeuwin Estate Prelude from Margaret River at about half this price is a better wine. Tasted 123 weeks later on 12th December 2020 with consistent notes. Certainly new world in style except lightly Oaked with that Pineapple juice still there. Interestingly I was rereading a tasting note on Leflaive Macon. Pineapple juice flavours must be a characteristic of the region. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

In the mould of Leeuwin Estate Art Series (a neighbor in south Margaret River) but not as full and lush as the Art Series. This is s more modern interpretation but still intense on nose and palate. With Grapefruit but also stone fruit and a touch of gingerbread. Great length. An excellent Margaret River Chardonnay. — 6 years ago

Michael O'Sullivan

9.2

LOVED. And I have not been drinking much Chardonnay anymore — 7 years ago

Megan Moricoli Haywood

8.9

Liked this. Earthy, needed a bit to open up. — 8 years ago

with Scott

Gordon Wilkie

9.6

Silky. Stored perfectly. What an amazing drink. — 8 years ago

with Kenneth, Andrew and 3 others

Trevor Maskell

9.2

Wow. Looking good here. Great balance. Tannin. Fruit development. Superb — 9 years ago

Adam Kincaid

9.5

Yeah this was legit. Aged well, brick brown/red and just slightly, slightly oxidized. Long finish of leather and clay, ripened blackberries and plum. — 9 years ago

with Jillian

Laura N

9.2

A lovely vintage australian sparkling made in the traditional method. Uses Chardonnay and Pinot noir grapes, on lees for 30 months. Dry, nice acid and a pretty good pick. Get onto it — 9 years ago

Matt Callahan

9.3

Possibly the best Cabernet to come out of Western Australia or Australia - none of the eucalyptus that plagues the Margaret river reds these days / drinking tremendously. Cigar box, tannin and fruit all there. One of the best I have had since the 79 leeuwin cab sav — 10 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

View over the mouth of the Maroochy River up to Coolum Beach on a beautiful day. From the back label - Bindi Quartz Chardonnay is sourced from the most elevated, Quartz riddled section of our Chardonnay vineyard planted in 1988. Absolutely singing at 10 years. The oak and the fruit have melded in perfect balance. Aromas of Cashew Nut and mineral with a little nectarine. More medium weight than the full flavoured Art Series Leeuwin style from Margaret River. — 5 years ago

Nathan Wegener

9.3

SSB is a great white blend and this one is done very well. Fruity light and balanced acids. Very nice peach / pear overtones with lemon grass and minerals underneath. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

This should be an interesting comparison of 2 excellent new world Chardonnays. The 2014 Domaine Serene was Wine Spectators #2 Wine of 2016 and the Leeuwin Art Series one of Australia’s best Chardonnays consistently for many years - some would say THE Best. Talking about the Oregon Wine first. Flinty sulphidic notes to begin with light florals. On palate in the leaner style with the acid outweighing the fruit weight with plenty of mineral. An unusual quince character which is not unpleasant. Good balance of fruit and oak finishing with a trace of bitterness making it moreish. An excellent new world Chardonnay. My wife preferred this to the Leeuwin for its restraint and difference. Tasted again 94 weeks later on 2nd February 2020. Most impressed Pale to mid Lemon in colour. Notes of fine vanillan oak - citrus more than stone fruit. Beautifully made with great finesse and texture Medium intensity with medium plus length. Excellent. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Pale to Mid Lemon in colour. Nose of Lemon Grapefruit Meal with Flint and Struck Match. 8 hours later pronounced Pineapple aromas. Reviews in Australia have said very Good but "worked " particularly evident on the nose. Malolactic Fermentation with Lees stirring etc. Whatever they did this wine won the 2014 James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge from around 640 entries I believe. Certainly in the restrained mould with well managed French Oak. Medium + Intensity with great length and persistence. Sharing the same Margaret River DNA as a good Leeuwin Art Series but not as full bodied. — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

Cherry notes with some dust and spice. Medium bodied at best yet ripe fruit with traces of spice on palate. Marg River Shiraz from the north does not have a definitive identity. Shiraz seems to do better in the south ie Voyager, Cape Mentelle and Leeuwin Estate. — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

A great example of modern Australian Chardonnay. Winemaker David Bicknell says the Lusatia Park vineyard provides tension. Flavours are in the lime and grapefruit spectrum and a little lean for my palate preferring the more fleshy stone fruit styles of Leeuwin and Pierro. 17.5+ — 9 years ago

David Beaton

9.4

Leeuwin Estate Shiraz getting better & better each vintage! Great grapes in 2012 that went into both Art Series. & Siblings Shiraz- smooth, easy drinking, medium bodied Shiraz wonderful smells of ripe red plums Excellent value-for-money Shiraz - share a bottle today with friends , family, siblings!! — 9 years ago

Kurt Foeller

9.0

One of the richest ultra-premium charts in MR. I prefer Leeuwin Art Series and several others before this, but this is world class wine. — 9 years ago

with Sarah

Bob McDonald

9.4

This is the 2004 vintage. At a masked tasting several picked this as a burgundy. Is this Australia's best Chardonnay over Leeuwin? Depends on your style preference. This was more fuller bodied than usual. Lemon cream and minerals. 18+. — 9 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

Nothing to add to my note from May 2018. It was a Trophy Winner from the 2012 Perth Royal Wine Show for Best WA White Wine. This was in the era when Judges were looking for a more restrained style. This wine certainly fills that bill. The next wine in the tasting was the 2009 Leeuwin Estate Art Series which blew it away IMO. — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Gorgeous earthy perfume, Forest Floor - could be Burgundian. A Tawny edge to the colour. My 2nd favourite Aussie Pinot after the Bass Phillip Reserve. Savoury cherry nuances on the palate but overall more savoury than fruit driven. Light to medium bodied. Very fine Tannins with natural acid still present. I expected more mid palate fruit for what Phillip Jones described as “one of our best vintages” to that point. They have had better ones since IMO. I would not normally taste a BP Premium under 10 years (this being the first of 4) but having tasted this I wish I had had one say four years ago. In the category of wines I buy every vintage - like the Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

A modern style of Margaret River Chardonnay ( think Deep Woods Estate Reserve- not Leeuwin Estate Art Series which is more old school). Lees stirring Burnt match, grilled nuts and lime. Funky. The type of Chardonnay that wins Trophies at major wine shows in Australia. Tasted again 70 weeks later on 5th May 2019 with consistent notes. The above still applies. Excellent QPR at $30. — 6 years ago

Will pope

9.5

Incredibly delicious Chardonnay. I thought it was on par with Cullen and Leeuwin bottles, but 35% of the price. Amazing! — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

From Margaret River Chardonnay specialist, Pierro. Mid Lemon in colour. Mealy nutty aromas of almond and cashew. Restrained stone fruit with some ripe grapefruit on a medium bodied palate. Great balance between the new leaner style of Aussie Chard like Oakridge 864 and the traditional full bodied style like Leeuwin Art Series - both great Chards themselves. Excellent. — 8 years ago

Rebecca Loewy

8.9

Found at a liquor store in Tulsa! Definitely advanced color... But flavours were fresh and bright. — 8 years ago

with Sana

Bob McDonald

9.6

Named best Chardonnay in the world outside of Burgundy by Decanter magazine UK which is a big call indeed. Subtle tropical fruit nuances. Carrying a little oak but not overly so. Very satisfying. Impressive to out point Aussie Legends Leeuwin Estate and Giaconda. Right up there IMO. 18. — 9 years ago

Laura N

9.1

Aged in oak barrels with batonnage, adding another dimension to your standard SSB. A joy! — 9 years ago

Cliff Wilding

9.0

A stunning drop. Holding its age well. Like me. — 9 years ago