Leeuwin Estate, Prelude Vineyards Chardonnay, Margaret River, West Australia, 2024

Overview the Wine
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’.

Click here to watch our Youtube video with the winemaker!

Winemaker
Robert Mondavi

Grape / Blend
Chardonnay

Origin
Margaret River, West Australia

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Poised and layered with citrus, pear, and nectarine, Prelude Vineyards Chardonnay is framed by delicate oak and carried by vibrant acidity to a long, harmonious finish.

Freshness and brightness combine to embody a classic Margaret River style. The nose opens with lively zest, citrus, pear, and peach skin, followed by the succulence of white nectarine. Delicate citrus blossom notes emerge, joined by a subtle touch of toast and oak that frames and complements the vibrant fruit.

On the palate, all the regional hallmarks shine through—ripe lime flesh, white nectarine, zest, and pear—carried by beautiful palate weight in perfect harmony with crisp acidity. The wine’s length and balance create an impression of poise, offering immediate approachability while promising rewarding development with mid-term cellaring.

93 Points - The Wine Front
This is as good as you’d hope and better than you’d expect. It’s a very good wine. It has good fruit intensity, a rub of texture, sound-smoky length and strong all-around appeal. It tastes of grapefruit, lemongrass, peach and pear, with cedar and smoke as attractive whispers. All the way along the line, I like what I taste here.

92 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2024 Prelude Vineyards Chardonnay is super light in the glass and aromatically restrained. The palate is nutty and complex, as always, with brilliant length and poise through the mid palate and finish. This feels lighter and less concentrated than years previous, and yet it does not lack length through the finish. 2024 was both hot and dry, and yet the wine shows none of the challenges in the glass. It's very good. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

92 Points - Vinous
The 2024 Prelude Vineyards Chardonnay is generously fruited, offering layered aromas of nectarine, peach and persimmon, with vanillin oak well matched. The palate is packed with tropical flavors and aided by a gentle bite of acidity, which delivers impressive length. This wine is ready to enjoy now but will build nicely over the medium term.

Product size: 750ml