2023 Prelude Vineyards, Chardonnay, Leeuwin Estate

The ‘second wine’ to the famous Art Series, Prelude gets better and better every year as the younger vines on the estate mature and develop the weight and concentration we are used to seeing from Leeuwin Estate. In fact, the winemaking team call this 2023 the best they’ve ever made. There’s a natural opulence, balanced by bright acidity in what they also referred to as a ‘unicorn vintage’ where all components correlated by harvest. It's full of intense freshly cut lime flavours with softer white nectarine. 30% new oak fermentation, followed by a year resting in one year old oak, lends a toastier, creamy edge to what is mostly a bright, concentrated and zippy profile.