"Most chardonnay vignerons would give their eye teeth to have a wine as good as this as their entry point." James Halliday

“Prelude Chardonnay can never again be referred to as the second wine from Leeuwin because it is, in its own right, a remarkable wine.” Matthew Jukes

A remarkable entry to the Art Series, the Prelude Chardonnay displays all the generosity and concentrated fruit known from this famed Chardonnay estate.

Tasting Notes

2024 was another outstanding year for Margaret River wines.

Winter 2023 was generally mild. While there were a few wild, wet, and grey pruning days, they were fewer than usual. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir burst early, reaching 100% budburst by August 18. Riesling followed soon after, with the red varieties breaking bud in mid-to-late September as the weather improved.

The season was dry, with the last significant rain falling in mid-September—only 25.2 mm fell from then until the end of vintage. Warm conditions meant the season started earlier than average and finished early as well. A couple of hot days, combined with consistently beautiful weather through November and December, set the stage for a January 15 start to Pinot Noir harvesting for sparkling wine. Chardonnay handpicking began in quick succession from January 30 and continued for several weeks, with fine, sunny, mild mornings perfect for preserving the delicate aromatics and flavours of the fruit. Riesling harvest also began at this time, picked at night to ensure the cool arrival of pristine lemon–lime fruit at the winery.

January and February 2024 brought a spectacular flowering of the local red gum, Marri. Calm harvest mornings were filled with the delicate, sweet, honey-like scent of the blossom-laden trees. The bloom kept birds entirely distracted during the white harvest, preventing damage to the fruit.

As the bloom faded in late February, the red harvest began—starting with Shiraz for rosé, followed in March by a series of handpicks from the dry-grown Cabernet blocks 8 and 9. Harvest continued across other blocks over the following weeks as grapes reached perfect tannin structure and flavour ripeness.

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.

VINIFICATION

Cool crushed Gin Gin clone fruit with some parcels undergoing skin contact in the press to extract dimension and fruit phenolic tension. The juice was settled for 3 days, racked, and all parcels underwent fermentation in French Coopered barriques, with 35% being new and the remainder being one year old. On completion of fermentation, the batches were left unsulphured and stirred on a weekly basis for almost 2 months to build early integration and complexity. Following this the batches were sulphured and stirred regularly on a 2-week basis. After 10 months in barrels, individual parcels were blended, lightly fined, stabilised and bottled.