2016 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon Magnum 1.5L, Margaret River

After berry sorting, cold soak and maceration, pumping over three times daily, the wine pumped to French barriques for mlf and 9 months maturation. The Art Series range has a clear family approach to each wine, a focus and sophistication that brings certainty to its long-term maturity.

97 points James Halliday Wine Companion 1 May 2020

The 2016 Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon is a fierce wine with layers of tannins, yet the fruit manages to be supple and fresh on the mid-palate. It's leafy and brooding and dark, with cassis, resin, tar and star anise, hints of blackberry and tobacco and a mineral skeleton of fine tannins; it feels of the earth and place. There's nice clarity too. It is fresh, in its way, and certainly has a very long road ahead of it. Sealed under screw cap.

96 points Erin Larkin, Robert Parker

From one of Margaret River’s most revered estates, the Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine that has quietly built a reputation for elegance, structure and longevity. Leeuwin Estate, founded in the early 1970s and guided by the Horgan family, has always pursued a refined, site driven style. While their Chardonnay often takes the spotlight, the Cabernet has long been a connoisseur’s favourite, especially in strong vintages like 2016.

That growing season delivered near ideal conditions, warm, dry and even, allowing Cabernet to ripen fully while retaining its natural poise. The vineyards, influenced by the Indian Ocean, benefit from cooling breezes that help preserve aromatic detail and freshness, a hallmark of Margaret River.

Deep garnet in colour, the aromatics are layered and expressive. Blackcurrant and dark cherry sit at the core, lifted by violet, bay leaf and a touch of cassis. With time, more complex notes emerge, cedar, graphite, tobacco leaf and a gentle hint of cocoa.

The palate is beautifully structured yet composed, showing both power and finesse. Dark fruits flow through a framework of fine, persistent tannins, with a line of acidity that keeps everything focused and balanced. Oak is seamlessly integrated, adding spice and texture without dominating. There is impressive length here, with savoury notes and subtle minerality lingering through the finish.

This is a natural partner for richly flavoured dishes. Roast lamb with rosemary, beef Wellington, or slow braised short ribs all work beautifully, as do aged cheeses where its structure and complexity shine.

Drinking beautifully now with a decant, though it has the pedigree to cellar for fifteen to twenty years, developing further layers of earth, spice and tertiary character.

There is a quiet confidence here, a wine that reflects both a great vintage and one of Australia’s most consistent estates, offering depth, balance and a long, graceful evolution ahead.