2018 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Magnum 1.5L, Margaret River

2018 was a freak vintage in the hands of many winemakers in WA, capable of power, balance, ripeness and glory. This has pomegranate, red licorice and peppered raspberry. The fruit flavours, while slinky and seductive, are not the major player here. And that is saying something. The key to the brilliance of this wine, like the '14, the '10 and to some extent the '05 before it, is the texture. The tannins. They are tightly woven, very fine and serve to support the fruit and the acid. This wine is built on a stable scaffold of tannin that both cushions the experience and defines it. What a wine.

97 points Erin Larkin winecompanion.com.au

The foundation vineyard of Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet is the 1975-planted Block 8. The vineyard is meticulously managed to promote the development of high intensity fruit and fine classical grainy tannins. Although the growing season and maritime climate are similar to Bordeaux, the atmospheric conditions, lateritic soils, Karri forests and bush-garrigue bring a very different and highly particular set of challenges. The region also has an astonishing diversity of bird life which presents difficulties. Most vineyards are nowadays netted after veraison to stave off the squadrons of Australian ringneck 28ers (Twenty Eight Parrots).

Deep crimson. Classical blackcurrant cedar aromas with lifted espresso, roasted chestnut notes. Inky deep and beautifully concentrated wine with dense blackcurrant, dark plum, dark chocolate flavours, fine grainy/chocolaty tannins and perfectly integrated cedar oak. A superb grainy firm finish and mineral length. A great Leeuwin Estate Cabernet. Now – 2040

99 points Andrew Caillard MW The Vintage Journal March 2022

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River is a wine of exceptional structure and poise, representing the pinnacle of this iconic Western Australian estate. Known for producing some of Australia’s most elegant and age worthy Cabernet, Leeuwin crafts this wine from low-yielding vineyards in the cooler southern reaches of the region, where gravelly loam soils and maritime breezes from the Indian Ocean ensure slow, even ripening and fine natural acidity.

Winemaker Tim Lovett oversees a meticulous process beginning with hand picking and small-batch fermentation in open fermenters. The wine is then matured for around 22 months in fine-grained French oak barriques, a portion new, before further bottle ageing to integrate its power and finesse.

In the glass it shows deep ruby with garnet edges. The aroma is intense and refined, revealing blackcurrant, mulberry, and plum alongside bay leaf, cedar, graphite, and subtle spice. The palate is full and composed, with layers of dark fruit, cassis, and tobacco framed by silky tannins and vibrant acidity. A long, mineral finish reflects the precision and longevity that define the Art Series range.

It pairs beautifully with roast lamb, venison, aged cheddar, or mushroom risotto, and it will cellar effortlessly for twenty years or more, developing complex notes of cigar box, earth, and truffle.