2023 Domaine Naturaliste Artus Chardonnay, Margaret River

Vibrant aromas of peach and apricot, complemented by caramelized pineapple and cool flint. On the palate, fresh grapefruit and lemon curd intertwine with the creamy texture, revealing delicious hints of toasty vanilla and smooth marzipan.

96 pts & Gold at the 2025 IWSC

While it always comes out as a bit of a powerhouse flavour-wise and in structure, this is backed up by fine acidity, driving this long. It also keeps the substantial flavours of savoury oak, creamed-honey lees and grapefruit in check. Some flinty, funky sulphides add an extra dimension of complexity as it continues to build on the palate. Drink to 2033.

96 points & Special Value Jane Faulkner for Halliday Wine Companion, March 2025

Aromas of smoky flint reduction with exotic white blossom (Gin Gin again!), lime zest and grapefruit peel, this is succulent but savoury with brilliant acidity and immense structure – all elements balanced but supercharged – and a rich, almost crème brûlée-like finish. Take it out of the fridge for a few minutes before serving.

96 points Melissa Moore for Wine Pilot, February 2025

Gingin clone grown in Karridale, wild fermentation, malolactic fermentation and matured in 40% new oak and battonage applied every two weeks. To many Chardonnay lovers, the aroma of this wine will have you swooning. Sliced pineapple, peach cheeks and the classiest of new oak wafts from the glass. Mace, vanilla bean and buttered sourdough toast. Acidity increases over long moments and provides a zingy note to the luscious creamy mouthfeel of cashew, butter and lemon curd. Flavours last for days and it’s near impossible not to be searching for your glass for the next sip. Beguiling and a real work of beauty. Drink with bubbling macaroni and cheese. You can thank me later.

96 points Shanteh Wale for Wine Pilot, February 2025

Plenty happening in this funky and wild expression of Chardonnay. On the nose, an intense combination of butterscotch, roasted cashew, and lemon curd with a vanilla bean lift reveal. The palate is layered with a complex maze and intricate weave of flavours reflecting the initial aromas. And then a minerally finish completes a very good wine. Drink to 2040.

96 points Ray Jordan Wine Review 2026

The 2023 Artus Chardonnay represents everything the Purus is not: full malolactic fermentation, toasty oak, Gingin clone. It is big, and it is often rambunctious in its opulence. Here, within the confines of the excellent and cool 2023 season, those more overt characteristics feel tamed, restrained and kept in check. This is all about ripe yellow peach, taut citrus notes, briny acidity, lush phenolics and powerful fruit intensity. On the palate, the acidity is juicy and chewy, and the mouth provides a full sensory experience—one to chew, to think on and to taste. I like this Artus through the lens of this cool-season harness very much indeed. Crushed and salted nuts linger on the finish. Drink to 2038.

95 points Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, November 2024

The 2023 Chardonnay Artus is a full-throttle crowd pleaser that opens with a decadent mix of tropical and citrus fruit aromas, with toasty oak not far behind. While deeply flavored, it also shows impressive control, with vibrant acidity keeping all elements in check as the wine powers through to a strong, chalky-textured finish. Drink to 2033.

93 points Angus Hughson for Vinous, January 2026

Aromas of nougat, peach, nectarine, white flowers, melon and guava. Fine and focused, with a lovely drive of white stone fruit, spice, citrus and pithy acidity. Long and layered—a complex glass of chardonnay. Drink to 2031.

93 points Aaron Brasher for The Real Review, December 2024

Domaine Naturaliste Artus Chardonnay from Margaret River is a stunning, richly layered white wine that represents the pinnacle of winemaking at Domaine Naturaliste. Crafted by Bruce Dukes, one of the most respected figures in Western Australian wine, Artus is an intricate, barrel fermented Chardonnay that seamlessly marries power, texture, and elegance.

Bruce Dukes founded Domaine Naturaliste after decades of experience making wine in both Australia and the United States, including time in Napa Valley. A trained agronomist and winemaker, Dukes returned to his roots in Margaret River with a clear vision—to craft wines that are precise, detailed, and deeply expressive of place. Domaine Naturaliste’s vineyards are based in Wilyabrup, the heart of Margaret River, where gravelly loam soils and a strong maritime influence create perfect conditions for world class Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Artus is Bruce Dukes’ most adventurous Chardonnay, designed as a full bodied, complex, textural expression of the variety. Fruit is sourced from selected vineyard parcels with exceptional balance and intensity. Grapes are handpicked and whole bunch pressed, with fermentation carried out by wild yeasts in French oak barriques, around forty percent of which are new. Lees stirring is used generously to build mid palate weight and creamy texture, and full malolactic fermentation is encouraged to add savoury depth and a plush, luxurious mouthfeel.

In the glass, Artus Chardonnay is deeply aromatic with notes of ripe white peach, grilled hazelnut, brioche, lemon curd, and flinty struck match complexity. The palate is full and layered, showing stone fruit, roasted almond, nougat, and a precise line of acidity that lifts the richness into a beautifully sustained, mineral edged finish. It is a Chardonnay of generosity, balance, and impeccable craftsmanship.

Perfect with roast lobster, chicken with morel mushrooms, or a simple aged Comté, Artus is a wine built for those who appreciate Chardonnay that offers both power and finesse. It will reward careful cellaring over the next eight to ten years.