I expected less and got more. There may be something in that that could be applied to life. Who knows?
The website lacks any tech specs, although the use of French oak is obvious. Thankfully, it’s good French oak and the fruit is of high enough quality to hold up to it. The wine is a deep purple.
It’s taking a while to show its goods at the moment, although I thought its quality was apparent even in muted form straight from the bottle, into the decanter and then to the glass (which is my preferred way of doing things). It can go back into the bottle later if you like. The wonderful world of wine is full of many choices. Aren’t we all lucky?
Smells of black olives, plums and dark fruits with red stuff riding high. There is tobacco, coal, graphite, cedary oak and gravel road notes as well as touch of violet and mint. To begin with there is a lot of savoury sweet interplay, but with air, it becomes apparent it’s a pretty savoury wine. I like that. Mouth coating and lovely like texture. It opens with a burst of sweeter red and black fruits before settling into its game of savoury graphite, chocolate, coffee, tar and leaf. The tannins build nicely through the line. There was something that reminded me of a smoking jacket about it all. Make of that that you will, as you should.
The spice, whilst in the background, seems of cinnamon and nutmeg. The oak is toasty and the finish is long and dry. I’d rate it highly, if not with numbers.
Winery Website- http://www.leeuwinestate.com.au/
ps- notice how the word *wine* appears embedded in that web address? How neat.
I agree with your 'expected less but got more' comment at the start here Jeremy. That pretty much sums up how I felt about my brief, but pleasant tasting of this wine at Leeuwin's cellar door recently. The expected less part comes from how I've found this wine in the past, the got more from the unexpected quality of the 2004.
On another note I think that Leeuwin's second tier wines (other than the Siblings) have traditionally been a tad overpriced at around the $30 mark. At that price they're competing with some pretty serious drops from other producers. Voyager's, Cape Mentelle's and even Shaw and Smith's (I know it's a different region but everyone knows it) chardonnays are only a couple of $$$ more than Leeuwin's Prelude for example, whilst the Prelude Cabernet Merlot tends to be made in more of an earlier drinking, accessible style, but price wise competes against much more serious wines which have been built to last (there's numerous from Coonawarra at that price in particular – think Majella, Wynns, Balnaves).
Personally I think that the Prelude wines could come down in $$$ to compete directly against labels like Brookland Valley's Verse 1, Pierro's Fire Gully, Voyager's Girt by Sea etc, which is where I think their quality tends to sit. Most other producers in that region have their second labels priced around the $20 mark. But then again, if you look at Leeuwin's fastidiously maintained garden and art gallery, it's easy to see where they might need a couple of extra $$$…
Let's just hope the present rise in quality of Leeuwin's second tier labels continues apace.
Cheers again,
Chris P
Bang on what I was getting at Chris. The Preludes in all forms have been over priced for what they deliver and who they are competing against. This one defied my expectations and I considered the price tag quite fair. No doubt there are still better value purchases from the region, but this wine didn't put itself out of consideration.
I'm with you in hoping it signals an increase in quality of Leeuwin's second tier wines. For many, they are their first experience of Leeuwin Estate. I think it would be wise if Leeuwin keeps up this standard so that first experience is a positive one. It makes sense in business terms for them, and the consumer wins out too, as the Leeuwin Art Series wine are formidable and worthy of praise I reckon.
Cheers Chris, it's always a pleasure having you drop by and offer your intelligent thoughts. I appreciate it, and I'm sure other readers do to.