Deep garnet-brick in color, the 1998 Hill of Grace has a medicinal nose of iodine plus warm plums, prunes, licorice and espresso. A bit hard in the mouth, it has crisp acid, medium to firm, chewy and somewhat astringent tannins through the long finish. Mature now, it should keep through 2020+. 206, The Wine Advocate, 25 Apr 2013, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deeply colored, this 707 Cabernet offers notes of ripe blackcurrant, warm black cherries and mulberries with a fragrant undercurrent of sandalwood. The palate is voluptuously fruited with firm, grainy tannins, crisp acid and a long spicy finish. It makes for a great drop of Cabernet now but still has plenty to give. In Asia, Jan 2012, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep brick-colored, the 1994 Hill of Grace offers notes of stewed plums, dried berries and baking spices with nuances of aniseed, vanilla and potpourri. Medium to full-bodied, it has great concentration and structure in the mouth, with crisp acid plus firm, grainy tannins, and is packed with layered, dried berry and spice flavors before finishing long with tons of remaining fruit. This wine still has many years to go. Drink it now to 2030+. Wine Advocate (206), Apr 2013, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet-brick colored, the 1992 Hill of Grace exudes aromas of dried mulberries, blackberry preserves, iron ore, menthol and lavender. Well-structured with medium-firm chewy tannins, crisp acid and muscular fruit, it has a long and earthy finish. It is mature and holding strong. Wine Advocate (206), Apr 2013, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
This wine is generous, open, and sweet in its personality. Dense purple, this blend of 95% Shiraz and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon shows great fruit, a very lush, open-knit style with full body, high glycerin, low acidity, and superb purity. It is a very jammy, voluptuous wine, dominated by its creme de cassis fruit intermixed with tar and licorice. Anticipated maturity: now-2017. eRobertParker.com, Feb 2002, Robert Parker
The 1990 performed well in the tasting, but, along with the 1980, was the least impressive of these Granges. The 1990 is loosely knit, seems to border on overripeness with its jammy character, and has a slightly more aggressive style of tannin ... or are the acids more pronounced? It is certainly outstanding, displaying full body along with a classic smoky, blackberry, cassis, pepper, and forest floor-scented bouquet. Of all these wines, it appears to be the most evolved. 183, The Wine Advocate, 30 Jun 2009, Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Deep brown in color, the 1989 Hill of Grace has an appealing nose of dried cherries, fruit cake and cloves with underlying dried lavender, thyme and salami hints. Medium-bodied with tons of savory and dried berry flavor layers, it has bright acidity, a medium level of rounded tannins and a long finish with a herbal lift. It is mature. 206, The Wine Advocate, 25 Apr 2013, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 1988 Hill of Grace is medium deep brown in color and replete with earthy and leathery aromas marred by a touch of rancio /aldehydic notes that seem to recover after a few minutes and show some treacle and Indian spice hints. It is an interesting wine, though just a bit flat and tired on the palate with of medium level chewy tannins, crisp acid and a good length on what remains of the fruit. It is mature. The Wine Advocate, Apr 25, 2013, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2020 vintage in Margaret River was moderate to warm and will be forever remembered for the incredibly compacted harvest period, which started two weeks earlier than the 2019 harvest before it and was all wrapped up by Easter—that's largely unheard of. The 2020 Art Series Chardonnay leads with power and density, not unlike the 2018 before it. Tight and green in the glass, you get salted pear, white peach, nectarine, red apple skins, preserved citrus and crushed shell. The wine has minerality and tension within the confines of the opulent fruit. Staggering length, as usual. The winemaking remains relatively consistent across the years: hand-picked fruit from Block 20 and 22 (planted in 1976 and 1978, respectively). Thirty percent of the cuvée was whole bunch pressed to 100% new Burgundian oak, while the balance was destemmed, crushed and pressed to 100% new Bordelais oak. Sulfured post-ferment in order to discourage malolactic fermentation, both components remain in barrel for 11 months. Super wine. The release of the Art Series Chardonnay (in this case, the 2020 vintage) is tasted in this manner at the estate each year prior to vintage. This year, in 2023, we consider three verticals: Art Series Chardonnay 2020–1982, Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2019–2005 and the Art Series Shiraz 2011– 2021. In attendance at the tasting were siblings Justin and Simone Horgan (joint directors of the estate), winemakers Tim Lovett and Phil Hutchinson and estate viticulturist David Winstanley. As is usual for the wines from these vintages, the 2014 and 2018 Cabernets from Leeuwin Estate were standouts in this vertical. So, too, the cooler 2019 vintage. 2018 and 2019 are an interesting pair to compare, as I am reminded time and time again of their differences in style and personality now that they have settled in bottle. The two vintages were really quite different in conditions, and that, pleasingly, has yielded two very different wines in the glass. Personally, I have a penchant for the power and grace of the 2018; however, the aromatic detail and black heart of the 2019s is just as attractive, on different days of the week. No right or wrong. Just different. Though known for the Art Series Chardonnay, and for good reason, the quality of the Cabernets increases with every year that goes by (we can look to vine age, refinement of style, etc.). In terms of vintages to come, there is the warm and low-yielding 2020, the moderate but wet 2021 vintage, the warm and dry (and by all accounts and according to my 80+ barrel tastings) excellent 2022 and the cool, long, moderate and super fine 2023. Exciting times ahead for this region, and indeed, Leeuwin Estate. (https://www.robertparker.com/ Erin Larkin Jul 06, 2023)
Cool-climate fruit from Tasmania, Tumbarumba and the Adelaide Hills, barrel fermented and matured eight months in 60% new French barriques, the 2018 Yattarna Chardonnay starts off with aromas of roasted nuts and toasted bread set against a backdrop of tart, citrusy fruit. Medium-bodied, there's just enough flesh to let you know this is Chardonnay—maybe a hint of underripe peach or nectarine—but this is more about line and length, with a strong backbone of acidity that drives the flavors forward into a long, mouth-puckering finish. Impressive, yes. But is it really that enjoyable? Maybe down the road, which is the intention. July 2020 Penfolds Releases, The Wine Advocate, 22 Jul 2020, Joe Czerwinski