Western Australian Wines Worth the Distance
The Wine Advocate
August 31, 2014
by Lisa Perrotti-Brown
September sees The Wine Advocate showering praise on a wide range of wines and styles from distant Western Australia. From voluptuous, elegant Margaret River Chardonnay to intense and complex cold climate Shiraz from The Great Southern, the state’s winemakers continue to excel.
96+ pts Cullen Wines 2012 Chardonnay Kevin John
The 2012 Kevin John Chardonnay reveals a savory and nutty nose with aromas of crushed cashews, baking bread, yeast extract and struck match enveloping a core of spiced apples and peaches. Light to medium-bodied, the palate is very tightly knit with a lively acid backbone to support the intense apple and toast flavor layers. It finishes long. Drink it 2015 to 2020+.
95+ pts Cullen Wines 2012 Diana Madeline
Deep garnet-purple in color and showing a slightly reticent nose of ripe plums, blackcurrants and blackberries with touches of cedar, toast, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and pencil lead, the medium-bodied 2012 Diana Madeline displays outstanding intensity and great elegance on the palate. It has a lovely backbone of firm, fine-grained tannins and balanced acidity to carry the flavors through a finishing with great persistence. Drink it now to 2025+.
94+ pts Leeuwin Estate 2011 Chardonnay Art Series
The 2011 Art Series Chardonnay presents a gorgeous nose of honeyed apricots, orange blossoms, pink grapefruit and guava with touches of lightly buttered toast, cashews and marmalade. Medium-bodied with a wonderfully crisp acid backbone cutting through the intense citrus and toasty/nutty flavors, it finishes long and tangy. Drink it now to 2020+.
93+ pts Leeuwin Estate 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Art Series
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon offers very youthful, slowly evolving aromas of warm cassis, blackberry preserves and red currant jelly with nuances of cloves, cigar boxes, cinnamon stick and vanilla. Medium-bodied, it offers a lot of flavor in a very fine, elegant frame of grainy tannins and harmonious acid, finishing long and layered. This is the finest Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon I’ve tasted! Drink it now to 2024+.
91 pts Plantagenet 2012 Shiraz
Deep garnet-purple colored and scented of blueberry and plum preserves with an undercurrent of baking spices, cloves, black pepper and violets, the full-bodied 2012 Shiraz packs in the black fruit and baking spice flavors on the palate together with a solid foundation of medium to firm, rounded tannins and crisp acid. It finishes long with a peppery lift. Drink it now to 2020+.
90+ pts Leeuwin Estate 2011 Shiraz Art Series
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2011 Art Series Shiraz has a pretty perfume of crushed cherries, black raspberries and roses with hints of star anise, Szechuan pepper and smoky bacon. Medium-bodied with plenty of juicy black fruit flavors and complimentary spices, it has a medium level of rounded tannins and just enough acid, finishing long. Drink it now to 2018+.
90+ pts Plantagenet 2013 Chardonnay
The 2013 Chardonnay opens to a peachy, tropical fruit nose with underlying notes of cedar, toast, butterscotch and roasted cashews. Medium-bodied, it has a pleasant creamy texture and good amount of stone fruit and tropical flavors before finishing with persistent, honey-toast notes. Drink it now to 2018.
90 pts Plantagenet 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon has a nose of blackcurrant cordial, chocolate-mint and cedar with hints of cinnamon stick and cloves. Medium to full-bodied with a firm backbone of racy acid and grainy tannins, it offers a generous amount of cassis and spice flavors that hold long in the finish. Drink it now to 2020+.
89 pts Leeuwin Estate 2013 Sauvignon Blanc Art Series
The 2013 Art Series Sauvignon Blanc is intensely scented of yuzu, white peaches and grapefruit with a fragrant fresh thyme whiff. Light to medium-bodied, it fills the palate with electric grapefruit and herbal flavors matched by a zingy line of acidity and finishing with satisfying persistence. Drink it now to 2016.
87 pts Leeuwin Estate 2013 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Siblings
The 2013 Siblings Sauvignon Blanc Semillon offers-up a nose of fresh lemons, gooseberries and elderflower with hints of mown grass and pea pods. Light-bodied, clean and refreshing in the mouth, its appeal is its vibrancy of citrus and herbal flavors that carry straight through the long finish. Drink it now to 2016.
87 pts Plantagenet 2012 Shiraz Omrah
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color and showing expressive aromas of warm blackberries, black cherries and red plums, with hints of tar and licorice, the medium to full-bodied 2012 Omrah Shiraz fills the mouth with loads of blackberry and anise-laced flavors complimented by a medium level of rounded tannins and balanced acid. It finishes with good persistence. Drink it now to 2017.