2014 Leeuwin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Art Series
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Tasting notes
I am well documented for loving the warm 2014 Cabernet vintage in Margaret River. So much so, that last year I put out a call in the region to taste all of the Cabernet wines from that season. What I learned that day has continued to reverberate in my mind ever since, and I now see that the region has been pulsing—ebbing and flowing, or expanding and contracting—in its stylistic bounds of Cabernet, and 2014 was a pivotal moment in time that showed us the drinkers, and perhaps even the producers themselves, what the limits of Cabernet could possibly be in this region. The 2014 Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon is red-fruited and effortless-feeling, with an abundance of berries and raspberries, nori and kelp, iodine and crushed shells. It has saline acidity woven throughout, and the fruit possesses a velvety sheen—like the skin of a ripe peach—which plays out across the length of the palate. I like the wine so much, and feel it is one of the best Cabernets produced in the 2014 vintage in Margaret River. The freshness of it is its enduring asset.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Contains 4% Malbec. 2014 was c ooler than 2018. Nine months of barrel maturation before a total of 23 months' ageing for some parcels. Very round and smooth but there is lightness and lift. Very much a wine of Margaret River. Transparent and lively. Great balance. Some life and pepper, and sweetness. Long. Very aromatic. Great texture. Really very pretty and looking very gorgeous now. Silky wine. (JR)
Deep, youthfully bright ruby. Ripe cherry, cassis, pipe tobacco, candied rose and vanilla qualities on the intensely perfumed nose; a smoky mineral overtone lends urgency. Densely packed dark fruit liqueur, floral pastille and spicecake flavors are supported by a spine of zesty acidity that adds back-end lift and cut. Conveys a suave blend of depth and vivacity and finishes sweet and extremely persistent, with well-knit tannins and lingering cherry, woodsmoke and floral notes.
96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec. 20 months in oak. Tasted blind. Dark crimson. Very fragrant and relatively delicate on the nose. Bone dry with good acidity and finesse. Refined. Medium weight. Quite marked acidity so maybe Bordeaux 2014 but the freshness is also trademark Margaret River? Very clean, persistent finish. Margaret River? (JR)
About the producer
Leeuwin Estate is one of Australia’s leading wine producers. Based close to Cape Leeuwin, in the southern reaches of Margaret River, Western Australia, this remote estate is best known for its Art Series wines.