2021 Leeuwin Estate Prelude Vineyards Chardonnay

Brilliant very pale straw in colour with a subtle flicker of green around the outskirts and a watery hue. Elevated fleshy white peach and nectarine scents drift from the glass trailed by biscuity oak, dried honey, citrusy nougat and gun flint notes. Fresh, mid weighted nectarine, white peach and grapefruit flavours meld into notions of biscuity oak, spicy nougat and subtle infusions of gun flint. Elegant fleshy mouth feel with vibrant acidity concluding long, refined and intensely flavoured.
Drink over the next 4-5 years.
Alc. 13%

Other Reviews....
Only Leeuwin Estate could come up with a second label of such extreme quality. The quartz-green colour heralds a laser-cut wine of great purity with a perfumed, grapefruit-accented bouquet underscored by cleansing, refreshing acidity on the palate. Oak was an agent in its structure but plays no part on its palate. Drink by 2036.
97 points
James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion

I genuinely feel that today’s Prelude would give early vintages Art Series a really good run for their money. If someone could kindly invent a time machine so that we can test this hypothesis, that would be very kind. Until then, please believe me that having tasted every vintage of Art Series back to 1983, I genuinely feel that Prelude is now of a standard for it to be thought of as not a second wine but of the main Estate Chardonnay at Leeuwin and Art Series can sit to its side as a limited release icon wine. 2021 Prelude is nothing short of superb, with layered, plush, classy fruit. There is amazing depth and purity here, and as I noted in my scribblings, it is ‘Grand-Vin-shaped’. I used to think I should squirrel away Prelude with starters before moving on to main course white wines. Those days are long gone – this is a superstar, and the value here is terrific.
Matthew Jukes - Top 100 Australian Wine Report 2022/23