90 IWC; 91 Winetex; $26

Just as I was ranting about not having a WOW wine up pops a contender.

You will never mistake this one for an old-world chard but it really has the right stuff to be a lovely chard. Even while it was still pretty cold we were identifying tropical fruit on the nose and palate. It has a bit of oak on the nose and finish but seems to be very ready to drink now. Tanzer’s review states “papaya” in the middle but I was getting pineapple and other “tropicals” . It almost tastes like a wine version of a Pina Colada but with a nice sophistication. It is very balanced with a hint of minerality. I found it to be a very good value for the price point and am planning to buy more. It is 14% in alcohol.

I can’t imagine the Leeuwin Art Series chard being three times better than this at $65 but Parker rated the Art Series chard at 95.

Very nice indeed!

Hello

You will of course be the judge of whether the Art Series is worth three times as much, but I can vouch for the fact that it is wayyyy better, the best Chardonnay I tried this year from Oz.

Gavin,
I don't know about that. The Art Series is a stunner but I don't think that superior to the Prelude. I think Winetex's score of 91 is about right. I also think the Prelude is more approachable in its youth while the Art Series although well balanced does require a little time to develope due to considerbale acids and phenolic structures.

Note: WS also rated the 99 Art Series chard 95.
I can't believe both WS and RP actually rated something
the same!!!

I'll probably buy a bottle of the Art Series chard to see for myself. Of course I'll let you guys know the results!

We opened another bottle of this tonight with consistent results. What a nice chard! It was a bit more peachy tasting tonight but was really stellar with the food, my homemade crab cakes.

This chard blows away many chards from CA and France in the price range. An excellent effort from a good Aussie winery.