Leogate Estate The Lion’s Pride Chardonnay

The Leogate Estate The Lion’s Pride Chardonnay 2020 is a complex yet balanced Chardonnay offering a perfect mix of oaked and unoaked elements. It’s fresh and flavourful whilst also being creamy. This wine is perfect for enjoying with food, and at $20 a bottle it is seriously affordable too! 

Recently I was sent a few wines from Leogate Estate and I couldn’t wait to get stuck into them. I’ve recently been rediscovering the Hunter Valley and really enjoying it. We went on a trip there a few years ago and I have to admit I had forgotten that I loved their wines so much. Generally, I hear a lot about the Barossa, but I think the Hunter Valley should be on the wine map more for its delicious Shiraz, Semillon and Chardonnay!

We didn’t visit Leogate Estate when we visited so I was excited to check out their range. I decided to start with their Chardonnay because it has been a hot minute since I’ve reviewed one. This is weird because I find we drink them a lot in our household (my partner is obsessed as we know by now). I have to tell you this wine did not disappoint and was a serious winner both for me and my oak loving husband!

About Leogate Estate

Leogate Estate is a sustainable estate at the foot of the Brokenback Mountain Range. The vines were first planted in the 1960s by one of the founding fathers of the modern Australian wine industry, Len Evans. It was bought by Bill and Vicki Widin in 2008. Since then the Widins and Senior Winemaker Mark Woods have brought international accolades including the International Wine Challenge Trophy for Best New Wine and James Halliday’s Wine Companion 2021 awarded them a 5-star rating for the 10th year in a row.

They are expanding their award-winning range and this includes the Lion’s Pride Range which this Chardonnay is from. A lion’s pride is its family comprising of many family members. This name came from the idea that the Leogate Estate Lion has its own extensive pride to symbolically represent its three vineyards and wide array of grape varietals and blends.

What I loved about the Leogate Estate The Lion’s Pride Chardonnay 2020

The Leogate Estate The Lion’s Pride Chardonnay 2020 is a seriously delicious Chardonnay. I like my Chardonnay with a good balance between fresh acidity and oak treatment – the best of both worlds to me. I have to say this wine really delivered and ticked all the boxes for what I want in a Chardonnay. And at $20 a bottle, this wine is seriously affordable too!

On the nose, I got notes of melon and grapefruit. But the palate is where it is at with this wine. These flavours followed through along with beautiful fresh acidity. French Oak treatment balances out this crisp acidity with a creamy texture and notes of vanilla. The wine is packed full of flavour with a medium body that adds a seriously beautiful complexity. I loved sipping on this wine and unpacking it as I went. It has a nice long finish too which makes it an absolute delight to drink.

What to enjoy it with

The Leogate Estate The Lion’s Pride Chardonnay 2020 is best enjoyed with food as it does have a creamy texture. I think this wine would make a perfect accompaniment to something creamy or rich as it has enough complexity and fresh acidity to cut through those flavours.

One of my favourite things to pair a Chardonnay like this with is a roast chicken. I can definitely see this wine going beautifully with those flavours. But a risotto or some rich cheeses would be the perfect pairing too!

In summary: Leogate Estate The Lion’s Pride Chardonnay 2020

The Leogate Estate The Lion’s Pride Chardonnay 2020 is a beautifully balanced yet complex Chardonnay. Perfect for those like me who enjoy a little from Column A (unoaked) and a little from Column B (oaked) with their Chardonnay. This wine brings the best of both worlds and at $20 a bottle it is the kind of wine you don’t need to think twice about opening.

Find out more about this wine and the rest of the range at the Leogate Estate website.

Note: I was sent this wine as a sample. I was under no obligation to post about it.