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Right around the time that Frank Potts was planting his nascent Bleasdale Vineyards during the 1850s, an eccentric Prussian named Herman Daenke established a homestead along the banks of Bremer River, which he called Metala. The site was planted to viticulture by Arthur Formby in 1891 and became one of Langhorne Creek's most productive vineyards, it continues to supply fruit for a number of prestigious national brands. Legendary winemaker Brian Dolan took the radical step of bottling Metala under its own label in 1959 and won the inaugural Jimmy Watson Trophy in 1962. Two generations later, the brothers Tom and Guy Adams took a similar leap of faith and branded their Metala fruit as Brothers In Arms. The.. The goodly farms of brothers in arms»
Graeme Melton and a mate were travelling across South Australia in 1973, their EH Holden was in dire need of maintenance and Graeme took up casual work at a passing winery. The site supervisor was Peter Lehmann and young Graeme had his epiphany on the road to Barossa Valley. Lehmann suggested that Graeme change his name to Charlie and take the pilgrimmage to Vallee Rhone. Charlie became prepossessed with the culture of old vines Grenache, Shiraz and Mourverdre. He returned to the Barossa, at a time when old vineyard fruit was made into flagon Port and growers were destroying their historic sites in return for government grants. Charlie emabarked on a crusade to conserve and restore the ancient vines,.. Melton makes a mean mourvedre»
Discovered by Dr Bertel Sundstrup in 1987, after a long search for the perfect site, the amphitheatre known as Dalrymple is a mere twelve hectares of sun drenched bucolic idyll, at the very heart of superior viticulture on the beauteous Apple Isle. This is Piper's Brook central, a place of auspicious winegrowing climes, long hours of sunlight and extended ripening seasons, which yield fruit of remarkable succulence, gracious acids and satin tannins. Dalrymple are a small, unincorporated winegrowing concern, whose accord with the elements and devotion to the land, are best articulated by the leisured pursuits of their chief vigneron, whose favourite pastimes are sheep herding, river fishing and making.. The verdant nook on pipers brook»
Major Sir Thomas Mitchell left more than just an invaluable bequeth of our nation's most detailed frontier maps. Mitchell distinguished himself in Wellington's army during the Napoleonic wars in the renowned 95th Baker Rifles. A gifted draftsman, he found his way to the nascent colonies of Australia, where his acumen at mapmaking won him the office of Surveyor General. During one of Mitchell's historical expeditions, he charted the fertile lands around Victoria's Goulburn Valley, establishing the colonial fruitgrowing township of Mitchell's Town. The district's auspicious orchards flourished until Colin Preece identified the region as an opportune place to grow world class wine. Vineyards thusly planted.. Barriques between the billabongs»

Leconfield Coonawarra Cabernet CONFIRM VINTAGE

Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra South Australia
Leconfield's regional flagship has remained in splendid form for decades, a stellar performer which achieved immediate prominence and massive critical acclaim from inaugural release. An exacting approach to viticulture is central to the magnificent quality of fruit, uncompromising standards of vinification complete an extraordinary Coonawarra Cabernet. A headily perfumed wine of ripe cassis aromas, framed by luxuriously fragrant oak and underpinned by solid structure, a soupçon of Cabernet Franc contributes edifying floral complexity.
Available by the dozen
Case of 12
$383.00
Cabernet Sauvignon has been the flagship of Leconfield since the first monumental release in 1977. The aim is to produce a Cabernet wine displaying depth and elegance where oak complexes and enhances the fruit but is not allowed to dominate. Following inoculation to saccharomyces cerevisiae, some components are treated to barrel ferments in predominantly French oak, the balance is held for an extended skin maceration before pressing, achieving the well established statuesque Leconfield style. Following completion of malolactic and a period of exposure to lees in barrel, Leconfield is treated to a year and a half in a high proportion of new French and American oak hogsheads.
Deep red, crimson hues. Augmenting the elegant cassis and blackberry fruit aromas, are scented cinnamon, nutmeg and cedar notes. Fine, medium bodied palate, showing the cassis flavours of traditional Coonawarra Cabernet. Fine velvety tannins balance the textured sweetness of fruit. A tight clean finish, approachable as a youthful wine, the elegance will complement continental inspired recipes.
Leconfield
Leconfield was established in 1974 by noted Oenologist, Sydney Hamilton

At the fine age of seventy six, after a winemaking career spanning nearly 60 years with the family company in Adelaide, Sydney still yearned to make a classic Australian Cabernet Sauvignon and set himself the task of finding the right district in which to establish his own vineyard and winery. Showing great foresight, Sydney selected Coonawarra as the area with the potential to fulfil his ambitious dream. Thus Leconfield was born, named after an English ancestor, Lord Leconfield.

Leconfield

In 1981, with 65 vintages under his belt, Sydney decided to finally retire and Leconfield was acquired by his nephew Richard Hamilton, based in McLaren Vale. The winery retains its own individual identity and character to this day, representing the essence of the famous Coonawarra strip. The legacy of Sydney Hamilton, one of Australia's true winemaking legends, is very much alive in the form of Leconfield Coonawarra today.

The Leconfield vineyards occupy some of the Coonawarra's richest Terra Rossa soil over Limestone, a composition for which Coonawarra is famous. Original plantings were to the classic variety Cabernet Sauvignon, however Sydney saved a small section of the best soils for Riesling cuttings he had sourced from Happy Valley in Adelaide. This enabled him to continue producing a small amount of dry white wine in the style for which he had become famous.

Fittingly, following a string of wine show successes, the Leconfield Riesling has once again returned to the rightful place that Sydney held for this wine when realising his dream nearly thirty years ago. Subsequent plantings of Chardonnay, Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Franc have been made to the vineyard, completing a range of wines which shows the best of what the region has to offer, vintage after vintage. Although made in smaller volumes, the Merlot is extremely sought after and is consistently regarded as one of the best examples in the district

Leconfield

Proud owners Richard and Jette Hamilton are deeply committed to their family owned wine business. Their passion for quality is reflected in all aspects of the business, especially the vineyards and wines on which their reputation is built. A fifth generation vigneron and wine producer, Richard is the great, great grandson of English settler Richard Hamilton, who brought grapevines to the new colony of South Australia in 1837. Establishing their first vineyards at Marion, the Hamilton family were pioneers of the Australian wine industry, and have continuously owned and operated vineyards and wineries in South Australia for 168 years since then.

Richard's interest in all aspects of the wine industry started at an early age when he worked in the family's Sturt River vineyards and winery. Over the years, this interest became a passion and in his early twenties Richard decided to realise his dream of establishing a winery, doing so in the foothills of Willunga at McLaren Vale. In December 2001, Paul Gordon joined the Leconfield team as Senior Winemaker. With over twenty-three years' winemaking experience and an enviable reputation, Paul has a long list of achievements, including the 1994 Jimmy Watson Trophy. Paul plays a key role in the future direction and development of the wines bearing the Richard Hamilton and Leconfield labels.

The success of one of his first wines, the 2002 Leconfield Coonawarra 'Old Vines' Riesling - winning trophies at both the Adelaide and Limestone Coast Wine Shows and Gold Medals in Canberra, Adelaide and Coonawarra - is a testimony to his wine-making skills and passion for his craft.

Assistant Winemaker, Tim Bailey, has been with the company since 1997 and has just returned from doing vintage at Pellegrini Vineyards in California. Tim contributes youthful enthusiasm, innovation and a discriminating palate to the winemaking team. Combined with Paul's experience, skill and maturity they make a formidable combination.

Leconfield