BILL and Vicki Widin's Leogate Estate has scored a major coup by buying the prized 142-ha Black Cluster vineyard in Mistletoe Lane, Pokolbin.
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The purchase was made from Chinese interests which in 2014 bought the 200ha of land with its plantings of 122ha of shiraz and 20ha of semillon.
It's a deal that has delighted the Widins and their team.
Over the years the vineyard has won numerous major show awards - most notably the Wyndham Estate 2009 Black Cluster Shiraz's gold medal in the 2014 International Wine Challenge, the UK-based competition that annually attracts 10,000 global entries.
The Leogate acquisition has given it 2500 dozen bottles of the 2019 Black Cluster shiraz made by Tyrrells for the former owners and now available under the Leogate brand for $30 a bottle or $180 a six-pack.
Bill Widen, an accountant by profession, and Vicki had been long-time wine lovers when they began their wine investment in 2007 and 2008 by buying two sections of the former Rothbury Estate Brokenback vineyard in Broke Road, Pokolbin.
They had previously owned the 5870-ha Middlebrook Park Black Angus cattle stud at South Tamworth and on the 137-ha Pokolbin site have 89 ha of vines and have built a high-tech winery and a luxurious cellar door, tasting rooms, restaurant and function centre.
With Mark Woods as senior winemaker, they have won a James Halliday Wine Companion five red-star rating and at the prestigious 2014 International Wine Challenge in Britain their Leogate 2011 The Basin Reserve Shiraz was selected as the world's best new wine.
In 2016 they added to their wine empire by buying the 81-ha Zeals organic shiraz, cabernet and merlot vineyard at Gulgong - part of the Mudgee wine region.
The 25-year-old, 600 metres-altitude vines produce the Miracle on the Wire label wines made in the Pokolbin winery, which has been upgraded to qualify for organic certification.
The name and the delightful labels relate to the annual miracle of grapes growing in dry, stressful conditions and the harbinger of rain presented by a blue wren sitting on a trellis wire.
The Black Cluster vines were planted under the consultancy of Brian McGuigan in 1968 by the Hermitage Estate company, which went into receivership in 1978 and saw all its assets bought by Wyndham Estate, then headed by McGuigan.
In 1990 the giant French Pernod Ricard group won a $73 million takeover of Wyndham, giving it Black Cluster as well as Dalwood vineyard and winery, the Sandy Hollow Richmond Grove vineyard, Richmond Grove winery, the Hunter Estate winery in Hermitage Road, Pokolbin, Saxonvale vineyards and winery at Broke-Fordwich, the Upper Hunter Hollydene winery and vineyard and the Mudgee Craigmore, Montrose and Amberton wine ventures.
Over time Pernod Ricard unloaded many of these assets, in the case of Black Cluster, to Chinese purchasers, and in several other instances to the Australian Vintage Ltd group launched in 1992 by Brian McGuigan. It also moved the Wyndham brand to South Australia and in 2014 shut down the Branxton site, leaving it to be bought in 2016 by hotelier and developer Sam Arnaout's Iris Capital operation.
WINE REVIEWS
SUMPTUOUS CLUSTER
THIS sumptuous, 14.5%-alcohol Leogate Estate 2019 Black Cluster Shiraz glows deep purple in the glass and has sweet berry pastille aromas and intense plum front-palate flavour. The middle palate shows blueberry, rhubarb, spice and savoury oak and the finish earthy tannins. It's at leogate.com.au and the 1693 Broke Road, Pokolbin, winery.
PRICE: $30.
DRINK WITH: Steak Diane.
AGEING: 10 years.
RATING: 5 stars
SEMILLON WITH ZIP
THE Leogate Estate 2019 Brokenback Vineyard Semillon is fine value at $22, shining lime green-straw and displaying lemongrass scents. Ruby grapefruit flavour zips onto the front palate, nashi pear, lime zest, mineral and nascent honey and toast show on the middle palate and flinty acid at the finish. Buy at cellar door and online.
PRICE: $22.
DRINK WITH: seafood crepes.
AGEING: seven years.
RATING: 4.5 stars
BUSY FIZZ OF ITALY
FROM the big northern Italian Mezzacorona growers' co-operative, the Mezza di Mezzacorona Non-Vintage Glacial Bubbly, is straw-hued, peach blossom-scented and with busy medium-fine bubbles. The front palate shows pear flavour, the middle passionfruit, melon and biscuit elements and a slatey acid finish. Get it at independent bottle shops.
PRICE: $25.
DRINK WITH: canapes.
AGEING: drink now.
RATING: 4 stars