Leeuwin Estate
| Leeuwin Estate | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | Stevens Road, Leeuwin 6290, WA, Australia |
| Coordinates | 34°0′47″S 115°3′57″E / 34.01306°S 115.06583°ECoordinates: 34°0′47″S 115°3′57″E / 34.01306°S 115.06583°E |
| Wine region | Margaret River |
| Other labels | Prelude, Siblings |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Key people | Denis & Trish Horgan, proprietors Justin Horgan, general manager Paul Atwood, head winemaker |
| Cases/yr | 60,000 |
| Known for | Art Series Chardonnay Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Varietals | Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot noir, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Semillon, Shiraz |
| Other attractions | Restaurant Leeuwin Estate Concert Series |
| Distribution | International |
| Tasting | Open to public |
| Website | Leeuwin Estate |
Leeuwin Estate is an Australian winery and restaurant based in the Margaret River wine region of Western Australia.
Leeuwin Estate was established in 1969 by Denis and Tricia Horgan with the assistance of both John and Jenny Horgan ( John and Jenny later went on to found Salitage in Pemberton). The land was previously used as a cattle station and after having been purchased as part of a deal to buy a plumbing business by Denis and John Horgan, the land was converted to vineyards based on the advice of the Western Australian Department of Agriculture.
Robert Mondavi provided significant advice during the planning and setup stages of the estate after contacting the Horgans in 1973 to promote the potential that Margaret River had as a wine region and to look for investment opportunities. Initial plantings consisted of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinot noir.
Bob Cartwright was appointed as head winemaker in 1978. In the same year that Cartwright was appointed, the first vintage of wines were made. The vines had reached maturity and could provide enough grapes for commercial production and bottling levels. Cartwright held the position of head winemaker for 28 consecutive vintages until retiring in September 2005.
The current head winemaker is Paul Atwood. He has worked at Leeuwin Estate since 1997, being promoted to head winemaker on Bob Cartwright's retirement in 2005.
The winery is still owned by Denis and Tricia Horgan, with their son Justin working as the company general manager.
Denis Horgan was awarded a Centenary Medal and both he and Tricia Horgan were inducted as Members of the Order of Australia in 2001 for services to tourism in Western Australia.
Leeuwin Estate produces around 60,000 cases of wine each vintage and owns 121 acres of vineyards.
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