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Leconfield
Leconfield Wines from Australia Looking For US Import Partner
About Us
Leconfield is a remarkable family wine business owned by Dr Richard Hamilton and his wife Jette. It encompasses two of South Australia's leading wine labels, both attributable to the Hamilton family:
Leconfield Wines at Coonawarra
Richard Hamilton Wines at McLaren Vale.
With a strong wine industry heritage dating from 1837, the family has developed a distinguished international reputation for elegant fine wines.
Leconfield wines are based on a simple philosophy – great wines are crafted from great vineyards.
Vineyards
Coonawarra
Coonawarra is one of Australia’s great wine regions, renowned for its rich terra rossa soil - red brown loam topsoil laid over a thin layer of calcrete, sitting on top of a base of the region’s abundance of white limestone. It is situated 100km inland and is 30km long. The region has a predominately maritime climate, with dry and moderately cool summer days and cool to cold nights. Meteorological data shows a climate similar to that of Bordeaux in France.
Undoubtedly, Coonawarra produces Australia's greatest Cabernet Sauvignon. The concentrated fruit flavours cover the spectrum from blackcurrant to plum to red cherry to prunes, with a unique Coonawarra earthiness. The wines are renowned for their depth of fruit flavour, complexity, elegance, extraordinary length and their cellaring performance. Coonawarra is also renowned for its stylish Shiraz and Merlot. Riesling and Chardonnay are the two predominant white varieties, with the region producing some of the nation’s finest examples of these styles.
Leconfield’s first Cabernet Sauvignon vines were planted on September 28, 1974, by Sydney Hamilton.
Since acquiring Leconfield in 1981, Richard Hamilton has added to the original landholding and plantings. The total vineyard size now stands at 43.7 hectares.
Bendt Rasmussen, who has over 20 years’ experience, manages the vineyard.
McLaren Vale
Leconfield's wines are based on a simple philosophy – great wines are crafted from great vineyards.
By retaining control and ownership of our estate, we are able to ensure the health of the vines, and continuity of fruit quality.
Both the McLaren Vale and Coonawarra estates are run by experienced and dedicated teams, led by Vineyard Supervisor Lee Harding in McLaren Vale and Vineyard Supervisor Bendt Rasmussen in Coonawarra.
Winemakers
Paul Gordon Senior Winemaker
Paul's fascination with wine grew from researching for a school project at the age of 14. Oenology at Roseworthy College in South Australia followed, achieving his degree in 1979.
Since graduation Paul gained experience in all facets of winemaking working in the Barossa Valley, Mildura, Sydney and Coonawarra for the Southcorp group, including 12 years as winemaker and senior winemaker at Rouge Homme in Coonawarra until 2001. This period was interspersed with experience in Europe. He joined Leconfield as Senior Winemaker in December 2001.
Inspiration from wines of Alsace, Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Rhone regions of France and the new generation of producers in Italy as well as Paul's oenology experience in Australia have refined his approach. "Great wine cannot be made without exceptional fruit. I pride myself on developing close relationships between both our winery and vineyard staff. We all constantly evaluate our wonderful vineyard resource to find innovative means of maximising fruit quality in our wines."
Based at the winery in Coonawarra Paul is responsible for all production aspects of Leconfield and Richard Hamilton, dividing his time between Coonawarra and McLaren Vale – most hectic during vintage.
Tim Bailey Winemaker
Tim joined Leconfield in Coonawarra in 1997, following winemaking experience in Europe and the United States.
A talented winemaker and local sporting legend, he contributes dynamic enthusiasm, innovation and a discriminating palate to the winemaking team.
Combined with Paul's passion, experience, skill and maturity, this makes for a formidable combination.
Our Wines
2011 Burtons Vineyard Grenache
Colour:
Medium - full crimson with youthful red hues
Palate:
The palate bursts with the rich flavours of cherries to give texture and mouth-feel. Tannins are long and soft and provide persistence and length.
Winemaking Notes:
The Grenache has been sourced from vines planted by Burton Hamilton, Richard Hamilton’s father in 1947. 2010 proved to be outstanding for our Grenache, albeit with a tiny production from yields averaging two tonnes per acre. The fruit from these dry-land grown, bush vines were selected for quality on the vine and hand harvested and fermented in two small fermenters to dryness then gently pressed. The components were then oak matured in French oak after malo-lactic fermentation and racking.
2012 Shiraz
Colour:
Deep dark red with attractive crimson hues.
Palate:
A very stylish, medium bodied Shiraz showing soft tannins, lovely sweet fruit and good length with hints of pepper and plum flavours.
Winemarking Notes:
The focus in producing this wine is to have vibrancy of fruit on the nose and palate with a tight structure and attractive mouth filling roundness. The fruit was all grown on our Estate between the McLaren Vale and Willunga townships. Following fermentation on skins, the components were pressed before dryness and allowed some oak fermentation. On the completion of malo-lactic fermentation, the wine was 're-worked' and returned to oak for further maturation.
Oak treatment:
16 months maturation in 81% French oak, 19% American Oak.
2014 Mr V Marsanne Rousanne Viognier
Colour:
Medium straw with attractive green tints .
Palate:
This is a restrained, medium bodied style with a persistent, round flavour finishing with a soft, acidity. Flavours are in the spectrum of nectarine and peach.
Winemarking Notes:
During the growing season, crop thinning was used on all three varieties to optimise ripening and each variety was harvested and separately. Free run juice was cold settled following harvest, then racked with some solids for fermentation. A yeast strain renown for enhancing the aromatic highlights fermented the juice slowly at cool temperatures. Roussanne and Viognier were co-fermented and blended with Marsanne after fermentation. On final blending, the wine received a light fining while stabilising and was bottled in June 2014.
2011 Late Harvest Riesling
Colour:
Light straw with attractive green tints
Palate:
This wine has been made to retain some residual sugar at the end of fermentation. While there is noticeable sweetness on the palate, the wine finishes with a clean and zesty acidity.
Winemaking Notes:
The wine was picked a month after the grapes that were used for our dry style. The free run juice was allowed to clarify, then was inoculated with yeast and allowed to ferment slowly. Towards the end of fermentation, when the balance of the sugars and acid were just right, the wine was chilled to stop the ferment. Racking, fining and filtration completed the winemaking prior to bottling in July 2011.
Syn Rouge
Colour:
Bright red/scarlet
Palate:
This is a beautifully balanced, creamy sparkling red wine showing lively raspberry and cherry flavours and finishes with a soft and cleansing acidity.
Winemaking Notes:
Fresh Coonawarra Shiraz was made in a fine, elegant style and matured in oak. Secondary fermentation has provided natural effervescence and the wine has been liqueured to give a creamy palate. 2% vintage port was blended in the liqueur to the wine to provide complexity.