Leasingham wines have been around since the 1890s and have been steered by a series of legendary winemakers over the years. It wasn’t until the early 70s that the Bin series kicked off, with a Bin 61 Shiraz and a Bin 56 Cab Malbec. These were both highly prized for their exceptional quality and regular ability to out-perform wines selling at 2-3 times their asking price. A few of us from WD were lucky enough to attend a vertical tasting with Tim Knappstein (one of the aforementioned and legendary Leasingham alumni) a decade or so ago and came away incredibly impressed with the quality and consistency of the wines. We looked at over 20 vintages, and everything we tasted was still showing fruit, the best of them were exceptional. So it’s a little sad that the '21 may be the last vintage of the Bin 61 Shiraz. Lots of good stuff here, black tea, chocolate, coffee grounds, mint, plum, charcuterie, and blackberries. The overall impression is of mid-weight fruit, an even balance between softness, fine tannin and good length. Cracking value for money. Drink now through 2030.
92pts Wine Pilot, 92pts Ken Gargett, 92pts Sam Kim
Alcohol %
14.5
Closure
Screwcap
Size
750 mL
Biodynamic
No
Leasingham has had a presence in the Clare Valley since 1894. By 1900 they were producing more wines than the rest of the Clare combined. The legendary Mick Knappstein, son of the founder, became head honcho in 1962 and oversaw over 50 vintages. He launched the legendary Bin 61 Shiraz and Bin 56 Cab Malbec in the 1970s.
Other industry luminaries like Tim Knappstein, Tim Adams, and Kerri Thompson have also made this series of wines.
Tim Knappstein and his son Nick now own and make the stunning wines of Riposte in the Adelaide Hills, and a Clare Riesling.
Tim Adams, of course has the Tim Adam’s Winery and bought the original Leasingham winery and cellar door site, saving it from conversion into housing, and began a second brand, called Mr .Mick, in honour of Mick Knappstein.
Kerri Thompson, is widely considered one of the Clare's brightest stars, and is in high demand as a consultant winemaker, in addition to making the excellent Wines by KT.
All good things come to an end though and it is possible that the 2021 vintage of the Bin 61 Shiraz may be the last.
Region
Clare Valley, SA
130km north of Adelaide (and west of the Barossa), the Clare Valley sits within a high-alt ...
130km north of Adelaide (and west of the Barossa), the Clare Valley sits within a high-altitude pocket granting the vineyards cool to cold nights with long, warm to hot summer days. This cooler climate grants thin-skinned (and indeed temperamental) grapes like rieslings a perfect climate in which to mature slowly without risk of mould during the harvest season. The resulting wines are perfumed, complex, softly flavoured yet powerful.
There are several sub-regions in the 35km stretch of valley, pocketed with varying soils, altitudes and climates. West-facing, high-altitude slopes benefit from drying afternoon sun in summer, producing some of the region ... Read Full Article
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Variety
Shiraz
Shiraz (which is essentially Syrah) is a dark-skinned grape grown throughout the world and ...
Shiraz (which is essentially Syrah) is a dark-skinned grape grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce powerful red wines. Read Full Article
This might seem like a strange one, but I can honestly say that this combo really works. Usually, when you think of burgers you lean towards a beer, or even a nice glass of red. The freshness of the apple, spice coming through from the tomato jam, and the addition of pork had me leaning towards a Riesling.
This is our go to dinner in my home. If you haven’t had beef cheeks then you are missing out! Granted this recipe takes a little time to make but the beauty of it is it freezes AWESOMELY.
130km north of Adelaide (and west of the Barossa), the Clare Valley sits within a high-altitude pocket granting the vineyards cool to cold nights with long, warm to hot summer days. This cooler climate grants thin-skinned (and indeed temperamental) grapes like rieslings a perfect climate in which to mature slowly without risk of mould during the harvest season. The resulting wines are perfumed, complex, softly flavoured yet powerful.
There are several sub-regions in the 35km stretch of valley, pocketed with varying soils, altitudes and climates. West-facing, high-altitude slopes benefit from drying afternoon sun in summer, producing some of the regions best vintages. The vines are planted from 400 to 500 metres (1,300 to 1,600 ft). The higher altitude, compared to other wine regions in South Australia, ensures cool nights even during the heat of summer allowing the fruit to ripen more evenly and slowly. Soil is a mix of red to brown-grey over basement rock.
