Leconfield make consistently excellent Riesling from what are now 51 year old Coonawarra vines. This is a fine wine with talcum powder and lemon and lime aromatics. The palate is textural, offering minerality and excellent length. Elegant, fragrant, textural, long and lip smackingly delicious.
Perhaps best known for their superb Cabernet Sauvignon, Leconfield was the passion project of 76 year old Syd Hamilton who wanted to make a classic Cabernet in Australia. In the 1940s Syd had pioneered temperature controlled ferments which preserved delicate fruit aromatics, shepherding them through the potentially challenging fermentation process and allowing them to find their way into bottle. As a result, fragrant wines speaking to both variety and terroir could be produced. This was an absolute game changer for an industry which primarily produced fortified wines. The regular production of high quality dry table wines had become a possibility and the shift to the table wine dominated industry we know today began. Syd’s initial plantings were of Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon. His Riesling is stunning, the best produced in the Coonawarra and the equal of many produced in more storied Riesling regions. The Cabernet was first released in 1978 and immediately announced the potential of the region. The third release, from 1980 confirmed that Coonawarra could produce truly great Cab. We were lucky enough to try this wine about 20 years ago, and at 25 years of age the wine was fragrant, offering vibrant primary fruit and had exceptional flavours and length. Having realised his dream, Syd retired in 1981, handing the reigns to his nephew, Richard Hamilton, his legacy in safe hands. The '82 Leconfield Cab picked up multiple gold medals and a trophy in Sydney. The range has of course expanded and now includes what is widely considered to be one of Australia’s finest Merlots, excellent sparkling, award winning Rosé, well regarded Chardonnay and plenty more.
Region
Coonawarra, SA
If there is one combination to look for when browsing for a good medium-bodied red, Coonaw ...
If there is one combination to look for when browsing for a good medium-bodied red, Coonawarra, terra rosa and Cabernet Sauvignon is always a winner. Far down the line from Adelaide (about 390km southeast, a grape's throw from the border of Victoria), the name is Aboriginal for "honeysuckle", yet reds from the region are more known for flavours of plum and blackcurrant.
The Coonawarra vineyard region is sparse, running along a thin 2km-wide ridge elevating it above surrounding swamp. World-renowned, this 15km stretch of red soil is so unique, it's worth looking it up on google maps and switching to satellite view to see how it is farmed. See that stri ... Read Full Article
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Variety
Riesling
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Rieslin ...
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. Read Full Article
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Winery
Leconfield
The Leconfield vineyard was first planted in 1974 with the winery built in 1975 by 76 year ...
The Leconfield vineyard was first planted in 1974 with the winery built in 1975 by 76 year old Sydney Hamilton who the dream of making a classic Australian red wine. Read Full Article
Where would we be eating delicious teriyaki salmon toast with family/friends without a good wine to accompany it. This dish screams drinks and snacks amongst friends and for me, Rosé wine does that too!
This week I am sipping on a Semillon from First Creek in the Hunter Valley. Semillon is a thing of beauty really. Drunk young it's fresh with juicy acidity, apple, pear, and loads of bright citrus notes. Kept in the cellar and it will reward you in 5, 10, and 20 years. As it develops it gets (I think) a little grassy, the acidity is less prominent and notes of honey start to form. Pick this up from winedirect.com.au at a bargain of $22 a bottle and the only thing you will complain about is having not bought 6-12 bottles!
Some Docs are telling us that turmeric has medicinal qualities. Just another reason to brew up a curry. Great for a dinner party, but avoid frozen fish to get the best of this dish.
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity.
If there is one combination to look for when browsing for a good medium-bodied red, Coonawarra, terra rosa and Cabernet Sauvignon is always a winner. Far down the line from Adelaide (about 390km southeast, a grape's throw from the border of Victoria), the name is Aboriginal for "honeysuckle", yet reds from the region are more known for flavours of plum and blackcurrant.
The Coonawarra vineyard region is sparse, running along a thin 2km-wide ridge elevating it above surrounding swamp. World-renowned, this 15km stretch of red soil is so unique, it's worth looking it up on google maps and switching to satellite view to see how it is farmed. See that strip of green north of Penola? That's it, and notice the big spread of nothing around it? The Coonawarra is a very special place. Laying on an old ridge of limestone, the fields have superb drainage, allowing the vines to flourish without the dampness at night that can ruin a good crop. Very similar in climate to the Bordeaux region in
The Leconfield vineyard was first planted in 1974 with the winery built in 1975 by 76 year old Sydney Hamilton who the dream of making a classic Australian red wine.
