LEOGATE ESTATE
Leogate Estate is a sustainable wine estate at the foot of the Brokenback Ranges in Australia’s oldest wine producing region, the Hunter Valley, New South Wales.
When Bill and Vicki Widin purchased Brokenback Vineyard in late 2007 with plans to create their own wine label, they wanted to give the site a distinctive entrance. They placed two sets of antique iron gates at the front of the property which display a lion rampant in the centre of each gate. The lion rampant became the logo and set the tone for the entire property, as the estate was named, LEOGATE.
With the lion becoming the source of inspiration, Bill and Vicki considered this symbol as the Protector of this iconic vineyard which was planted in the late 1960’s by one of the founding fathers of the modern Australian wine industry, Len Evans AO OBE, and the Rothbury Group.
Over the ensuing years, and with tender care, the grape vines regained their former vigour and have produced premium wines which have developed a global presence for Leogate Estate with distribution footprints throughout Australia and in the USA, Europe, Vietnam, Japan and China.
BILL & VICKI WIDIN
OWNERS
At the time of purchasing Brokenback Vineyard, Bill and Vicki Widin were Black Angus cattle producers at “Middlebrook Park”’ and other farms in the Tamworth District for some 30 years. They used their own knowledge and experience of the land to reinvigorate the Brokenback Vineyard and to build the successful wine estate as known today.
Now, some 15 years after purchase, Bill and Vicki have transformed this working vineyard into a prominent tourist destination where they offer a wide range of products and services which include a Cellar Door, Winery, Restaurant, Function Centre, and luxury tourist accommodation and conference centre.
Bill and Vicki’s commitment to only offering the best has seen Leogate Estate preside over a host of local, national and international accolades including being awarded the prestigious James Rogers Trophy for the World’s “Best Wine in its First Year of Production” at the London International Wine Challenge in 2014.
Being bestowed with the status of a James Halliday red 5 star rated winery since 2012, Leogate Estate has maintained a presence for the last six years with consecutive vintages showcased on Qantas International flights where our “Brokenback Vineyard” Shiraz has been poured in Business Class and our “The Basin Reserve” Shiraz in First Class.
This success has not stopped with their award-winning wines, as “The Gates Restaurant” was awarded the title of “Best Restaurant in a Winery” in regional NSW at the Restaurant and Catering Association awards in late 2020.
BROKENBACK VINEYARD
HUNTER VALLEY
The Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s best known wine regions and has played a pivotal role in the history of the Australian wine industry as one of the first wine regions to be planted in the early 19th century
The Brokenback Vineyard is located at the foothills of the Brokenback Range in Pokolbin, New South Wales and uses a range of viticultural practices to preserve fruit characters and protect against regional challenges such as frost, vintage rains and humidity. Vineyard rows are sown with indigenous grasses, artificial inputs are avoided wherever possible, and Leogate Estate promotes traditional natural farming techniques and sustainability.
The grape varietals grown across the original 50 hectares consisted of Semillon, Chardonnay and Shiraz. Leogate’s vineyard team have since added Verdelho, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Tempranillo, so increasing the hectares under vine to 100 hectares.
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1693 Broke Road Pokolbin, New South Wales, Australia
55 Years
50 – 100m
Property Size 132 HA of which 100 HA are under vine
Semillon, Chardonnay and Shiraz
Verdelho, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Tempranillo
Majority North – South; some areas of the vineyard are planted East – West to the contours of the land allowing good sunlight.
White Varietals; deep, well drained sandy loams with fine gravel content.
Red Varietals; fertile clay loams over a medium clay base sloping into the gentle undulations of the valley floor on the eastern and western facing slopes
Supplementary drip irrigation when required
January / February each year.
BLACKCLUSTER VINEYARD
HUNTER VALLEY
The Black Cluster Vineyard was originally owned by the iconic Wyndham Estate and then the French Orlando Group. The name of the vineyard originated in 1835 when George Wyndham crushed his first vintage and penned the following entry into his diary. “Began my vintage. Filled the pipe with the must of the Black Cluster”.
Leogate acquired the Black Cluster Vineyard in 2020.
This single vineyard sits at the foothills of the Brokenback Mountain Range and is predominantly planted to Shiraz with a vine age of 50 years. Black Cluster Vineyard has produced renowned Hunter Valley examples of Shiraz that have been internationally recognised over the years.
The vineyard also has a 15 hectare planting of Semillon which is positioned at the base of the vineyard, against the Singleton Army Base, which runs along an old creek bed. This Semillon will be labelled as “Army Block”.
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Mistletoe Lane, Pokolbin, New South Wales, Australia
55 Years
50 – 100m
Property Size 180 HA of which 95 HA are under vine
Semillon and Shiraz
Majority North – South; some areas of the vineyard are planted East – West to the contours of the land allowing good sunlight.
White Varietals; deep, well drained sandy loams with fine gravel content.
Red Varietals; fertile clay loams over a medium clay base sloping into the gentle undulations of the valley floor on the eastern and western facing slopes
Supplementary drip irrigation when required
January / February.
ZEAL’S VINEYARD
GULGONG
Leogate Estate acquired this certified organic, high altitude, vineyard in the Central Ranges of New South Wales in 2016.
Now known as “Zeals Vineyard” it sits approximately 600 metres above sea level and was planted 25 years ago by the Liverpool Plains cotton growing Finlay family.
This working vineyard is situated on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range and adheres to NASAA certified organic practices to maintain healthy vines and soils through using biodegradable inputs and grape compost throughout the vineyard, conserving water usage, preserving local ecosystems and wildlife habitats throughout the vineyard.
During winter, our vineyard team introduces a flock of sheep into the property to assist with weed control and fertilising the soils while maintaining our Organic standards.
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Shiraz Drive, Gulgong, New South Wales, Australia
25 Years
600m
Certified Organic, NASAA (Cert No. 2663P)
Property Size 180 HA of which 128 HA are under vine
Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
Majority North – South.
Fertile clay loams over quartz.
March / April.
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
LEOGATE ESTATE WINES
Leogate Estate has maintained the highly coveted red 5 Star rating by James Halliday, an honour bestowed on only the top 8% of all Australian Wineries.
Leogate Estate has an impressive list of trophies and medals from various wine shows, including the James Rogers Trophy awarded at the July, 2014 International Wine Challenge in London to the Leogate Estate 2011 “The Basin” Reserve Shiraz for the “Best Wine in its First Year of Production”
JAMES HALLIDAY
RED 5 STAR WINERY
(2012 - 2025)
Proudly servicing Qantas First and Business Class Cabins on International flights for 11 consecutive years
(2015 - 2025)
PRODUCER OF THE WORLD'S BEST SHIRAZ
International Wine Challenge 2014
Awarded numerous trophies and gold both in Australia and internationally
We are proud to announce that Leogate Estate Wines is one of
The Real Review Top Wineries of Australia 2025!