LEOGATE ESTATE
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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
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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, along with the expertise of others such as senior winemaker Mark Woods, to reinvigorate the Brokenback Vineyard and to build the successful wine estate as known today.
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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.
MARK WOODS
SENIOR WINEMAKER AND DIRECTOR
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Mark Woods joined Leogate Estate in 2010 from Hunter-based wineries Briar Ridge and Pepper Tree Wines. Mark is a Hunter-born winemaker with an inherent sense for the region’s styles and has been acknowledged on the national and international wine show circuits for his wines.
Mark has enthusiastically taken the wines of Leogate Estate Wines to a new level; his passion for the Hunter Valley and the Brokenback Vineyard has allowed him to profile this unique vineyard site and introduce individuality across the Leogate Estate Range. His winemaking talents have also been instrumental in leading other Hunter Valley wineries to new heights, particularly with the region’s iconic varietals Shiraz and Semillon.
Mark is closely involved in export sales and was appointed a director of Leogate in 2017. Leogate produces 50,000 dozen cartons of wine per year in an average season using the grapes from all three of its own vineyards located in the Hunter Valley and Central Ranges. These vineyards offer a wide suite of wine grape varietals that utilise both conventional and organic practices from which Mark and his winemaking team can produce benchmark wines.
Mark’s philosophy is to keep true to the vineyards and only make wines when the seasons allow to make the best wine. These wines are bottled as Leogate Estate under the sublabels called Reserve, Brokenback Vineyard, The Gatecrasher, the Lion’s Pride, and Miracle on the Wire, with all of the wine being made at the Leogate Estate Winery in the Hunter Valley.
BROKENBACK VINEYARD
HUNTER VALLEY
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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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LOCATION:1693 Broke Road Pokolbin, New South Wales, Australia
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OLDEST VINE AGE:55 Years
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ELEVATION:50 – 100m
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VINEYARD SIZE:Property Size 132 HA of which 100 HA are under vine
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ORIGINAL VARIETIES:Semillon, Chardonnay and Shiraz
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ADDITIONAL PLANTINGS:Verdelho, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Tempranillo
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VINE ORIENTATION:Majority North – South; some areas of the vineyard are planted East – West to the contours of the land allowing good sunlight.
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SOIL TYPES: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.
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IRRIGATION:Supplementary drip irrigation when required.
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HARVEST: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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LOCATION:Mistletoe Lane, Pokolbin, New South Wales, Australia
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OLDEST VINE AGE:50 Years
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ELEVATION:50 – 100m
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VINEYARD SIZE:Property Size 180 HA of which 95 HA are planted under vine
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ORIGINAL VARIETIES:Semillon and Shiraz
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VINE ORIENTATION:Majority North – South; some areas of the vineyard are planted East – West to the contours of the land allowing good sunlight.
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SOIL TYPES: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.
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IRRIGATION:Supplementary drip irrigation when required.
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HARVEST:January / February each year.
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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LOCATION:Shiraz Drive, Gulgong, New South Wales, Australia
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OLDEST VINE AGE:25 Years
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ELEVATION:600m
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VINEYARD:Certified Organic, NASAA (Cert No. 2663P)
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VINEYARD SIZE:Property Size 180 HA of which 128 HA are under vine
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ORIGINAL VARIETIES:Shiraz, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon
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VINE ORIENTATION:Majority North – South.
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SOIL TYPESFertile clay loams over quartz.
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HARVEST:March / April each year.
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”
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JAMES HALLIDAYRED 5 STAR WINERY(2012 – 2021) Proudly servicing Qantas First and Business Class Cabins on International flights for 6 consecutive years (2015 – 2020). PRODUCER OF THE WORLD’S BEST SHIRAZInternational Wine Challenge 2014 2020 R&CA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE WINNERRestaurant & Catering.Hostplus
FUNCTIONS
THE CRYSTAL ROOM
Leogate Estate is an outstanding wedding and event venue located in the beautiful Hunter Valley vineyard area. With breathtaking views of the Brokenback Ranges at the door-step of the Crystal Room, delicious dry-aged beef and award-winning premium wines, Leogate Estate offers all guests a truly memorable experience.
Leogate Estate has been recognised for its outstanding service in weddings and events, by been awarded the title of NSW Regional Wedding Caterer of the Year and NSW Caterer of the Year in 2015. It has also maintained finalist position in the Restaurant and Catering Industry Awards in 2016, 2017, and 2019. In 2020. “The Gates Restaurant” was awarded “Best Restaurant in a Winery” by the NSW Restaurant and Catering Association.
ACCOMMODATION
THE GATEHOUSE & VILLAS
Leogate Estate presently offers wine club members and guests the opportunity to stay in the Hunter Valley with the access to booking “The Gatehouse” residence, which is a 4-bedroom homestead located on Brokenback Vineyard on an elevated ridge which overlooks the entire estate and Brokenback Vineyard.
“The Gatehouse” is elegantly decorated and as distinctive as the Leogate Estate Wines, with an effortlessly luxurious ambience that makes it the perfect retreat for bridal parties, corporate guests, and wine club members.
Leogate Estate also has recently completed 20 luxury single bedroom villas and a Conference Centre which overlook the Chardonnay vines and have convenient access to the restaurant and all Leogate Estate facilities, as well as easy access into the centre of Pokolbin and wine country.
JAMES HALLIDAY
RED 5 STAR WINERY
(2012 - 2025)
Parties
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