The Wine Journal 2023

‘LEEUWIN ESTATE IS ALL ABOUT FINE WINE, MUSIC, THE ARTS AND GREAT FOOD. WE WANT TO BRING ALIVE EVERYTHING AROUND OUR WINES AND HAVE PEOPLE COME DOWN HERE TO ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE.’ Simone Furlong, Joint CEO, Leeuwin Estate Margaret River Promise The promise of Margaret River as a premium wine region was realised early. Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon (1982 and 1983) won the Royal Melbourne Wine Show’s prestigious Jimmy Watson Trophy twice, in succession. During the mid 1980s this trophy guaranteed sell-out sales in Australia’s major commercial wine markets. This validation of quality also brought considerable focus and new investment to the region as newcomers tried their luck. Leeuwin Estate’s own success in London for its Art Series Chardonnay in the early 1980s also foreshadowed a long and consistent export market in the United Kingdom. But it was the astonishing success of the 1987 vintage that added an extra level of sophistication surrounding Margaret River Chardonnay. The region’s extensive plantings of ‘Gingin’ clone chardonnay is in part a result of Leeuwin’s successful track record in the vineyard and the marketplace. During the 1980s and 1990s Australian wine merchants and distributors assisted Leeuwin Estate in building support and recognition in the retail and hospitality

8 The Wine Journal – 2023 Leeuwin Estate Art Gallery