The seas smash and roll into a jutting coastline or swell and break against endless white beaches with relentless power. Westerlies and Southerlies waft and breeze or muscle it out with stupendous strength. In February the landscape is a rich cloth of gold exaggerated by the afternoon light. The land pitches and yaws along Caves Road, through immense stands of apricot-pink karri timber and past Tasman blue dams, ancient caves and generous pastures dotted with Friesian cattle and Merino sheep. Bright green vineyards stretch and undulate into the distance, cutting a swathe across dry flaxen paddocks. The Margaret River region of southwest Western Australia is one of the most ancient parts of the world, a weathered granitic island conjoined to the Australian mainland by a sedimentary basin. ‘Our mission is to produce wines that rank with the best in the world through the pursuit of excellence.’ Denis Horgan, Founder and co-proprietor (with Tricia Horgan) of Leeuwin Estate How it all Began During the 1960s Margaret River was still an isolated backwater 300 kilometres south of Perth. Throughout the 19 th and early 20 th century, the region developed primarily as logging and dairying country. The left-hand breaks were notorious among surfies. The beautiful natural environment also attracted young people in search of a free-spirited lifestyle. The unfolding social demography of the region foreshadowed an emerging community aspiration for sustainable living. Although it took a while for local farmers to fully accept change, the development of a wine industry has played an important role in harmonising outlooks and bringing economic prosperity to the region. A 1955 visit to Western Australia by Dr Harold Olmo, professor of viticulture at the University of California’s Davis Campus, led to a “A Survey of the Grape Industry of Western Australia”. The report was largely ignored by the State Government but it was noticed by State Viticulturalist Bill Jamieson and scientist Dr John Gladstones. Although Olmo had championed the potential of Frankland River, Gladstones, of the University of Western Australia, went one step
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The Vintage Journal – Great Estates Series
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