Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Leconfield is situated in the heart of Australia’s famous Coonawarra with its rich Terra Rosa soil over limestone providing the ideal environment for growing premium Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard was founded in 1974 by pioneering oenologist Sydney Hamilton who at 76 years of age had the ambition to produce the classic Australian red wine.

Time has validated his choice of Coonawarra as a fantastic place to do just that. Today the estate remains a family wine business owned by Dr Richard and Jette Hamilton and is planted predominantly to Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller patches of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Shiraz, Petit Verdot and complemented with the white varieties of Riesling and Chardonnay. The Hamilton family have been growing grapes and wine in South Australia since 1837.

Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon has been the flagship of Leconfield since the first release in 1977. Our philosophy is to produce a Cabernet Sauvignon displaying both depth and elegance where oak complexes and enhances the fruit but is not allowed to dominate. Several components that comprise this wine completed fermentation in French oak while the balance of the components had extra time on skins before pressing and oak maturation. Harvest occurred over a relatively short period from the 23rd to 31st March. The yields were quite low and ranged from 4.6-7.6 tonnes/ha. Oak maturation was in a blend of new and used hogsheads with several workings to soften the tannins and fill-out the flavour. The wine received one filtration before bottling on the 5th December 2016. We believe that this 2015 vintage will offer excellent cellaring opportunities over the next decade and beyond.

Following good rainfall from April 2014 to July, the August to December growing season was much drier than expected, with the 82 mm of rain that fell being just 30% of the average. The warm spring promoted early and even flowering. 70 mm rain in mid January providing an essential natural refreshment for the vines. Two warm days in early February set the vines for even and early veraison and were followed by a cooler than average conditions in late February and March. As a result ripening was slowed and, with the lower than average yields, promoted the depth and intensity of flavour that will mark 2015 as being an outstanding year in Coonawarra.

100% Oak Matured for 18 months. (34% New French oak, 8% 1 yo. French oak, 24% 2 y.o. French oak, 14% 3 y.o. French oak, 12% 4 yo French oak 8% American oak). Winery Notes

Reviews & Accolades

"Good colour; the excellent vintage has provided winemaker Paul Gordon with a full hand of cassis and mulberry to play with, and he’s played his cards well. The overall result is a medium-bodied cabernet that is already seductive, but please keep your hands off it for the first few years of what will be a long life."
95 Points - James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion