Lane: Down here in southwest Western Australia, we’re lucky that climate change is relatively mitigated. We continue to build our sustainability program, our soil health with a few changes like livestock rotation. Since 2021 we’ve run compost programs, banding compost undervine, mostly in heritage Chardonnay blocks which helps to conserve moisture, build soil profiles, and drive life in the microbial importance of the soil. It’s an ethos of ecological health across the property. Sustainability can be a buzzword, but the planting of forests is a legacy of David Winstanley, and something I am continuing. This week we’re planting native species at the end of every row to bring in beneficial insects, so from large forests to individual plantings, all these things are little pieces of the puzzle, with the big puzzle being the overall ecological health of the property. When we’ve got that right, we are going to see ecological health in the soil, in the fruit and in the wine ‒ we are seeing better numbers, more life in the wine, and an overall energy in the property driven by soil health and our sustainability ethos. For example, in Block 20 and Block 22 which are our two key heritage Chardonnay blocks, introducing our composting program has given those two vineyards an extra lease of life. It is a big commitment, fiscally, we are not seeing a big jump in yields, but we are seeing a jump in vine health. At the same time, in our pruning we are looking to lay more wood down, to turn these 50-year-old vines into 150-year-old vines. They are the original and oldest plantings of Gin-Gin in Margaret River. Phil: We look for the one percenters. If you do one hundred of those, it is one hundred percent better. It doesn’t always happen each year. What Lane is doing with the compost regime takes time, but we are seeing that really coming through over the last 5 years, the vines look healthier and provide greater clarity of fruit. It is a very healthy ecosystem. At the same time, we want to follow the style we are known for, because CODE13167 Now in its 53rd year, there has been a generational change at Leeuwin Estate, with the recent appointments of Phil Hutchison to Senior Winemaker, and Lane Williams to Head Viticulturist. Though they claim to be ‘newbies’ at Leeuwin compared with the ‘old hands’, they have been at Leeuwin for 16 years and 15 years respectively, and deeply involved in the continuing journey of the pursuit of excellence in the ‘Art of Fine Wine’. We talked with them to fill out their profile, and found they are not only on the same page and working in the same office, but also their work is interwoven in both the vineyard and winery. It was a fascinating conversation about the past, present and future of Leeuwin Estate. 〈Interviewer: Dion Lenting (Kiwi Copy) ‒ July 2026〉Leeuwin EstateSiblings Sauvignon Blanc 2024(Screw Cap)Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc 100%Alc: 13.1%CODE13499Leeuwin Estate Art Series Sauvignon Blanc 2025(Screw Cap)Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc 100%Alc: 12.8% Leeuwin Estate is one of Australia’s premier wine producers, renowned globally for its world-class Chardonnay. Founder Denis Horgan, who visited Japan annually for over 30 years, lived by two guiding principles: “If you’re going to do something, aim for the best,” and “Fine wine inspires fine food, and creates the ‘Art of Life’.” At winemaker dinners, he would often look out at the faces of guests radiating contentment as they enjoyed the exquisite food and wine, and exclaim: “You are the art!”people understand and come to rely on Leeuwin Estate not just for the quality in the bottle, but also the style. As an example of our evolution, in the heritage blocks with the greater understanding of vine health over the decades, we have changed our pruning techniques to promote more vascular flow, to get more out of the vines and continue their lineage as they age. Phil: I think all of our varietals have evolved from how they were made 20 to 30 years ago to now. We are also working with fruit from much older vines. It’s an approach to embrace the Estate, but also showcase the identity of the region as a whole. Margaret River is just over 50 years young. First and foremost our aim is to express the fruit, the purity of the aromatics and the powerful nature of flavour on the palate, and embracing that. We also want to retain the style that Leeuwin is known for ‒ Gin-Gin Chardonnay which is naturally and inherently powerful, has beautiful aromatics and great generosity, but also the ability to age due to the lovely acid retention and freshness, not just of the clone, but also the Mediterranean climate and the maritime influence that provides a beautiful, measured ripening period. So we want to embrace that. Over time we’ve maintained the Art Series Chardonnay which is 100 percent barrel fermented in 100 percent new French oak, no malolactic fermentation because we want to preserve the natural fruit aromas and flavours, but also retain that natural acidity to give direction and focus. We continue to refine our harvest and winemaking processes. All fruit is handpicked, with 70 percent crushed fruit that I’ll leave in the press on skin contact in inert conditions to give it more body and dimension, and also phenolic tension that helps drive the palate throughout its journey. The remaining 30 CODE13408Leeuwin EstatePrelude VineyardsChardonnay 2024(Screw Cap)Varietal: Chardonnay 100%Alc: 14.1%Village Cellars Wine Catalogue 2026AutumnHow are you evolving in the vineyard?RRP￥3,600How are you approaching your journey of refinement in the winery?－10－RRP￥4,800Gin-gin cloneRRP￥6,000Respecting the legacy of previous stewardswhile continuing to innovate for the future.Our feature story: Leeuwin Estate （Margaret River, Western Australia）Phil Hutchison (Senior Winemaker)Lane Williams (Head Viticulturist)●●●
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