Cellar Profile
In 1980, the Leask family moved from the Hunter Valley to McLaren Vale, in Southeast Australia. They have since purchased several vineyards through the hilly, iconic region, allowing brothers Malcolm and Richard to finally open their own winery. The vineyards sit upon mineral-rich reddish-brown loam and clay soils, with quartzite and sand. These iconic reddish soils are high in iron content, imparting a savoury, umami note to a lot of the wines. While the days get quite warm during the growing season, there is a strong ocean breeze from the nearby Gulf of Saint Vincent, which also drops the temperature markedly during the evening, allowing the grapes to cool and maintaining freshness in the wines. In the vineyard, H&Y practices Regenerative Agriculture, working the vineyards in such a way as to help reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity. With a preference for Mediterranean and Iberian Peninsula varieties, they offer an eclectic collection of wines including Tempranillo, Nero d’Avola, Touriga Nacional, Aglianico, Malbec and Carignan.
Region
McLaren Vale is located in South Australia, approximately 35 km south of Adelaide. Nestled between the Mount Lofty Ranges to the east and Gulf St Vincent to the west, it is part of the larger Fleurieu Zone and is one of the country's oldest and most celebrated wine regions, with viticulture dating back to the 1830s. Red grapes represent almost 75% of the area under vine, including Shiraz (approximately half of total plantings), Grenache and Mataro (Mourvèdre). The region boasts a Mediterranean climate, with moderate winter rainfall, warm dry summers ideal for ripening and cool sea breezes from the Gulf St Vincent that help retain acidity in the grapes. The region’s geology is among the most diverse and complex in Australia, with over 40 distinct soil types, contributing to vineyard diversity and wine character. These are wines with concentrated fruit flavors, ripe tannins and balanced natural acidity. McLaren Vale is a leader in sustainable viticulture in Australia, with strong adoption of organic, biodynamic and minimal-intervention practices.