Paul Gordon, who has for many years been the unsung hero behind many of the top Lindemans Coonawarra wines, has moved to a higher-profile role as Chief Winemaker of The Hamilton Wine Group, owned by Dr Richard Hamilton. His arrival should do much to fast-track the recent improvements in Hamilton’s McLaren Vale red wines, and should lift the quality of Leconfield’s highly rated but frankly under-achieving reds. Gordon is not only a thoroughly decent sort of a bloke, but leaves Southcorp after 23 consecutive vintages. As a winemaker he prides himself on maintaining a ‘close relationship’ between the winery and the vineyards, and will focus constantly on the vineyard resources available to him. Perhaps his first challenge will be to revisit the viticultural practices at Leconfield, to enable this excellent vineyard live up to its undoubted potential.
