LEKO Wines
About
LEKO Wine is our Adelaide Hills sister brand and represents ‘Lenswood Koerner’.
In 2017 Damon and his wife Maddy bought a property in Lenswood, which is now home to our winery. Our family has also had a long history living and owning vineyards in the Northern hills area. Damon developed a passion for the Adelaide Hills through his 10 years as a viticulturist in the region.
The focus of LEKO is working with select vineyards primarily in Piccadilly, Balhannah and Lenswood. We work with varieties suited to the cooler climate including Chardonnay, Savagnin, Gamay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc.
2021 LEKO New Releases
2021 Leko ‘Willsmore Vineyard’ Chardonnay
Classic Piccadilly Valley – Stone fruits, purity and length
Vineyard: Willsmore Vineyard, Piccadilly
Farming: Organic
Planted: 2004
Soil type: Sandy loam on sandstone & ironstone
Picking date: March 5, 10 & 12 2021
Picking method: Hand harvested and sorted in vineyard
Skin contact: No
Processing: Crush and destemmed
Pressing: Only take free run juice
Cooling / settling: Settled off dirt and heavy solids for 24 hours
Ferment & Aging vessel: French oak Barrique for 12 months, 50% new
Filtration: No
Fining: No
Alc: 12.7%
pH: 3.22
TA: 7.5
SO2: 30F, 60T
Production: 250 dozen
Winefront review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 5 November 2022
"From the sexy Koerner bros of Clare, this is a chardonnay from their second (third, fourth?) extra project,
Very flinty scents, a green apple whiff, grapefruit juice and white balsamic lift. Similar to taste, racy and crisp, refreshing with a bit of breathy mouth-perfume (jasmine) and more of that white balsamic tang to finish. Feels refreshing and very polished, albeit you’ll have to dig the white balsamic tang. I like. Bright. Cool. Crisp."
92 Points
2021 Leko ‘Willsmore Vineyard’ Pinot Noir
Pinot… but not overdone – delicate fruit, earthy and soft tannins
Vineyard: Willsmore Vineyard, Piccadilly
Farming: Organic
Planted: 1998 (MV6) and 2001 (114)
Soil type: Sandy loam on Sandstone and soft red rock
Picking date: March 8 & 16, 2021
Picking method: Hand harvested and sorted in vineyard
Processing: Destemmed retaining 50% whole berries with no whole bunch
Fermentation: Natural ferment in open top steel fermenters, hand plunged twice daily
Time on skins: 2 weeks
Pressing: Free run and pressings combined
Settling: Settled off gross lees for 7 days
Aging vessel: 2000L Slavonian oak Foudre for 10 months, then stainless steel for 6 months
Filtration: No
Fining: No
Alc: 13.0%
pH: 3.64
TA: 5.4
SO2: 24F, 60T
Production: 415 dozen
2021 Adelaide Hills Blanc
Skin Contact Savagnin – Exotic, spicey & crisp
Vineyard: Sim's Vineyard, Lenswood
Planted: 2004
Soil type: Sandy loam on sandstone & ironstone
Picking date: March 25, 2021
Picking method: Hand harvested and sorted in vineyard
Processing: Destem retaining ~ 50% whole berries. No whole bunch
Fermentation: Natural ferment in open top steel fermenters, hand plunged twice daily
Time on skins: 20 days
Pressing: Free run and pressings combined
Settling: Settled off gross lees for 7 days
Aging vessel: Steel for 10 months
Filtration: No
Fining: No
Alc: 13.1%
pH: 3.22
TA: 7.5
SO2: 30F, 60T
Production: 275 dozen
Winefront Review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 1 June 2022
"This is mostly savagnin and a bit chardonnay and therefore has a rite of passage to Jura. Maybe. Though this is Adelaide Hills of course.
It is squelchy and crisp and chalky. Preserved lemon, pickled Japanese ginger, laid back mushroomy notes, green apple. A little minerally? Yes. It’s compact and rips along at pace, refreshing no doubt and feels interesting as an alternative expression of white wine, a little hard to put one’s finger on, but distinct in its way. Good gear."
91 Points
2021 Adelaide Hills Savagnin
Crisp, fresh Savagnin - sea spray, stone-fruits, acidity
Vineyard: Deanery Vineyard, Balhannah
Planted: 2004
Soil type: Sandy loam on sandstone & ironstone
Picking date: March 9, 2021
Picking method: Hand harvested and sorted in vineyard
Skin contact: No
Processing: Crush and destemmed
Pressing: Only take free run juice
Cooling / settling: Settled off dirt and heavy solids for 24 hours
Ferment & Aging vessel: Ceramic amphora for 2 months, steel for 8 months
Filtration: No
Fining: No
Alc: 13.1%
pH: 3.22
TA: 7.5
SO2: 30F, 60T
Production: 55 dozen
Winefront Review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 15 March 2022
"Savagnin from Adelaide Hills from Balhannah and from Leko wines, the side label outside Clare Valley for the brothers Koerner.
Lovely drink here, super saline, a little nutty, lots of waxy, lemony characters, some fennel and alpine herb notes and a cool, refreshing wash of tart, nashi pear. It’s lively and lovely, a textural white of high interest and electric crackle. Fantastic bistro wine for skolling by the glass. Right on. Drink it right now, not quite cold."
93 Points
2021 Adelaide Hills Rose
Bone Dry Rose – aromatic, spicy and great texture
Varietal: 95% Sangiovese & 5% Chardonnay
Planted: 2004
Vineyard: Deanery Vineyard, Balhannah
Soil type: Sandy loam on deep clay
Picking date: April 6, 2021
Picking method: Hand harvested and sorted in vineyard
Skin contact: none
Processing: Crush and destemmed
Pressing: Take free run and pressings
Cooling / settling: Cold settled off dirt and heavy solids for 24 hours
Ferment vessel: Ceramic Egg for 8 weeks
Aging vessel: Stainless steel on fine lees for 8 months
Filtration: No
Fining: No
Alc: 13.1
pH: 3.54
TA: 5.4
SO2: 24 F / 51 T
Production: 330 dozen
Review by MB - gourmettravellerwine.com
"From the Koerner brothers, talented younger-generation Clare Valley winemakers, this is an Adelaide Hills excursion that sits alongside their more premium offerings. However, this is no simple-feeling rosé. Sangiovese gets a splash of chardonnay and we’ve a medium weight pink wine of tart cherry, Parisian almond, saline minerality and pink grapefruity acidity. Cool, restrained with a wild edge. Downright compelling stuff."
2021 Adelaide Hills Gamay
Refined Gamay – light & bright
Vineyard: Deanery Vineyard, Balhannah
Planted: 2004
Soil type: Sandy loam on sandstone & ironstone
Picking date: March 11, 2021
Picking method: Hand harvested and sorted in vineyard
Processing: Destemmed retaining 50% whole berries with no whole bunch
Fermentation: Natural ferment in open top steel fermenters, hand plunged twice daily
Time on skins: 10 days
Pressing: Free run and pressings combined
Settling: Settled off gross lees for 7 days
Aging vessel: French Hogshead for 2 months, then stainless steel for 8 months
Filtration: No
Fining: No
Alc: 11.9%
pH: 3.41
TA: 6.7
SO2: 30F, 60T
Production: 35 dozen
2021 Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir
Pinot… but not overdone – delicate fruit, earthy and soft tannins
Vineyard: Willsmore Vineyard, Piccadilly
Farming: Organic
Planted: 1998 (MV6) and 2001 (114)
Soil type: Sandy loam on Sandstone and soft red rock
Picking date: March 8 & 16, 2021
Picking method: Hand harvested and sorted in vineyard
Processing: Destemmed retaining 50% whole berries with no whole bunch
Fermentation: Natural ferment in open top steel fermenters, hand plunged twice daily
Time on skins: 2 weeks
Pressing: Free run and pressings combined
Settling: Settled off gross lees for 7 days
Aging vessel: 2000L Slavonian oak Foudre for 10 months, then stainless steel for 6 months
Filtration: No
Fining: No
Alc: 12.4%
pH: 3.53
TA: 5.6
SO2: 25F, 66T
Production: 420 dozen
2021 Adelaide Hills Rouge
Easy drinking red – medium bodied, red fruits and spice
Vineyard: Coulter, Gower & Deanery Vineyards
Varietal: 39% Pinot Noir, 24% Sangiovese, 23% Merlot, 8% Syrah, 5% Mencia & 1% Gamay
Planted: 2000, 1996 & 1998
Soil type: Clay loam on shale soft rock and sandy loam on deep clay
Picking date: March 11, 18, 23, 30 March & 6, 8, 9 April 2021
Picking method: Hand harvested and sorted in vineyard
Processing: Destemmed retaining 50% whole berries with no whole bunch
Fermentation: Natural ferment in open top steel fermenters, hand plunged twice daily
Time on skins: 2 weeks
Pressing: Free run and pressings combined
Settling: Settled off gross lees for 7 days
Aging vessel: 2000L Slavonian oak Foudre for 7 months, then stainless steel for 5 months on fine lees
Filtration: No
Fining: No
Alc: 13.5
pH: 3.71
TA: 5.8
SO2: 26 F / 42 T
Production: 600 dozen
Winefront Review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 15 March 2022
"There’s always a couple of kinky Koerner wines, here’s one from their Leko range, combining pinot noir, sangiovese, merlot, syrah, mencia and gamay. Rouge, indeed.
Lighter, fresher expression with soft texture, silky and plush, pillowy feel, some sweet, pretty perfume and red berry fruit character to invest in, a lively, crisp finish to keep things refreshing. Beautiful, revitalising, brisk and crisp red wine here. Joyful stuff, and well done."
92 Points
(Image: LEKO Website)