Mount Langi Ghiran Wines- A Story Worth Telling

The journey of Mount Langi Ghiran Wines started with Fratins, an Italian immigrant family. They cleared the land which they had and the three brothers Don, Lino and Serge Fratins replanted the vines paving the way for “Langi” Old Block Shiraz vineyard. Their Initial years to produce wine was successful but the 1980 vintage was far from perfect. In search of someone who had comprehensive knowledge of winemaking, they found Trevor Mast, leading wine consultant at that time. His skills proved useful for the success of Fratins 1981 vintage. Later, Trevor and his wife along with Ian Menzies purchased Mount Langi Ghiran. It was in 2002 that Rathbone family wanted to purchase a winery to expand its wine business. They were looking for a winery that specialized in one specific grape variety and which was located at a premium wine region when they came across Mount Langi Ghiran. It satisfied all their requirements and the winery was soon purchased by them.

 In 2004, Dan Buckle took the position as the chief winemaker but was soon replaced by Kate Petering. Currently, Ben Haines is the Chief Winemaker at the winery. Previously he has worked at Mitchelton Wines and Yering Station Winery.

Vineyards

The vineyards are located at the base of Mt Langi Ghiran which is 350m above sea level. Total vineyards are spread over 80 hectares, 80% of which is Shiraz and the remaining includes other grape varieties Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon in red and Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Gris in white grape varieties.

Farming Practices

At the winery, to prevent plant diseases, Sulphur is used to protect vines from the attack of powdery mildew. Special moisture monitoring technology is employed with which moisture of the soil can be calculated and irrigation is done thereafter to reduce water wastage. The grass is grown around property and trees planted to conserve the natural habit around the winery and ‘billabongs’ (water body) created to conserve aquatic life.

Iconic Wines

·         Mast – These wines have been awarded highly by wine critics like James Halliday and Campbell Mattinson. 2012 vintage scored 98 points by Halliday.

·         Langi – 2014 Langi Shiraz scored 98 points in 2017 James Halliday Wine Companion.

Awards and Recognition

In 1990’s, ’94 vintage of Langi Shiraz got wide recognition when it, along with Penfolds Grange and Henschke’s Mount Edelstone Shiraz, was showcased on the cover of Wine Spectator Magazine. Another outstanding achievement for Langi Shiraz was when it was included in Langton’s Classification.