A NEW wine brand is set to launch in the Hunter Valley after a fifth generation member of one of Australia's best-known winemaking families secured a vineyard site in Pokolbin.
David McWilliam, whose family previously owned and operated McWilliam's Wines and Mount Pleasant Wines, recently settled on the sale of two lots in the Black Cluster vineyard on Mistletoe Lane.
Listing agent Dan Jurds of Jurds Real Estate oversaw the $4.25 million sale.
Mr Williams' acquisition of the vineyard will see the launch of his own premium wine label, David McWilliam Wines.
"David McWilliam was a part of the McWilliam family which owned Mount Pleasant and he is now looking to get back into the wine industry," Mr Jurd said.
In 2021, Calabria Family Wines and the Medich Family Office took ownership of McWilliam's Wines and Mount Pleasant Wines in a $50 million deal after the McWilliam's Wines Group went into voluntary administration in February 2020.
The two lots span around 235 acres of the Black Cluster vineyard previously owned by Hunter Valley wine identities Bill and Vicki Widin of Pokolbin winery, Leogate Estate.
The couple secured the 350-acre Black Cluster vineyard in 2020.
The purchase was made from Chinese interests which in 2014 bought the land with its plantings of shiraz and semillon vines.
The vineyards were planted in 1968.
According to Mr Jurd, the Widins bought the site as a restoration project after its previous owner, Chinese company Virgo, left it in poor condition.
"There were four blocks in total," the agent said.
"Bill Widin, who owns Leogate, has spent over $2 million bringing it back to life and improving the vineyard which he did a really good job of.
"He is looking to downsize some of his vineyard holdings and he was happy to see it go to a local buyer."
The properties included a weatherboard farm cottage, a lock-up machinery shed, open bay machinery shed and a large dam.
The remaining Lot 1 and Lot 3 Mistletoe Lane sites are yet to find a buyer.
"Lot 1 has some of the best of the shiraz in the Hunter," he said.
"Lot 3 has one of the best elevated views in Pokolbin, and the only other vineyard that has that view is Audrey Wilkinson."
The Black Cluster vineyard was originally owned by Wyndham Estate and then the French Orlando Group.
The name of the vineyard originated in 1835 when George Wyndham crushed his first vintage and penned the following entry into his diary: 'Began my vintage. Filled the pipe with the must of the Black Cluster'.
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