It was Napa Valley icon, Robert Mondavi, who first identified the future site of the Leeuwin vineyard in 1972, following an extensive search for the area most suitable to produce the best varietal wines in Australia. With Mondavi providing early mentorship, Denis and Tricia Horgan began the transformation of their cattle farm, establishing Leeuwin Estate in 1973. Leeuwin Estate was established with the ambition of: “Producing wines that rank with the best in the world through the pursuit of Excellence.” A nursery was planted in 1972 and the initial vineyards were planted by hand over a five year period commencing 1973. The winery building, featuring state-of-the-art winemaking facilities, was opened in 1978 and the first commercial vintage was in 1979. With the emphasis on quality rather than quantity, yields at Leeuwin are kept low. The Estate produces only 0.06% of Australia’s wine. Enjoying an isolated and pristine natural environment, the emphasis of Leeuwin’s viticultural practice is sustainable and low interventionist, as the team of highly skilled winemakers produce wines ranking alongside the world's finest.