Our Story
History
Where did we start?
Iron Gate Estate was founded by Roger Lilliott when he purchased the land, on which Iron Gate Estate now stands, as a paddock in 1996. He planted Semillon, Verdelho and Shiraz vines the same year. Chardonnay vines were planted a year later, and more Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon the year after that.
The first vintage was in 2000 while the Mediterranean inspired cellar door and tasting area were under construction. The impressive cellar door opened in September, 2001, with imported terracotta roof and floor tiles from Spain, hand-painted tiles in the courtyard and bar by John Cliff of Newcastle University and a pair of magnificent gates, from which the Estate bears its name, made by world renowned blacksmith, Paul Simpson, from Queensland.
History
Where are we now?
In 2017, Roger handed over the reins of his family business to another family-owned business, Kuokai Investment Company. A well-respected award winning Winemaker, Geoff Broadfield, came on board as a consultant for the 2018 vintage in January, and in December 2018 , accepted the position as Iron Gate Estate’s Head Winemaker to join the new venture with The Kuokai Family.
“Our aim is to build on the bedrock of what Roger created since 2001,” says Gavin Kuo, General Manager of Iron Gate Estate. “We will respect his legacy and build on the quality and consistency of the wines and fruit produced from our vineyard. "Every Winemaker puts their own stamp on the wines produced, and Geoff’s understanding of our Hunter Valley region with 42 years of wine making experience under his belt, has taken the wine quality to a whole new level. These wines, crafted with skill, passion and commitment, have proven to be winners with our customers and club members alike.”
The high level of service, friendliness and wine knowledge provided by our staff along with our beautiful Cellar Door has to be experienced, and we look forward to welcoming you on your next visit.
#1
Where does the fruit come from
Iron Gate Estate produces wine from its own 25 acre (10 Ha) Pokolbin vineyard , in our well-appointed winery alongside the vineyard. We also purchase fruit from other premium grape-growing areas of NSW that we also process on site.
Our home vineyard is planted to the well-known Hunter white varieties of Semillon, Chardonnay and Verdelho, as well as Shiraz, Cabernet ,Tempranillo.
The Iron Gate range is comprised of wines made from grapes grown on our estate & other vineyards of the Hunter region, while the Primera range reflects the best examples of the varieties made, whether the fruit is sourced from the Hunter Valley or elsewhere.
#2
Where is the wine made
Iron Gate Estate wines are made using state-of-the-art wine-making equipment in our on-site winery, judicious use of oak and a lot of love and attention. This, combined with our winemaker’s deep knowledge of wine-making garnered from years of experience, and our youthful team, create wines that truly reflect their varietal characters, the vintage and the region from which they originate.
Gallery
