Cockfighter's Ghost

Web: http://www.poolesrock.com.au

Address:DeBeyers Road, Pokolbin NSW 2320,Australia

Enologist: Patrick Auld

History:Behind every wine is a story - and this one starts 175 years ago when Governor Macquarie detailed a group of explorers to establish an overland route to the Hunter Valley. One wild, windy night as the intrepid travelers were crossing Wollombi Brook, misfortune struck. Cockfighter, the lead horse, became bogged in river quicksand and despite all efforts, drowned. A fateful night that gave birth to the legend of Cockfighter’s Ghost.

Much later, businessman David Clarke decided to expand his Hunter Valley vineyard holdings, and in 1994 acquired a 13 hectare property on the banks of the Wollombi Brook near Broke, which he named after the phantom steed.

The Cockfighter's Ghost range is produced by Poole's Rock Wines. The philosophy behind the Cockfighter's Ghost wines is to produce single varietal wines from Australia’s finest wine regions, including of course, the Hunter. The original 8 hectare vineyard is planted to chardonnay and semillon, and a small block of old vine shiraz dating back fifty years. These estate vines are the foundation of the range which currently includes six wines - Chardonnay, Unwooded Chardonnay, Semillon, Verdelho, Shiraz and a Western Australian Pinot Noir.

Proprietor David Clarke intends that Cockfighter’s Ghost wines become benchmarks of their time. “Unlike Poole’s Rock, we chose to renovate an existing caliber vineyard. We have built a new dam, installed extensive irrigation and re-trellised the entire estate, a substantial investment that already is reflected in the quality of the initial vintages.”

Each Hunter wine is produced from prime quality grapes grown in the well drained sandy loam soils of the estate, and select vineyard sites managed by specialist individual growers. And each is made by a noted winemaker chosen by David Clarke for their specialist skills and reputation for creating definitive varietal styles. It is this unstinting commitment to varietal excellence that underpins the ongoing success of Cockfighter’s Ghost.

The existing range will soon be extended to include three premium red varietals and one white from premium South Australia appellations – a McLaren Vale Shiraz, Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale Merlot and Clare Valley Riesling.

Wines:Chardonnay, Unwooded Chardonnay, Semillon, Verdelho, Shiraz and a Western Australian Pinot Noir