Partners In Wine WA Review: The 2021 is very different to previous vintages. Very little Oak influence compared with 2018 & 2019 vintages. This is all about the fruit!

Woody Nook Wines

The land now home to Woody Nook Wines was once occupied by a sawmill and sleeper cutters. In 1978, Jeff and Wynn Gallagher saw the potential in the property for a vineyard and began the challenging task of clearing and preparing the land. They planted their first cuttings in 1982, and the inaugural crush took place in 1987, with the winery building completed the year before. Constructed from timber and mud bricks sourced from the property, the original winery and their new home were built by the Gallaghers themselves. Today, around 60 acres of jarrah and marri forest provide a stunning backdrop to the winery and restaurant.

In late 1999, Jeff and Wynn decided to retire to Busselton and put Woody Nook on the market. By May 2000, Peter and Jane Bailey became the proud new owners. Jeff and Wynn’s son, Neil Gallagher, continued as Winemaker and Viticulturist until his retirement in 2020. Jeff passed away peacefully in Busselton in March 2019 at the age of 89, followed by Wynn in May 2021.

Though Peter and Jane had been living in WA for nearly 20 years, they were residing in the USA at the time of purchase. Thanks to modern technology, they were able to stay deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of the winery, with Jane making regular extended visits. In September 2007, after nearly 15 years abroad, the Baileys returned to Western Australia permanently.

Woody Nook now boasts around 17 hectares of vines. About half of these, in the original vineyard, are non-irrigated and handpicked, featuring varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon, and Cabernet Franc. The newer 8-hectare vineyard, planted with rootlings in 2007, produced its first substantial vintage in 2010, adding Tempranillo and Graciano to the mix. This area is irrigated until the vines mature and is currently machine-picked. From a production of 4-5,000 cases over the past decade, output had nearly doubled by 2012. With a crush capacity of 75-100 tonnes, Woody Nook remains firmly within the bounds of a genuine boutique winery.

Woody Nook Wines was pleased to welcome Digby Leddin as chief winemaker, who commenced on 12 October 2020 following the recent retirement of Neil Gallagher. Neil, the son of the founders Wynn and the late Jeff Gallagher, stayed on following the purchase of Woody Nook Wines by the Baileys in 2000. Digby joins us from Riverbank Estate in Caversham where he achieved great accolades for the four vintages of his tenure. Prior to this, Digby’s career developed over a 20-year period with Lamont’s Winery in the Swan Valley, initially as Viticulturist and Cellarhand followed by promotion to Winemaker in 2003, a position he held until 2016. Digby is now the man at the helm to continue bringing you the outstanding Woody Nook Woodcote Chenin Blanc each year.

To keep up to date with the latest Woody Nook wine reviews then see the listings from Ray Jordan.

Wine Folly information on the Woody Nook range is Here.

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