Mr Mick (by Tim Adams)
Created by Tim Adams to honour Mick Knappstein
Clare Valley, South Australia
www.mrmick.com.au
Mr Mick is a new wine brand created by Tim Adams to honour his late mentor, Mick Knappstein, who gave Tim his first wine job as a cellar hand at Leasingham Winery in 1975.
Victorian wine drinkers can buy Mr Mick ‘Gela’ Sparkling Blanc de Blanc, Riesling, Rosé, Cabernet Shiraz and Shiraz.
YOU CAN BUY MR MICK WINE ONLINE HERE> OR HERE>
Mr Mick
“We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to resurrect this beautiful and historic landmark property. I began my winemaking career at Leasingham under the tutorage of Mr Mick Knappstein, so this is more of a home-coming than a new venture.”
Tim Adams, Decanter Magazine, January 2011
“Companions of the Order of Australian Wine (AWC): For services to Australian wine: Tim Adams, winemaker. You’re just starting out in wine and you land a cellar-rat job with one of the great Australian winemakers and gentlemen, Mick Knappstein. It’s 1975. The winery is the (already) historic Leasingham in Clare. Fast forward to 2010. Leasingham is no more, closed by Constellation Wines and in disrepair. The former cellar rat buys it and announces plans for a new wine range, Mr Mick’s. Happy ending. Take a bow, Tim Adams.”
Jeni Port, The Age, January 2011
“Saved by a local. One of Clare’s oldest and biggest wineries has a new owner. (…) Adams settled on the deal, becoming Leasingham’s first private owners since H.J.Heinz, of the United States bought it from the Knappstein family in 1971. Adams aims to make it a “community winery” as it was during his apprenticeship to Mick Knappstein from 1975. He says “I was Mick’s last apprentice – the last apprentice of the last private owner. He was a generous, community-minded man. He loved making wine for all sorts of people to enjoy. He cared for 130-odd growers, and hated it when Heinz cut back on buying. His wife Gela is over the moon about our news.” Adams says the winery contains some of the best, most efficient winemaking equipment on the planet – enough to process up to 5000 tonnes of grapes a year – equivalent to about 350,000 dozen bottles. The winery has storage capacity of about 4.5 million litres. Adams says he’ll focus mainly on Mr Mick, a new brand honouring his late mentor. But he’ll also offer a badly needed regional contract winemaking facility. (…). Tim Adams can’t save the name Leasingham. But he’s saved the landmark facility, given hope to local growers and kept the Clare flame burning.”
Chris Shanahan, The Canberra Times, February 2011
Mr Mick Riesling
Bargain Wine of the Week (2011 vintage)
"A new label from Tim Adams named for his mentor, Mick Knappstein. Bright, light green-yellow colour and a sharp lemon-juice aroma with mineral notes, then to a tangy, bracing palate with frisky acidity and nervy early picked style. Now to five years. 10.5 per cent alcohol. 88/100. Food Grilled garfish."
Huon Hooke, Sydney Morning Herald, December 2011
Mr Mick Rose
“Strawberry jam, pears, musk. (…).” (2011 vintage)
“Made from Pinot Gris, of all things. Strawberry jam, pears, musk. It’s soft, subtly sweet and squishy with decent acidity and a good finish. Straight forward good drinking with a subtly different flavour profile to many roses.”
Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, www.winefront.com.au, Oct 2011
