Leigh Clarnette (OW1974) grew up in a household that frowned on the consumption of alcohol. The irony that he has enjoyed a lifetime in the wine industry is lost on no-one, least of all his 97-year-old father, who Leigh has trained to drink (and enjoy!) wine.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Leigh began his career in the Yarra Valley at Miller’s Chateau (now De Bortoli Wines) in 1984, when wine making in the area was in its infancy. Having graduated from Roseworthy College in South Australia, he said coming back to Victoria and commencing his career as a winemaker in the Yarra Valley 'was a privilege'.
In 1987, Leigh was lured to Tarrawarra Estate, where he spent four years making chardonnay and pinot noir, which would be used by Domaine Chandon (as it was known then) to produce their crisp Australian sparkling. In the early 1990s, Leigh crossed the border into South Australia and joined Padthaway Estate, where he continued making pinot noir and chardonnay.
It was here that Leigh made sparkling with Australia’s first traditional champagne press, housed in a refurbished woolshed.
In 1993, Leigh returned to Seppelts where he spent the next six years. For him, those years were 'winemaking heaven'. Some of the best shiraz was being made at Seppelts during this period, including the prize-winning Chalambar Shiraz and the Great Western Shiraz.
In 1999, Leigh set off to Nagambie to establish an advanced bottling facility for McPherson Wines then in 2002, he returned to winemaking at Taltarni, the Pyrenees, where he stayed until the birth of Clarnette and Ludvigsen which he established in 2007 with viticulturalist Kym Ludvigsen.
Leigh and Kym’s friendship began in 1993 when they were working together at Seppelt, Great Western. It was during a business trip to Tasmania that their friendship was formed over a passion for wine. In the years that followed, the duo travelled to vineyards across the country, experiencing the best wine Australia had to offer.
It was a match made in heaven: Kym gave Leigh new insight into the art of growing grapes and Leigh, with this new perspective, redefined his winemaking. The core ingredients to any great wine are a carefully curated crop and an attentive winemaker. A partnership in business was inevitable, and so, Clarnette and Ludvigsen Wines was born.
The business model was simple. Kym grew the grapes at Ludvigsen Vineyard in Great Western, and Leigh made the wine. Together the pair became known for their rich and generous Grampians Shiraz. With the passing of Kym in 2013, Leigh continued to make wines for Clarnette and Ludvigsen, sourcing grapes from the vineyard that Kym had so carefully tended for many years. In 2022, Clarnette and Ludvigsen phoenixed into Clarnette Wines.
Clarnette Wines is a new adventure for Leigh, sourcing grapes from all over the Grampians and Pyrenees wine regions, letting his creativity run wild and introducing new varietals that the Clarnette label has never seen before, with a focus on small, handcrafted wines.
These days, Leigh is a semi-retired winemaker, focusing on shiraz, riesling with tempranillo and rose. The first two wines are well known by the district. In his spare time, Leigh plays golf wherever he can and is looking to travel throughout the next decade. He lives in Ballarat with his wife Karen. They have three boys and two grandsons, with another on the way!
Leigh is happy to offer the Wesley community a 20% discount when buying online at clarnettewines.com.au
Be sure to quote 'WES74' at the checkout.
