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About
Tucked away in Australia’s south-west corner just 4km from Margaret River’s town centre and an equal distance from the magnificent coastline, Xanadu has a long history of crafting outstanding wines that embody all the region has to offer.
One of the region’s first vineyards established in 1977 by Dr John Lagan, and now one of the country’s most acclaimed wineries, Xanadu is a true reflection of its idyllic setting and poetic namesake.
Early Days
Xanadu was established by Dr John Lagan, an Irishman who arrived in Margaret River in 1968 with his wife Eithne and was inspired by the pioneering spirit of the region. At the time, the potential of Margaret River as one of the world’s finest wine-producing regions was only just being considered. Less than a decade on in 1977, the couple planted their first vines, establishing one of the region’s earliest vineyards. Lovers of literature will remember Xanadu as Samuel Coleridge’s mysterious, idyllic, exotic city; home of Kubla Khan. A literary enthusiast, Dr Lagan drew parallels between Coleridge’s vision of utopia and his newly adopted home, and thus the name Xanadu was born.True to its poetic namesake, Xanadu is in an idyllic setting where the now 65 hectares of vine on the original estate flourish in the rich, free-draining soils of the Margaret River region. In this unique maritime climate, vines enjoy an abundant supply of water sheltered by forests of magnificent marri (gum) trees.
More Recently
Over the last 40 years, there has been major investment in modern winemaking technology. A state of the art restaurant and cellar door was also constructed in the early 2000s with extensive use of local granite and gneissic rock excavated during the planting of the original Lagan vineyard. The expansion culminated in Xanadu being listed on the ASX in 2001. After their success at Yering Station and Mount Langi Ghiran, the Rathbone family looked to Margaret River as one of the great wine regions of Australia driven by Darren Rathbone’s love of Cabernet Sauvignon. The family recognised the potential of Xanadu as having the combination of great viticulture, winemaking and tourism facilities and ultimately purchased it in 2005. It was at this time that winemaker Glenn Goodall stepped into the role of Senior Winemaker after having been with the team since 1999.
The clear direction under Rathbone ownership was to focus on quality. Winemaker Glenn Goodall joined Xanadu in 1999 and took on the role of Senior Winemaker in early 2005. His passion and dedication for the vineyards and the wines, and a commitment to encouraging a strong team spirit, has allowed Xanadu to thrive. Glenn considers his role is often more about being the custodian of the vineyards, and what the individual sites have to offer. His philosophy is to guide the wines through to the bottle, rather than ‘beating them into submission’.
Xanadu continues to be a family owned and operated winery dedicated to producing wines of quality and distinction that reflect the true characteristics of the Margaret River region.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land from which we source our fruit, the Wadandi people.
