Category: Wine

Tamar Valley Wine Route

The Tamar River can be found north of Tasmania second city of Launceston. It flows for over 60km towards the Bass Straits and is home to some of the islands best wines. To create a circular route for visitors the Tamar Valley wine region has been combined with the Pipers Brook region to the east and it makes for a pleasant day either self guided or by joining a tour from Launceston.

Some Wine Facts

  • The Tamar Valley is Australia’s oldest wine region with vines first established in 1823 by former convict Bartholomew Broughton.
  • The modern vineyards began to be established in the 1970s
  • The climate here is best described as maritime with warm summers and cool winters, ideal for making cool climate wines.
  • 40% of Tasmania’s premium wines are made in the Tamar Valley and 19% in Piper’s Brook.
  • Pipers Brook region is known to produce Australia’s best sparkling wines.
  • The principal grape varieties grown are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris.
  • The wine route is around 170km and is marked by a yellow sign with a blue bunch of grapes.
  • There are over 30 cellar doors to visit but some may require an appointment so it is as well to check beforehand.

We followed the route anticlockwise from Launceston, mainly so that we could hit the sparkling wine producers in Pipers Brook in the morning rather than later in the day after we’d been tasting red wines. The route is easy to follow and is well marked once you have left the city. Departing Launceston on the A8 we made a right turn onto the B81 and headed for the town of Lebrina. There are far too many cellar doors to visit in a single day so a little pre planning is a good idea. A map of the route and list of wineries is available here.

First up for us was Clover Hill (60 Clover Hill Road, Lebrina), an estate which specialises in the production of sparkling wines made in the traditional way. The property was established in 1986 and produced its first vintage in 1991. Six sparkling wines available to taste and I particularly enjoyed the Vintage Brut 2013, a blend of Chardonnay (63%), Pinot Noir (31%) and Pinot Meunier (6%), which was elegant with some lovely toasty notes and good length. The Vintage Rose 2015 was also rather delicious with some delicate and elegant strawberry fruit.

Next up was Jansz (1216B Pipers Brook Road), a producer whose entry level wines are readily available in the UK. Two tastings are available here with a small charge for the top wines which is waved if you make a wine purchase. We opted for the full range and it was well worth it, these were some of the best wines we tasted.The Premium Cuvee represents excellent value for money, a 60% Chardonnay 40% Pinot Noir blend it is delicate with lovely texture and a long lingering finish. However my personal favourite was the Late Disgorged Vintage Cuvee 2011, a blend of 56% Chardonnay and 44% Pinot Noir. An elegant wine with richness and complexity. It has an incredibly long nutty finish.

Next door to Jansz is Pipers Brook Vineyard (1216 Pipers Brook Road) where we sampled some very fine Riesling 2018 and a lighter style Gewurtztraminer 2019 which had lovely delicate Turkish delight and floral notes.

We had then hoped to visit the Bay of Fires Winery (40 Baxters Road, Pipers River) but despite dialling the number given on the cellar door we couldn’t make contact. Nevermind there is always the next time we are in Tasmania! From here it is a rather pleasant drive over into the Tamar River valley itself crossing the modern Batman Bridge. The vines disappear as you leave the Pipers Brook region and you will not really see them again until you are on the eastern bank of the Tamar.

We started off with a visit to Holm Oak ( 11 West Bay Road, Rowella) has a comprehensive portfolio of wines. We were lucky to taste over fifteen wines and the overall quality was excellent. Particularly enjoyable whites included a 2018 Arneis, fermented in concrete egg and displaying peachy stone fruit and a nice texture. Also enjoyable were the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc and both the estate and Wizard Chardonnays. The Pinots were delightful ranging from an easy drinking Estate Pinot 2018 to a complex and ethereal 2017 Hot Shot Pinot Noir. A 2019 Cabernet Franc with a nose of red berries and violets was delightful, juicy and easy drinking.

The cellar door at Moores Hill (3343 West Tamar Hwy, Sidmouth)has a lovely location, surrounded as it is by vines. Standout here was the Chardonnay 2018, fermented in a mixture of new and old oak and aged for ten months this is everything you could want, lovely lemon citrus with subtle toasty vanilla. The Pinot Noir 2018 was cherry , delicate perfume and a gentle savoury spice. A lovely crafted wine.

Our final call of the day was to Stoney Ridge ( Hendersons Lane, Gravelly Beach) was a superb drive from Moores Hill along the banks of the Tamar. Stoney Ridge is a small 8 hectare property which is organically managed and is in a wonderful location.

Pinot Noirs here are excellent with a no sulphur Pinot which would make very fine easy drinking. The star of the show was the Holyman Pinot Noir 2017 with lovely eight and depth, elegant and complex. A fine ending to a great day out.

December at Bunch

The December tasting at Bunch Natural Wine Bar on Berry Street in Liverpool was a great way to end the year with some rather special bottles opened. The overall quality was high and these monthly tasting should be on the calendar of anon interested in low intervention wines which exhibit a true sense of place. Unfortunately I was unable to take photographs on the night so no bottle labels to accompany the notes. I’ll try better next time!

Magya Watt. Vinereuse. Gaillac. France. 2018. Marine Leys produces wines organically from five hectares in Gaillac. This is a rosé pet nat made from Gamay grapes which were hand harvested, destemmed and fermented in fibre glass. There was a short 2-3 day maceration on the skins. The wine was bottled without filtration before fermentation was completed. It has the gentlest of mousse with a lovely creamy texture and a nice touch of sweetness. Delicate strawberry fruit with just a hint of pear make this a very drinkable wine indeed.

Mad Dog. Madame Flock Wines. Mosel. Germany. 2018. Madame Flock wines is a joint venture of Robert Kane and Derek Labelle. Mad Dog is a single vineyard with vines of about 30 years old. Grapes were had picked and 30% fermented in old French oak and the remainder in stainless steel. The wine was aged for 10 months before bottling with no fining and minimum sulphur. a wine that really opens up given a few minutes in glass and a gentle swirling. Creamy and quite full with apple, apricot and a nice balance. A real grower, it got better and better.

Vita. Massa Vecchia. Tuscany. Italy. 2016. Massa Vecchia was founded in 1985 and has been certified organic since 1993. Vita is an orange wine made from 100% Malvasia di Candia.It spent two weeks on skins before being pressed into old oak barrels where it was left for a year before bottling. It then had a minimum six months before release. Golden in appearance, the wine is intense, powerful and complex with flavours of orange peel and candied fruits.The finish is incredibly long. A fantastic wine.

Rebela Rosa. Slobodne. Hlohovec. Slovakia. 2018. 50% Blauframkisch and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon which were vinified separately in old oak vats before blending and spending eight months in amphora. The aroma is quite floral with a nice touch of tarragon. The plate is round with a touch of sweetness.

Cette Main Légèrement Serrée M’a Laissé Perplexe. Anders Frederik Steen. Ardèche, France. 2018. Anders was formerly a sommelier and restaurateur in his native Denmark before his move into winemaking. He is now based in Valvignères in the Ardèche region of southern France where he makes a small range of highly individual wines. A blend of Carignan and Chardonnay aged for eight months in oak barrels then bottled without fining, filtration or the addition of sulphur. It is a medium bodied wine with lovely freshness and nice texture. Very drinkable and opens out really nicely in glass. The name translates as “the hand tightened a little too much left me perplexed”

En Remont. Julie Balagny. Beaujolais. France. 2018. Julie Balagny organically farms three hectares of vines in Fleurie from which she makes three wines; Cayenne, En Remont and Simone. She also has a small vineyard in Moulin-à-Vent. En Remont is made from old vines, hand picked, foot pressed before spending time in old oak barrels. This is serious stuff and a great expression go Gamay. Nice concentration, red fruits and hazelnuts in glorious harmony. An elegant wine with real character and a long, long finish. The wine of the evening for me.

Wines of Southern Portugal

The Algarve is Portugals most southerly wine region and is perhaps better known for its beaches, coastal scenery and golf courses than its wine. Production is tiny compared with regions such as the Duoro and Alentejo and you could easily spend time here and not see a vineyard but the wines are everywhere in restaurants and bars. There are four DOC’s (Deominação de Origem Contolada) which are Lagos, Portimão, Lagoa and Tavira.

Al-Ria Reserva 2016. Algarve. Casa Santos Lima has most of its vineyards north of Lisbon but does have some holdings in the Algarve located near the town of Tavira. This wine is a blend of Touriga Nacional and Syrah. Fermented in small stainless steel vats it then spent twelve months in French and American oak. The wine has great concentration of colour. There is masses of black fruits with a hint of mint and a nice touch of vanilla. It is rich, smooth and nicely balanced with a lingering spicey blackcurrant finish.

João Clara. Negramole. 2015. Algarve. Negramole was created over 200 years ago by crossing Pinot noir and Grenache and is is the principal grape variety in Madeira. It is a high yielding variety and there are some notable plantings in the Algarve. Quinta João Clara is located in Alcantarilha, close to the town of Silves. This is a rich wine with red berry fruits, fig and dried fruits. There is a touch of sweetness an d a delicate savoury finish

Villa Alvor Tinto. 2018. Algarve. A blend of Touring Nacional, Syrah, Aragonês (Tinta Roriz/Tempranillo) and Trincadeira. Medium bodied with soft plummy fruit and a nice dash of savoury spice. Soft, round and good value for money.

Quinta da Penina. Tinto Reserva. 2016. Algarve. Wines are produced from 22 hectares of vines at the winery near Portimão. This particular wine is a blend of Touring Nacional (55%), Aragonês (30%) and Alicante Bouschet (15%). A big and brooding wine with black fruits, vanilla, caramel and chocolate. Smooth and silky with tannins that are softening. The finish is savoury black fruits.

By contrast the Alentejo is Portugals second largest wine producing region after the Duoro with eight sub region classifications for its wine. Wines can be labelled as Alentejo DOC or Alentejano VR. The DOC wines are subject to stricter rules for their production whereas for the Alentejano classification winemakers have more freedom, especially in the grape varieties they may use. In general red wines of the region are blends which are round and soft which can be drunk young. Often described as easy drinking this does them no disservice at all, it is often exactly what you want in a wine.

Monte de Ravasqueira. Mocho Galego Signature. 2017. Alentejano. Monte de Ravasqueira is located about an hour from Lisbon where they make a large range of wines under a variety of labels. This wine is named after a small owl which is commonly found in the region. It is a blend of Aragonês, Syrah and Alicante Bouschet which has spent six months in new American oak. The wine has masses of soft black fruits with a nice touch of vanilla from the oak. it is smooth and slightly peppery with a nice balance and a touch of mint on the finish.

Monte de Ravasqueira. Guarda Rios. 2018. Alentejano. Named after the Kingfisher this wine is a blend of Aragonês, Syrah, and Alicante Bouschet. A real fruit driven, brooding wine with a nice hint of mint. This is soft and smooth with a super vanilla, plum finish.

Monte de Ravasqueira. Coutada Velha. Signature. 2018. Alentejano. A blend of Aragonez, Trincadeira, and Cabernet Sauvignon which has spent eight months in French oak. Black berry fruit, plums, pepper, savoury spice and a nice touch of vanilla from the oak. The palate is full and rich with soft tannins and a nice balance. The finish has a delicate warming spice.

Encostas de Alqueva. Granja Amareleja. 2016. Alentejo. There is lots of smokey black fruits here. The palate is round and silky with plums, spice and vanilla.

Cortes de Cima. Trincadeira. 2015. Alentejano. Fermented for two weeks in stainless steel followed by oak ageing for 8 months with 90% in French and 10% in American oak. Medium bodied with red fruits and a hint of dried herbs and a touch of spice, tannins are soft making this great glass of wine.

Quinta S. José de Peramanca. Pera Grave. 2017. Alentejano. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Aragonês and Alicante Bouschet. Youthful and bursting with rich, opulent fruit. It is perfumed and savoury with a touch of dried fruits. A long, long finish.