Tag: Pinot Noir

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.

Henschke

The Henschke family have been making wine in Keyneton in the Eden Valley in South Australia for 150 years. Their wines include Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone, two of the most sought after Australian Shiraz wines. In this post we concentrate on some of their other wines tasted at a recent visit.

The wines of Henschke are superb, reflecting the care and attention in both the vineyard and winery. They are well worth searching out.

You can view the Henschke website here

Julius Eden Valley Riesling 2017

Pale lime in appearance. Fresh and zingy with bags of lime citrus fruit and great minerality. A nice weight and a good finish. Excellent.

Eleanors Cottage Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Adelaide Hills/Eden Valley 2015

Aromas of gooseberry, fresh grass/nettle and stone fruit. Palate is full and fresh. Nice weight, lovely balance. Delicious.

Louis Semillon Eden Valley 2015

Aromas of pear, apple and camembert. Palate has nice weight and balance with stone fruits and lime citrus on the finish.

Archers Vineyard Chardonnay Adelaide Hills 2016

Lemon citrus with a touch of vanilla and almond, crisp and fresh. Has spent 8 months in oak and no malolactic fermentation. Very nice, very drinkable

Giles Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills 2015

Very pale but bursting with aromas of cherry, strawberry and cranberry. Palate has these red fruits with lovely touch of spice and savoury flavours. Excellent.

Henry Seven Eden Valley/Barossa Valley 2015

65% Shiraz, 20% Grenache, 10% Mataro, 7% Viognier. Aromas of red berry fruits and cherry. A medium bodied wine with lovely peppery, spicy red fruit on the palate. Easy drinking king style. A good all rounder.

Johann’s Garden Barossa Valley 2015

70% Grenache, 25% Mataro, 5% Shiraz. Ruby red in colour. Medium bodied with red fruits and spice. A lovely finish of red fruit with white pepper.

Keyneton Euphonium Barossa Valley/Eden Valley 2013

45% Shiraz, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Red/garnet in appearance. Full bodied with ripe, plummy fruit. There is a savoury note and chocolate along with a touch of mint. A rich wine with tannins beginning to soften. This is excellent.

Marble Angel Barossa Valley 2012.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon and is the first vintage of this wine released on to the market. Still youthful in appearance. Nose is black fruits, green pepper and eucalyptus. Palate is full and rich with tannins that are beginning to integrate.

Cyril Hanschke Cabernet Sauvignon Eden Valley 2013

88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot. Youthful with hints of maturity beginning to show. N one is black fruits, plum and vanilla. Palate has depth nd is complex with nice balance and weight. Finish is dry with blackcurrant and a hint of cooling mint. A long life ahead of it before peaking. Excellent.

Tappa Pass Shiraz Eden Valley/Barossa Valley 2015

Youthful appearance. Black fruits, farms and peppery. Palate is smooth with plummy black fruits and chocolate. Tannins still firm. A complex wine that delivers a big punch and has great balance. A very good shiraz that will benefit from cellaring.

Noble Rot Semillon Eden Valley 2015

157g/l residual sugar. Pale yellow gold in appearance. Aromas of apricot and peach with orange and caramel. Palate is rich with tropical pineapple and honey and great balance. Very nice.

 

Greystone/Muddy Water

Greystone wines purchased Muddy Water in 2011 when the owners retired. The two sites couldn’t be any more different. Greystone is much bigger at 37 hectares and is on limestone. Muddy Water, on the other hand, is only 12 hectares and is on a clay substrate. The wine making philosophy however is very similar, both estates are certified organic and there is a philosophy of creating the best wines possible from the different terroirs.

Greystone Sauvignon Blanc 2017

Barrel fermented in old French oak. Wild fermentation. A very Loire Valley style of Sauvignon. Gentle gooseberry, nettle and delicate stone fruit. This wine is nicely balanced and has a good finish.

Muddy Water Estate Chardonnay 2015

A very nice lighter style of chardonnay which exhibits some lovely citrus fruit. Quite mineral in character.

Greystone Chardonnay 2016

A richer style of chardonnay with tropical fruit and fully integrated oak giving a nice balance to the wine. A good citrus finish.

Greystone Sand Dollar Pinot Gris 2016

Tropical and stone fruit abound in a wine which has a lovely balance of fruit and acidity. The finish is dry and lingers with subtle tropical fruit.

Greystone Sea Star Riesling 2016

A lovely bone dry style of Riesling with herby notes and apricot stone fruit. The wine has lovely texture and is well balanced. Very nice.

Greystone Riesling 2017

Off dry in style this wine is full of fresh flowers, tropical fruits and limes. There palate is rich but with crisp acidity. A very nice Riesling indeed.

Greystone Gewurtztraminer 2015

Aromas of herbs, flowers and lime make this a very appealing wine. The palate has spicy tropical fruit with a splash of Turkish delight. Another success, very drinkable indeed.

Muddy Water Estate Pinot Noir 2016

Aromas of cherry, red berry fruits and violets. The palate has cherries and red fruits with a subtle earthy element. Tannins have some grip but this is drinking well.

Greystone Pinot Noir 2016

Nose opens out to give dark cherry and vanilla. A more complex offering than the Muddy Water and perhaps with better potential to age. There are savoury notes and a nice red berry finish.

Muddy Water Estate Pinotage 2016

Aromas of black fruits, vanilla and tar. The palate has depth with soft black plummy fruit. it is smokey and savoury and nicely balanced. Very nice and a rare find in New Zealand.

Greystone Basket Star 2013 (167g/l residual sugar)

Gold in appearance. Light, fresh aromas of apricot and orange. Palate has great balance with caramelised oranges and a touch of honey. A wine of great pleasure.

Muddy Water Estate Sugar Daddy Riesling 2016 (108g/l)

Rich and complex with honey, oranges and caramel. It has great depth and richness  and is well balanced, it is a wine to savour.