Pinot Noir is a notoriously fickle grape. With typically lower colour and tannin due to thinner skins than many other well known red grape varieties.
The variety first emerged from the history books back in 1375 when not long after Philip the Bold the Duke of Burgundy banned the Gamay grape from Burgundy in favour of Pinot Noir. But it is said to have been growing in the region some 2000 years ago when the Romans arrived.
People have made it
their noble quest in making great pinot noir having tasted it’s
best self from a bottle of tasty burgundy in a good year.
It does not give generously when it comes to yield , has a tighter pine cone shaped like bunch that does not like wet weather so can rot easily. Can become flabby and boring if grown in too warm a climate and become just a soft red wine, or in too cooler a climate can be too aggressively bitter and tart due to the higher acidity and unripe tannins.
Ask 10 winemakers how to make Pinot Noir and they will give ten even 20 answers. So how does Tasmania stand up when it comes to Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir has three styles as far as I can see ,
1/ There is the dry red soft easy uninteresting style that tends to be grown in warmer to hot regions they have alcohol on their side but would not be considered varietal pinot as its more about quaff-ability. They look more dry red that lacks any distinguishable pinot character except perhaps the lack of tannin.
2/ The more delicate red fruits and perfumed spice style: these tend to come from cooler regions don’t tend to have much flesh are more about bright acidity lifted perfume and fresh vibrant flavours. The wines may get more perfume and structure from cab mac and more weight and texture from barrel fermentation and maturation and some lees contact, possibly MLF in barrel. But the fruit spectrum is somewhat more delicate that the last style.
3/ When in a cool to
mild regions the Pinot Grape can move into red fruits with a
percentage of darker fruits. They tend to have more flesh and palate
weight and can have much more structure. The alcohol levels are
typically a little higher than the delicate style and the acidity
marginally lower. But just like the delicate style the amount of
structure and the flesh may depend on the winemakers philosophy of
extraction, carbonic maceration % and the type of oak treatment. The tannins tend to be riper than in the cooler regions.
Tasmania on the whole falls into camp no.2 . There are a few exceptions with more fuller styles being produced in parts of the Coal River being one of the dryer warmer day cooler night type climates further north away from Hobart. And parts of the upper Derwent seem to get more body as well. Clones may help with more body and flesh coming from the Pommard , MV6 and 777 even 667 and more aromatics coming from the 114 & 115. Once the winemakers get some runs on the board with clonal familiarity more and more great pinots will come out of Tassie. As they have only just scratched the surface.
My Top Ten of Tassie that I tasted. Try saying that ten times after a few drinks.
Their are many more to explore.
Bay Of Fires- Fruit sourced mostly from the Coal River Valley but with Derwent Valley and East Coast fruit this wine has much more flesh than many other Tassie examples. Rich fleshy yet still beautifully varietal with dark cherry plum and raspberries and a hint of strawberry. A great balance between flesh and bright flavours.
https://www.bayoffireswines.com.au/
Pressing Matters- Beautiful aromatic and lifted pretty red fruits the palate shows some darker cherry and flesh not as full as the Bay of Fires but just as interesting. (Stargazer is also one of the wines made by the same winemaker). These guys also make Riesling to die for if that's your thing.
https://www.pressingmatters.com.au/
Sailor Seeks Horse- From a warmer north facing site in the Huon Valley. A much more delicate style that also has a remarkable structure. The slow ripening on the vine combined with a wonderful selection of clones gives this wine a complexity that few could match. The wine will no doubt get pretty interesting and savoury as it ages. These guys will in future probably make the most interesting Pinot in Tassie. Providing the weather cooperates.
https://sailorseekshorse.com.au/sailor
Chatto- Also from the Huon on a ridge behind Sailor Seeks Horse. Jimbo has a world of experience and his hands off approach is how many of the Tassie winemakers are making their Pinots. Here the wines are a true expression of the vineyards (other regions as well) they come from but beautifully balanced with no winemaking trickery getting in the way. As I've said before like Miles Davis you have to learn all the notes to know what not to play. He also is lucky enough to travel to Burgundy to make some wine there in the second half of the year. Not sure how Daisy feels about that.
Dawson & James- From the upper Derwent off older vines of the MV6 and Pommard clones. The soils are lighter in the Upper Derwent so unlike other areas of Tasmania their is a delicacy to the fruit coming from the soil. The wine finds a balance between texture and prettiness the older vines garnering a complexity and fullness despite the soil profile. Maybe due in part to these more fleshy full clones being used. They get a suppleness to their Pinot which is hard to master and no doubt speaks of the years of experience that Smokey and Tim have. And with Pinot Noir experience counts.
Springvale- East Coast estate fruit on red soils with a mixture of Pinot Clones. The wine has full honest straight forward raspberry and dark cherry flesh with a easy drinkability. The velvety nature of the wine and the round shape in the mouth make it a pleasure to drink.
https://www.springvalewines.com/2016-pinot-noir
Glatzer-Dixon- Structured and complex. A fish out of water in this line up being very different in style but made for the long haul. The fruit is picked on tannin ripeness rather than acidity and this gives Nick options with extraction you would not attempt on fruit that is not tannin ripe. The wines are much more layered and complex and when he combines all the techniques you get a more vinous wine and less tuitty fruity. Having worked at Domaine Albert Morot no doubt he has a feel for what is possible.
https://www.gdfwinemakers.com/
Handpicked- Surprisingly aromatic and pretty but with that Hallmark Tamar profile of Raspberry and cherry. The palate has a plush honesty yet still retains a brightness, with the noticeable oak giving the wine an attractive round creaminess.
https://handpickedwines.com.au/en/2019-auburn-road-vineyard-tasmania-pinot-noir
Mt Amos- Wines from the Tamar Ridge/Devils Corner stable are in complete juxtaposition to the Glatzer-Dixon model. Here Tom picks with acidity constantly in mind. Looking for bright aromatic and expressively red fruited styles. The wines I can attest age remarkably well having sampled way to many at the vintage break up party. The honesty of the style with both red and hints of dark fruits but with noticeable acidity. The wine is probably going to be at its best in a few years.
Pooley wines in the Richmond area of the Coal River Valley. The Butchers Hill had layers of interest and darker fruits and a element of new oak that may not please purests but helped structure the wine into something interesting.
https://www.pooleywines.com.au/wine/butcher-s-hill-pinot-noir/22835/
Under The Radar Wines
Upper Derwent: Future Perfect a pinot that has texture and prettiness all with an alcohol of 12.2 %
https://www.futureperfect.vision/
Huon- Elsewhere (not so under the radar ) a pretty delicate style slightly cooler than Chatto and Sailor seeks horse although being directly behind Chatto wines.
https://www.elsewherevineyard.com.au/new-products/2016-pinot-noir
Tamar- Swinging Gate fuller style of Pinot
https://swinginggatewines.com.au/
East Coast- Boomer Creek great views great riesling and pinot.
https://boomercreekvineyard.com.au/
Coal River- Craiggow has interesting pinot same clone different soils taste the difference.
Merriworth had fuller fleshier darker fruited style pinot with an attractive supple element
https://merriworth.com.au/product/2021-estate-pinot-noir-750ml/
Pipers- Sinapius has a pretty red fruited pinot with some rhubarb elements.
https://sinapius.com.au/product/2021-close-planted-pinot-noir/
Apogee is also worth a detour
https://www.apogeetasmania.com/
WINES I DID NOT get to taste
Dr Edge
Tolpuddle
Stargazer
Giant Steps
