There are more than 20 synonyms for the wine grape we know in Tasmania as Pinot Gris.
So many names; too often, so little personality.
But don’t write off Pinot Gris just yet, says Apogee Tasmania’s Dr Andrew Pirie.
Sometimes the variety is just badly handled in the vineyard or in the winery, adds the wine industry pioneer.
“When I worked in Alsace in the 1970s, Pinot Gris was taken very seriously,” he recalls.
“Of the 55 Grand Crus of Alsace, nine are Pinot Gris. The variety is a stalwart in the region. French authorities don’t confer the Grand Cru status lightly.”
Here in Tasmania, around six months have passed since producers picked their precious 2021 Pinot Gris.
These are still early days, but it appears the variety will be one of this year’s success stories. Some very attractive wines are now in the market, despite their recent bottling.
There’s a good diversity of styles, too. Some are labelled Pinot Gris; others Pinot Grigio. In Australia, both terms can be used.
The variety can also provide great fragrance and texture to field blends and proprietary labels like Stargazer’s Tupelo wine.
Apogee, Bay of Fires and Bream Creek wines have all left good impressions this vintage. So, too, Devil’s Corner, Gala Estate, Holm Oak, Hughes & Hughes, Josef Chromy, La Villa, Pooley and Spring Vale.
Brown Family Wine Group winemaker Tom Wallace has already hit paydirt on the national wine show circuit. His 2021 Devil’s Corner Pinot Grigio won the only gold medal in its class at the Royal Perth Wine Awards.
Andrew Pirie.
“It’s been an amazingly consistent wine over the years and the 2021 has come up really well,” he says.
“Vintage 2021 takes me back to some of the really great years in Tasmania when right from the start the wines were fantastic to drink,” Pirie notes.
“I can recall 1982 being such a year. We often get floral characters in our Pinot Gris, along with pear and minerally elements. In 2021, our Alto wine has a really lifted Turkish delight character to complement the floral notes, so it’s a very pretty wine.
“It’s also a wine of 13.5 percent alcohol. Deciding on picking days is so tricky with Pinot Gris. Miss optimum ripeness by a day or two and you get a wine of 14.5 percent alcohol. That’s getting up there for a white wine you want to enjoy with food.”
What’s remarkable about special sites like Apogee at Lebrina – and those in Alsace – is that well-made Pinot Gris is eminently ageworthy.
Pirie’s 2013 and 2016 Alto Pinot Gris wines are both riding high in the saddle at the moment. Both are capable of journeying a good deal further along their roads to maturity.
Interestingly, these same vintages are currently available for purchase from Grey Sands at Glengarry. Owners Rita and Bob Richter believe Pinot Gris has given their brand great support over the years, becoming an integral part of the vineyard’s raison d’etre – creating ‘Tasmanian wines that last.’
“We lived for a time in the UK and some of the Pinot Gris we tried in Alsace were just fantastic,” Bob says.
“Not so much fruity, but interesting and savoury. That’s what we’re keen on doing here, producing wines with a difference. Wines that challenge and excite the senses.”
Not everyone wants to be challenged by their wines, but there’s little doubt we will all see some exciting, food-friendly Pinot Gris from around Tasmania during coming months.
Spring in the vines
Pinot Gris is likely to play a small but significant role in this month’s inaugural Spring in the Vines Festival conducted by Wine South Tasmania.
The festival runs from Tuesday 26 October until Sunday 31 October and precedes a long weekend in northern Tasmania.
Wine South is a wine marketing group representing producers from the Huon Valley/Channel/Bruny Island, Coal River Valley, Derwent Valley, Tasman Peninsula and Southern Midlands.
The six-day extravaganza will take place across a selection of venues.
According to Wine South president Keira O’Brien, Spring in the Vines will be more than just another vineyard open weekend.
“Our web site lists 35 industry participants so far, some of whom are negociant producers that don’t have a vineyard, winery or cellar door of their own,” she says.
“They’ll be partnering various licensed venues. In addition to our cornerstone open vineyard weekend, there will be other wine-related experiences. These will include bar takeovers, gourmet dinners and special producer-initiated activities such as vineyard feasts, barrel tastings, vineyard walks, and live music performances.”
A ticketed launch event will take place in Hobart on Thursday 28 October (5:00pm-7:00pm) at The Lounge by Frogmore Creek. Tickets for the waterfront soirée cost $85 and are limited to 100 guests.
Wines and canapes showcasing the extraordinary quality of southern Tasmanian produce will offer an exclusive preview of what’s on offer during the festival.
Art, music, food and wine experiences all take centre stage at Wobbly Boot Vineyard on Sunday 31 October. Ticketed entry is required but there is no charge for admission.
The Coal River Valley producer will be showcasing the creative talent of award-winning Tasmanian wildlife artist, Vanessa Richardson. Works on display will comprise feature prints and paintings of some of Tasmania’s most vulnerable and threatened species.
If indie-pop music moves your soul as well as your body, drop in to enjoy road-tripping singer/guitarist, Madelena. The popular stage act at the Falls Festival Marion Bay and Cygnet Folk Festival has become a regular at Wobbly Boot’s Wine and Woofs fundraising events.
Authentic French crepes will be on the menu. Check out the vineyard’s website and social media for details.
Dusk at Mewstone.
Fans of Jonny Hughes’ Mewstone and Hughes & Hughes wines will find the family’s new cellar door at Flowerpot open on Friday 29 October, to coincide with Spring in the Vines.
Hughes and his brother Matt have produced some scintillating wines since 2016. The pair began their joint venture with Mewstone’s first plantings back in 2011.
In 2019, the former Moorilla assistant winemaker was the recipient of Gourmet Traveller WINE’s Young Winemaker of the Year award.
In 2018, he was named Best New Act in the Young Gun of Wine Awards. The annual nationwide competition acknowledges the skills and creativity of the country’s leading young winemakers.
Highly respected author and critic James Halliday AO declared Mewstone Australia’s Best New Winery in the 2019 edition of his top-selling Halliday Wine Companion.
The cellar door and winery are an hour’s drive south of Hobart. Only recently completed, they offer dramatic views of the site’s vineyard, along with nearby Bruny Island and the D’Entrecasteaux Channel.
The developments feature among the nominees for best small commercial project and best commercial joinery in the 2021 Housing Industry Association awards.
Cellar door opening hours this spring and summer will be Thursday to Sunday, 11:00am-4:30pm. Bookings essential.
Hobart’s Mark Smith wrote his first weekly wine column back in 1994. Now more than 1700 features and 25 years later, he continues to chart the successes of Tasmania’s small scale, cool climate wine industry with regular contributions to some of Australia’s leading industry publications.
PICK OF THE CROP
Mark gives you his honest opinions about the best wines available right now from Tasmania’s wine makers.
2016 Clover Hill Vintage Brut $70
The icy waters around Tasmania are home to Pacific oysters and spring is an ideal time to enjoy them. This vintage from Clover Hill is amazingly fresh, making it a perfect oyster wine. The intensity and concentration of 0citrus and mineral notes provide a fine foil to the briny aftertaste of natural oysters. Acidity is bright and well sustained, suggesting the wine should cellar long-term. Clover Hill’s masterclass at Effervescence Tasmania in November will provide fascinating insights into local sparkling production. Book now. www.cloverhillwines.com.au
NV Radenti R3 Chardonnay Pinot Noir $55
It’s almost 20 years since Claudio Radenti began Freycinet’s sparkling wine program on the east coast, so it’s no surprise to see these bottle-fermented wines going from strength to strength as time passes. This blend from the 2012, 2013 and 2014 vintages offers a lovely mix of freshness and aged complexity. Chardonnay dominance gives it drive and focus, while the gentle creaminess and roundness of Pinot Noir provide texture and a discreetly toasty aftertaste. Impeccably well-mannered and consumer-friendly, just like its maker. www.freycinetvineyard.com.au
2021 Apogee Tasmania Alto Pinot Gris $N/A
Dr Andrew Pirie’s Apogee project at Lebrina in the State’s north-east is dedicated to making world-class sparkling wines. But stylish Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir are also made if seasonal factors permit. The 2021 vintage worked very much in favour of the classic Alsace white, producing a dry, very attractive wine. Pear, red apple and floral elements offer some musky rosewater complexity and textbook acidity. Open three days, my sample bottle just got better and better. Remarkable. Drink or keep for a decade. www.apogeetasmania.com
2020 Home Hill Estate Pinot Noir $50
This recent release signals a welcome return to the marketplace for Huon Valley producer Home Hill after the vineyard lost its 2019 harvest to smoke taint. As we’ve found in the past, this is a neat, precise and intensely flavoured Pinot that immediately captures your attention on opening. Red and dark cherry fruit notes show some raspberry overtones, along with the beguiling foresty, sassafras aspects that make Tasmanian Pinot Noir so compelling. Verve and freshness on the palate are underpinned by latent energy and fine ripe tannins. Delicious. www.homehillwines.com.au
2021 Bream Creek Moscato $31
A new bottle and a not-so-new crown seal herald the arrival of Bream Creek’s new take on a classic wine style that is well-suited to alfresco dining and casual entertaining this spring. And like the season itself, the wine comes replete with all the fragrance of the flower garden. It’s a field blend of Gewürztraminer and Schönburger. The two aromatic varieties work well together to provide freshness of flavour without cloying sweetness. It’s a cut above your average Moscato, something that’s reflected in the premium price tag. Crowd-pleaser. www.breamcreekvineyard.com.au
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