REGIONAL ARCHIVE

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Northern Tasmania

Introduction
Region Summary
Principal Wine Styles

Choose winery:   Select Option Barringwood Park Bay Of Fires Bellingham Vineyard Brook Eden Vineyard Chatto Wines Cliff House Clover Hill Dalrymple Delamere East Arm Vineyard Elmslie Freshwater Point Golders Vineyard Grey Sands Hawley Vineyard Holm Oak Iron Pot Bay Wines Jinglers Creek Vineyard Kelly's Creek Lake Barrington Estate Legana Vineyard Moonrakers Ninth Island Notley Gorge Patrick Creek Vineyard Pipers Brook Vineyard Powercourt Vineyard Providence Vineyards Rosevears Estate Rotherhythe Sharmans Silk Hill St Matthias Sterling Heights Tamar Ridge The Mews Waterton Estate Wilmot Hills Vineyard

Introduction

Like Gippsland, Tasmania is a single Zone, with neither regions nor subregions (so far) seeking GI registration. For the time being, 'Brand Tasmania' may make sense, but the day wil surely come when Northern and Southern Tasmania will seek regional status, and the obviously different localitites within their boundaries will seek recognition as subregions.

While geographically proximate, the Pipers River and Tamar Valley localities emphasise how dangerous generalisations about Tasmania are, and how important are site selection, aspect, clonal selection and cropping levels.

The Pipers River area is particularly well suited to the production of finely structured, super-premium sparkling wines made from the classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a touch of Pinot Meunier. Jansz (now owned by Yalumba) and Clover Hill are national brands; Pipers Brook launched its own flagship Pirie Cuvee mid-1988; Joe Chromy's Tamar Ridge continues in the game.

Other makers of Methode Champenoise (chiefly from the mainland) eagerly snap up whatever is available for sparkling wine use, which - at least for the time being - isn't much, guaranteeing high grape prices.

Pipers River also produces fine, long-lived Riesling, flowery Gewurztraminer and heady Pinot Gris. While botrytis is a frequent visitor, it is usually held within acceptable bounds for these varieties. The Riesling, in particular, has the same capacity to develop in bottle as its mainland counterparts; 10-15 years or even more if cellaring conditions are favourable.

With the qualified exception of Pinot Noir, which succeeds in the better, warmer vintages, Pipers River has proved unsuited to the production of red wines. No one has been foolhardy enough to plant shiraz, but even merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon have provided a meagre return, tending to be excessively herbaceous, with bitter green bean flavours.

The Tamar Valley is almost the opposite, producing full-flavoured and deeply coloured Cabernet, ripe complex Chardonnay and robust Pinot Noir.

by James Halliday