Lowestoft La Maison Tasmania Pinot Noir 2023

A slightly cooler and wetter spring period delivered modest crops for the 2022 season. Settled summer months of December and January allowed steady ripening and flavour development. This was followed by the driest February in 64 years (in Southern Tasmania), which allowed picking to begin in mid-March. Again, the Lowestoft Vineyard delivered Pinot Noir fruit of immense purity and concentration.

Hand-picked Pinot Noir was de-stemmed into 1.5T open top fermenters with the addition of up to 100% whole cluster. Alcoholic fermentation was left to occur naturally with no additions. Cap management was exclusively pumping over twice daily to wet the cap and minimise over extraction. Time on skins was 21 days. The resulting wine was pressed directly to 500L French oak puncheons (25% new) where it rested with minimal intervention for 13 months prior to bottling. 

Tasmania, Australia

(Image source : Tolpuddle Vineyard)

Tasmania is Australia’s southernmost wine region. Its commercial vineyards date back to 1823, when Bartholomew Broughton planted the first vines. Incidentally, the very first vines in Victoria and South Australia also originated from Tasmania. The Tasmanian wine industry then lay dormant for nearly 100 years due to the gold rush, with commercial winemaking only resuming in the 1950s. After 70 years of development, Tasmania has become synonymous with premium wines, especially Pinot Noir. The island is divided into several sub‑regions—Tamar Valley, Pipers River, Derwent Valley, Coal River Valley, Huon Valley, and the East Coast. Among these, Coal River Valley is the most sought‑after: the winner of the 2024 Australian Pinot Noir Challenge hails from there, as does the highly coveted Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir. For a Pinot Noir enthusiast, Tasmania Pinot Noir is a not to be overlooked.