Stefano Lubiana ’Il Giardino‘ Pinot Noir 2022

Il Giardino translates to ‘the garden’ in Italian. The heavy, silty black clay topsoil over clay base helps water retention in the block, resulting in vines that have more vigour and wines that have more structure with higher acid and tannin profiles.

The vineyard is planted at varied elevations and aspects on a mix of diverse terroirs. These soil types range from crumbly red top soil and deep red clay over marl clay with limestone bedrock, grey silty gravel over porous gravelly clay to cracking black clay base over patches of chalky limestone. Estate Pinot Noir vines vary in age, majority ranging from 15 years old to 30 years old, with a few barrels from our close-planted block planted in 2019 introduced to our Estate Pinot Noir blend for the first time. The close-planted block is the highest block of our estate vineyard. In the close-planted there are 11,000 vines in the block, a high density planting while faithful to low yields.

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.