May 20, 2009

Tasmania: Postscript

The rest of my Tasmanian journal arrived today, looking like Chinskirin's dog tried to eat it. I was able to recover these few fragments...


Newly arrived and have just had a taste of the Kreglinger Vintage Brut, 2003. Why am I going on a big search for sparkling wine? This is fantastic!

... local pinot noir is much touted, but not all that good. I'm hopeful to find exceptions...

The real destination for our quest should rightly be Stefano Lubiana Wines. I have it from several sources that these wines are hand-crafted and brilliant. But we received sad news this morning. Winemaker Steve Lubiana suffered the loss of a close family member and our visit must be rescheduled...

No real emphasis on a) keeping track of own-rooted vineyards; b) keeping phylloxera out of Tasmania (where it apparently does not presently exist). What's wrong with these people?


... enormous potential for wine here in Tasmania, but there seems to be too little focus on viticulture (sustainable, organic, etc). And the hobbyists seem to outnumber the professionals, for the moment...


(notebook: © Loraliu | Dreamstime.com)

2 comments:

Tyler said...

Any comments on the Tasmanian Pinots, other than "not very good?" I'm a big fan of Pinot from NZ, and would have thought that Tasmania's terroir would be good for Pinot.

Director, Lab Outreach said...

Thomas, I agree, Tasmania should be good for Pinot. But I think the current Australian fashion for over-extracted, big fruit Pinot is getting in the way. There are a few that I found to be alright, but nothing exceptional. And the few you would want to drink were not exactly cheap. I didn't taste anything that would be worth the necessary shipping premium.

Cheers!