Champagne & Sparkling

Today is International Champagne Day - a day to not only celebrate the fantastic Champagnes of France, but also, a day to celebrate sparkling wines from around the world that offer tremendous value. Once qualified as an Onenologist Steve undertook an internship in Reims, France. It was this experience that inspired him to grow and craft sparkling wines in Tasmania with his first vintage released in 1993.

So what is it that sets Champagne apart from other sparkling? Can you compare Champagne to our sparkling wine? Champagne is only produced in Champagne,  France under specific rules of appellation. The area of Champagne is known for soil types rich in minerals that also hold various deposits of limestone and chalk. Similarly, in Tasmania, the soils and the cool mild weather conditions allow grapes to develop a slow accumulation of sugar with higher acid. A prerequisite for sparkling wines & Champagnes. Some of the Champagnes we enjoy on occasion include Krug and Roederer as far as Champagne houses - we also like to taste grower Champagnes from Egly Oriet, Agrapart and Vouette & Sorbee.

Steve and I moved to Tasmania in 1990 to grow and craft sparkling wines. We selected our site in Granton because of the climatic conditions and unique terroir, which we knew would grow wines of distinction. Over the years we have honed our méthode traditionnelle style and we now have several wonderful expressions including a Prestige, Grande Vintage, Blanc de Blanc, Brut Rosé and Reserve Brut NV.

Having two sparklings from the exceptional 2011 vintage currently in our range is outstanding, as 2011 was the perfect season for sparkling in Tasmania. We welcome back, for the third time, the supreme Prestige 2011 which is 60% chardonnay and 40% pinot noir and has rich tertiary characters. We are almost sold out of the 2011 Grande Vintage which is 50% of each chardonnay and pinot noir. The 2016 Blanc de Blancs newly included to our sparkling range, with the first vintage being 2014, the 2016 is a complex chardonnay expression brimming with dessert characteristics. The 2017 Brut Rosé is a perfect accompaniment to hors d'oeuvres as it has supple acidity and freshness. We are proud to introduce the next vintage of Reserve Brut NV, which is predominately from the 2022 vintage, and has reserve wine (approximately 10%) dating back to 2012. Reserve Brut NV with the iconic and dashing red label is a sparkling wine we have been crafting for 30 years now!

25/10/2024 at 1:45 PM Permalink

Francing Around

Our most recent travels took Steve and I to Paris.  We were excited as we picked up a hire car and headed straight for Champagne.  Here, we met our family friends Calum Peace and his wife Marion.  Marion is the daughter of Christian and Sylvie Peligri who are Champagne producers in Colombey les-deux-Eglises.  They produce excellent wines, available for purchase in Australia. We toured the Peligri winery, which was formerly a cheese factory, and family vineyards totalling 12 hectares. Calum and Christian explained to Steve their production facility and we compared champagne production equipment to ours.  Calum also gave us a tour of their vineyards and explained comprehensively the various soil types, vine clones and inputs.  Their vineyards are steep, compared to most Australian vineyards, reminiscent of our 1.2 ha close-planted block at our estate vineyard in Granton.

In France it is very common for a vineyard to be owned by separate people/entities.  For example, a plot of 40 continuous rows of grapevines may be owned by 6 different people. And another plot 500 metres down the road could be owned by the same group of people, or others.  These varied ownership rules have come about mostly due to inheritance.  Vineyard rows are divided amongst family and, if not farmed by that person, they are sold off to other family members, vignerons or lay investors.  A stark contrast and a completely different system to how vineyards are owned in Australia. Their vineyards, like many others in the region, are managed by contractors who are instructed to cultivate, spray, and canopy-manage. The Peligri family do their own viticulture planning, pruning and harvesting.

During our time in France we also visited many wineries where we tasted 2023 wines from new and seasoned barrels.  The first reason was to gauge our wines against like-minded French producers and, the second reason, was to taste wines matured in Millard barrels. Minier and Millard are two separate barrel manufacturers based in Chagny, Burgundy.  We already purchased barrels from Minier and have done so for about 10 years.  Minier is a consistent cooper who supplies us with barriques which we use to mature our very exquisite Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.  Millard on the other hand is a newcomer to our barrel sale business.  We came across his barrels during our 2022 ‘American Odyssey’ trip, where we tasted wines from Ceritas, CA.  Steve could see the synergy between our wines and theirs, and how well the oak enhanced the finished wine.  Last year we were lucky enough to get hold of a couple of Millard barrels.  A trial took place over the past year and both Steve & Marco found the Millard oak, together with the Minier oak, contributed more shine to our extra special Estate and Collina Chardonnays.  We are now distributors for both coopers.  If you are in the market for barriques drop us an email steve@slw.com.au

Once the barrel research was completed we headed to Lyon.  On the way we stopped for lunch in Chablis and tasted some wines from various Caverns. Caverns are cellar doors located in and around the main streets.  After Chablis we arrived at Beaujolais where we had a tasting at Château Chénas where Noel and Corrine Minier’s daughter, Manon, manages the cellar door.  We were very impressed by these wines and may import them to sell in our Hobart boutique wine shop, Molto.  At our last stop in France, we arrived in Lyon and stayed the night so that we could visit Antic Wines; a wine shop in the old town that specialises in exclusive wines.  We met George dos Santos when he visited our stand at an organic/biodynamic wine fair 'Milo Bio' in Montpellier some years ago. We always hoped that we would get time one day to visit his very famous wine shop. We made an appointment and luckily George was on site on the day and immediately remembered Steve.  George happened to have a bottle of DRC ‘The Saint Vivant’ open, Steve casually tasted this very special wine whilst they chatted.  Maybe one day you will be able to visit Lyon and purchase a bottle of Stefano Lubiana Wines at George’s landmark establishment! 

30/09/2024 at 9:00 AM Permalink

2023 Estate Chardonnay & Pinot Noir Release

The 2023 growing season was cool with a drier than average winter and spring. This was followed by a summer which at the beginning was marred by ferocious winds resulting in poor flowering. The following months were cool and the vintage was delayed until late March 2023. Although yields were down, our diligent and tireless work in the vineyard resulted in grapes that were excellent quality with a high concentration of flavour and intensity.  

Our 2023 Estate Chardonnay has a nose of meyer lemon, nectarine and orange blossom. On first impression there are rich notes of honey nougat and crème brûlée, followed by a core of lemon, peach and white nectarine. This wine has a fine line of acid and a mellifluous texture, a full rounded chardonnay which will age extremely well.

Our 2023 Estate Pinot Noir has an attractive nose with notes of dark cherry, mulberry and blackberry. There is a hint of spice and dried rose petals. The palate marries the nose with more red fruit - cranberry, plum and rhubarb. The wine is very approachable on release, the finish is silky whilst possessing taut tannins and buoyant acid. 

19/08/2024 at 11:28 AM Permalink

2022 Collina Chardonnay - Winner at the International Wine Challenge

Our 2022 Collina Chardonnay recently won three trophies at the 2024 International Wine Challenge (IWC). The IWC is judged by an extensive panel of wine professionals. Our 2022 Collina was awarded 96 points and was the winner of three categories - Best Tasmanian Chardonnay, Best Australian Chardonnay and Best Australian White.

We only make our Collina Chardonnay in exceptional years and the 2022 vintage is the first vintage of this wine since 2020. We grow our Collina to be low yielding and comes froms a variety of soil types from our Granton Estate. The predominate soil type is grey chalky gravel over white gravelly clay. Chardonnay from this terroir generally have pronounced acid and fine aromatics. The 2022 Collina is captures both power and elegance, with a generous palate and a long line of acid. This in turn offers long cellaring potential.

The comments from the 2024 IWC Chair of Judges - "Light golden colour with extremely attractive notes of spice - nutmeg and cinnamon - on the nose, along with stone fruit flavours. The palate is beautifully balanced and poised with a tremendous finish."

01/07/2024 at 12:34 PM Permalink

2022 Single Block Pinot Noirs - The World of Fine Wine Review

The soil type of each of the Single Block Pinot Noirs underpins their unique profiles. Our Ruscello block’s terroir is silty grey loam over white gravelly clay. The Il Giardino block sits over a cracking black and red clay base over patches of gravelly chalky limestone deposits. While the terroir of La Roccia is mostly terra rossa soil, with a crumbly red topsoil and deep red clay over marl clay with limestone chalk and mudstone bedrock. 

Reduced yields allow the vines to focus its energy to their root system, delving deeper and wider into the soil to absorb more minerals and nutrients. All three Single Block Pinot Noirs are vinified the same way, highlighting each individual terroir.

UK wine writer Sarah Ahmed from The World of Fine Wine recently reviewed these terroir focused wines in an feature on Tasmanian wines. To read the full article follow this link. Our 2022 Il Giardino and La Roccia recieved equal top points with the 2022 Tolpuddle Pinot Noir. Continue to read on for the reviews of our 2022 Single Block Pinot Noirs:-

2022 Ruscello Single Block Pinot Noir  -  95 Points 
'From a parcel near a small creek on silt over porous gravelly clay, anise and cinnamon soar alongside the deep-scented, sweet, ripe fruit. The palate is lithe, with supple acidity, black, red, and blue berry, cherry, currant, plum fruit, and subtle radicchio and mulch hints. Layered and expansive, warm terra-cotta tannins support. Sensual, with the balance and stature to age well'

2022 La Roccia Single Block Pinot Noir  -  96+ Points 
'A shower of fine, mouth-coating, millefeuille tannins, which cloak and enmesh the fruit, lending gravitas. With time and air, it reveals glimpses of a seam of red cherry/cherrystone, blackcurrant, and blueberry fruit, yet to be mined. Chalky, mineral acidity maintains the flow. Classy oak polishes to a fine sheen. Impressive structure from a hillside block on deep red clay marl over clay, with limestone bedrock. Embryonic.'

2022 Il Giardino Single Block Pinot Noir  -  96+ Points 
'Located adjacent to La Roccia, with a more northerly aspect and heavier silty black clay with gravel topsoil over clay and limestone. Emphatically red-fruited, with pomegranate, cranberry, cherry flesh, skin, and stone. Sappy green and inky floral riffs emerge. Sculpting bright acidity defines and animates the fruit. Graphite and chalk spray tannins cleave close, tapering the youthfully inscrutable finish. Great potential.'

04/06/2024 at 11:00 AM Permalink

2021 Chicane Merlot Malbec

We only have small plots of Merlot and Malbec planted in our vineyard, the vines for both of these varieties are 23 years old. As a result of this, we make 3 to 4 barriques in an average yielding year of our Merlot/Malbec blend.  These 2 varieties are some of our last grapes to be picked at our Granton estate, which is known for its warmer soils and milder climate compared to some of the cooler sites around Tasmania. We reduce the crop load in the cooler seasons to eliminate any under ripe tannins and we pick the grapes when the sugar in the fruit has reached close to 14 baumé.

These small parcels of grapes are hand picked then destemmed and spontaneous fermentation with natural yeasts slowly starts after a short cold soak.  Once fermented the wine is left on skins for a time before the wine is drained and the skins are basket pressed.  We use a basket press for all of our red wines.  Basket pressing is a gentle process which reduces oxidation during pressing compared to a tank press.  This type of pressing tends to save the wine from any astringent characters on the finish that can be overly dry or sometimes bitter.

Maturation is the next important step.  The wine is barrelled down to our underground cellar where it is stored in French oak barriques for 16 months, with 30% new oak.  This wine is bottled under cork with no fining. Bottled in July 2022 our Chicane has been cellared for almost 2 years before release ensuring the wine is well-rounded and the tannins have softened ready to be relished.

The hue is dark scarlet velvet red and the nose is a sweet bouquet of wild bramble, mid summer rose, musk and molasses.  The palate tastes like raspberries that are so ripe they are falling apart, black cherries, plump blackberries, as well as aromatic cedar and spice. The front palate texture is silky and plush with depth and dry chalky tannins that have a pomegranate and rhubarb texture and after taste.  Merlot and Malbec varieties are graced with a full-bodied mouthfeel and length and, in these departments, this wine does not disappoint. The food match for this wine is game meat of all sorts, lamb, venison, mushrooms and vintage aged cheddar cheese. 

12/04/2024 at 2:00 PM Permalink

Growing Season 2023-2024 Report

The 2023 winter was the driest in many years which resulted in consistent wallaby and hare invasion, snacking on 1-2 tonnes of potential premium crops.  Crop damage was reduced once our fences were repaired.  Our flock of sheep, who kindly mow the grass over winter, were relocated to our western property at Hayes, 28km from Granton, in the last week of September.  This was due to the earlier than usual bud burst in early October which is approximately, 10 days earlier than the norm.

In general, the growing season of 2023-24 was dominated by warm overcast days with a major rain event of 20mm in the second week of January 2024.  We also experienced high winds at flowering in early December that may have contributed to poor flowering set in some of our more exposed plantings.  Yields, particularly in our Chardonnay vineyards are better this season compared to last but it is too early to tell if yields will exceed 2023.  Quality winemaking causes yields to be managed, if the weather does not do it for us.

Verasion commenced in the third week of January however lately the evenings and mornings have been very cool if not cold.  Overnight temperatures have gotten down as low as 10 degrees celsius, slowing ripening.  Delayed ripening is good in our case as it builds flavour whilst the sugar content increases.

Netting of the vineyard is expected to take place this week beginning the 5th of February. Depending on the weather we are expected to start harvest between the 20th and 26th of February with the intake of sparkling fruit.  The lowest yielding premium wines will follow soon after with Sasso Pinot Noir and then Single Block Pinot Noirs.

Generally speaking we are very happy with the current shape of our vineyards.  We have controlled the weeds much better this season with consistent blading and tilling, we managed to repair a lot of the damaged infrastructure as a result of machinery use rather than synthetic sprays.  Drip lines, irrigation sub mains, broken steel and wooden posts, trellis wires and some replants have mostly been ticked off the repair list.  Although repairs and maintenance of our vineyard are not the most exciting and glamorous parts of our business, they are worth the investment in producing an excellent result and quality wine.

06/02/2024 at 10:00 AM Permalink

2023 Pinot Gris

Our Pinot Gris is grown on a gravel base covered in red loam with patches of riverbed silt.  Facing north this soil forms part of the western bank of the Derwent river.  Our Pinot Gris plot was planted in 1991, the vines now being close to 30 years old.  The vine’s root system is now well established deep into the soil horizons below.  The gravel element infuses a perfumed aroma and contributes savouriness and minerality to the palate.  Southern Tasmania allows its crops a long and mostly mild and dry ripening period bestowing tiers of flavour.  This wine’s texture is generally attributed to barrel fermentation.  As well, the grape’s thick skins and the vine’s low yields, often unique to cool climate biodynamic viticulture, creates body.  Steve and Marco artfully and skillfully ferment the grapes into wine that is more akin to European Pinot Gris examples rather than those produced in Australia.  This is due to small batch winemaking where the grapes are processed as soon as they are picked and the must is fermented on full lees in puncheons (100% 500L French oak barrels) with a portion chilled and left on skins for 2 nights.  Colour and tannin are extracted by this cold soaking technique.  Rested over winter in the same puncheons, the wine is then bottled in early summer.

Tasting note: In the glass our 2023 Pinot Gris shows a slight golden blush. The nose builds with cut straw, rose perfume and spice.  The palate's texture is lucious with ripe fruit characters, apricot, pear and quince.  The ample tannin and alcohol cut the palate's sweetness, as the 2023 vintage is less dry than the past 2 vintages, and the finish is long and clean.  We recommend matching this wine with delicious white meat dishes, assorted cheeses and lightly sautéed summer greens.

09/01/2024 at 2:00 PM Permalink

Spring in our Vineyards

The agony and the ecstasy of cultivating biodynamic vines at Stefano Lubiana Wines is not without its challenges, but there is nothing else we would rather do and it brings us much joy.  When we first arrived in pristine Tasmania, 35 years ago as a young couple, we could only dream that the vineyard would invoke so much passion in us and drive us everyday.  Most days I walk the dogs, and stop along the way to tuck, weed or even simply admire the vines and their exquisite view.  Spring is especially beautiful with the many shades of green drenching the landscape.  Vines are like magnets they draw you in and once you begin to touch it’s hard to let go.  I think the vines impart a gratitude, a healing and a calmness that is hard to find elsewhere, and it is an offering of thanks for looking after them.  The feeling would be similar to walking through and admiring a botanic garden, basking in the wonders of its colours that leave an impression on both the conscious and the subconscious.

I must admit, the lifestyle of a vigneron is very selfish and leaves little time for much else.  It is always a race to fit in as much as we can before the season changes, from pruning, to canopy management, to harvest and so the cycle continues.  Having a vineyard is like having a child - dearly loved, there is never too much love or time that can be given to it.

At the moment we are racing to tuck the vines up into the trellis, directing the lush, supple vertical growth.  Canopy management this way ensures the vines receive more sunlight and ventilation, securing the upcoming gradual and timely ripening as well as ensuring low disease pressure.

Terroir is the hero of Stefano Lubiana Wines’ story. In order to manage our soils we cultivate them.  We mostly adhere to the biodynamic calendar’s barren phase during cultivation.  Therefore, the day after the full moon, we commence working the soil with our Braun mid-mount cultivator with a blade attachment. After the next full moon we alternate with the Bruan star tiller.  The tiller flicks the soil  back to where the grass and weeds were removed by the blades.  The blade cultivator attachment has wings, similar in shape to an aeroplane wing, one is attached to each side of the tractor.  The blade action swings in and out between the vines cutting and pulling out some soil grass and weeds that have grown since the last till.  This pattern of tilling and blading repeats throughout the year preventing grass and weeds from thieving the moisture and nutrients from the soil.  Our homemade compost is full of bacteria and nutrients that replenishes the soils.  We dress the vineyard with this material just prior to flowering ensuring the vines have the nutrients they need to set fruit.

As well as the cultivator, a  mower is hitched to the back of my tractor.  It slashes the mid-row, this singular action doing two jobs in one pass - saving soil compaction, diesel and time.  An important benefit of  cultivation is its capacity to impart oxygen below the surface and releases minerals and fertiliser from compacted zones, essential for improving our poor soils.  Access to these elements stimulates the vines to push growth to the top of the trellis.  Tall healthy organic canopies photosynthesis at an optimum level growing and ripening high quality fruit that imparts complexity, poise and precision to the wine.  Tasmania’s cool climate ensures ripening happens slowly so that flavour and structure manifest along the way.

While I’m in the vineyard, Stefano is busy repairing machinery and fixing breakdowns, his problem solving aptitude and intuitive brain can apply itself to the workings of all sorts of technology.  He is irreplaceable, and we are forever grateful.  He also manages our little plot of, mostly, Chardonnay at our newly planted vineyard on Blacksnake Road.  He is regularly in and out of the winery to mentor our son Marco who is stepping up to the winemaking role. He helps Phoebe and I with marketing, admin and contributes to the overall wellness of our little wine business.  Stefano and I, Marco and Phoebe are only part of our team.  Christopher, Chris, Bradey, Molly, Tim, Adelia, Keira, Isabella, Joel and many others contribute to our triumphs daily.

When you share a bottle of Stefano Lubiana, appreciate and know we’re working every day to create wines that carry the essence of our unique terroir and the soul of our Tasmanian estate.

06/12/2023 at 8:16 AM Permalink

2021 Vintage

The 2021 growing season was met with a wet winter allowing the soil to take in vital water for the season ahead. Spring was thankfully dry with budburst occuring at the end fo August. Cooler temperatures during the ripening season allowed for steady accumulation of sugar and phenolics with the wines from 2021 showing bright acidity, perfect for aging. The vintage was also challenging as we were short staffed due to COVID-19. This will be a vintage we remember where all hands were on deck to pick and process the grapes!

16/08/2023 at 2:32 PM Permalink