The term ‘small but mighty’ could have been coined to describe Tasmania, at least in terms of its winemaking prowess. With just over 26,000 square miles of land to its name and a mere 2,000 hectares of vineyard plantings, the state could so easily be overshadowed by the vast Australian mainland to its north.
But take a close look at the results from the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) judging in May and it seems that Tasmania’s day in the (albeit cooler-climate) sun has arrived.
The 2024 results for Tasmania were outstanding with two Best in Show awards, three Platinum medals and four Golds. Before this year, no Tasmanian wine had been garlanded as Best in Show since the Awards’ inception in 2004. That performance is no mean feat, especially when you consider that only 50 wines earned this accolade in 2024 (just 0.28% of the total wines tasted).
Given its relatively diminutive proportions, Tasmania punches far above its weight. To put things into perspective, it has 160 licensed wine producers and some 230 vineyards (England, though twice the size of Tasmania and very much an ‘emerging’ wine country, has more than 1,000 vineyards).
Tasmania accounts for just under 1% of Australia’s total national vineyard acreage, yet it accounts for more than 4% of the total value. Those figures paint a picture of a region where quality is uppermost.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir evidently thrive here: all the Tasmanian Best in Show, Platinum and Gold winners, both still and sparkling, are made from these varieties. Added to that, Tasmania is fortunate enough to have a relatively cool climate – and the winemaking expertise is first class, as these results show.
Regional Co-Chair Justin Knock MW sums up the state’s winemaking potential and reality, saying: ‘The prevailing climate and warm weather, plus a natural Australian appreciation of fruit and soft tannins, mean a predisposition towards full evolution in young wines can be common. Therefore, a lot of winemakers, commentators and buyers really appreciate it when Australian (and Tasmanian) wines show built-in restraint, coolness and complexity, freshness and latent potential alongside the gifted fruit expression and refined tannins we expect. It suggests strongly of development potential in bottle, which is an essential marker of truly fine wine on the global stage.’
Tuning into Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir accounts for just under half of the vines grown in Tasmania and this notoriously finicky grape has put down roots in what it seems to consider a hospitable home: both of the Best in Show awards went to (still) Pinot, a DWWA first.
Bay of Fires, Pinot Noir 2022 (97 points) is a pan-Tasmanian blend while Lowestoft, Single Vineyard Jacoben Pinot Noir, Derwent Valley 2022 (97 points) comes from a single plot in the Derwent Valley in the eastern half of the island, north of Hobart in the rain shadow of Mount Wellington.
On the topic of rain, it’s a myth that Tasmania has high rainfall across the island, asserts Stewart Byrne, winemaker at Bay of Fires. ‘Although the western half of the island experiences very high rainfalls, the wine growing regions are predominantly on the eastern half. These are dry, typically receiving 300-500mm of rainfall a year. Summer and autumn days are sunny and long, with cold nights. This results in a very long growing season.’ It is, he says, ‘an amazing place to grow Pinot Noir’ – though not without challenges.
‘There is a high level of risk growing vines in Tasmania. It is very common to experience severe spring frosts, and high winds during flowering – and constant pressure from the abundant wildlife. We [at Bay of Fires] have decided the best approach is to diversify the location of our vineyards around the state to minimise the risk of losing an entire vintage to smoke damage or extreme frost; this allows us to mitigate risk and produce consistent high-quality wines.’
It’s a very different winemaking approach at Lowestoft….
Source : https://www.decanter.com.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering/decanter-world-wine-awards/tasmania-in-its-stride-uncovering-the-island-states-exceptional-wines-537114/
