WINE > Apsley Gorge, Pinot Noir 2020 (95/100)

Apsley Gorge Vineyard was founded in 1990 by former abalone diver and lobster fisherman Brian Franklin. He planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes on a 7 hectare plot of land near Bicheno on Tasmania’s east coast at the entrance to the Apsley Gorge.

WINERY

The region has a unique micro climate, the vineyard faces north east, soil is rich river loam over clay with some ironstone. The gorge acts as a vent preventing frost in spring and in autumn helping to extend the ripening season with cool breezes.

Wines from Apsley Gorge were made under contract in Hobart until 1998 but then Brian quit the fishing business and became the permanent vigneron and winemaker. His long passion for Burgundian wine which came from trips to the region in the 1980s. He even did a couple of vintages making wine in Burgundy as a young man but was still learning technique, when in 2001 a friend called on behalf of the son of a french winemaker. The mans son wanted to travel, learn english and to see how wine was made in Australia.

The young man was Yann Charlopin, son of Philippe Charlopin a famous Burgundy Winery. That trip started something special and Brian has been working with the Charlopin family ever since.

Vines are dry grown, there is no irrigation on the pinot noir grapes and they do not use any mineral fertilisers.

WINE MAKING

The Apsley Gorge wines tend to defy a trend for most Tasmanian Pinot Noir in that it is not light and floral. By contrast this wine has punch, it is powerful and has lots of structure, spice and complexity.

Part of the reason is that wines are picked late in the season. The growing location is cool and this enables a much longer growing season, offering opportunities for the flavours to really develop before picking.

Harvesting is by hand and the grapes are whole bunch.

Wine making is very Burgundian in style, grapes are destemmed and crushed by hand and feet in the traditional pigeage method. Fermenting is done in French Oak (30% new oak).

The wine is close to biodynamic (though not in name) they do not filter or fine the wine and they use wild yeasts.

TASTING

The first thing you notice about this wine is how dark and opaque it is. A dark red black colour accompanied by a dark red hue that follows the glass as you swirl it. The nose is punchy, it is a ver fragrant violet, cherry, strawberry, anise, Chinese five spice, toasty oak, forest floor and spicy black olive – there is a lot going on. Perhaps too much for some tasters and that is why you see some widely varied reviews of this wine.

On the palate the wine is rich and full all the concentration of fruit is there and there is no question that this is pinot noir but it is a much fuller expression. The spice on the nose carries through to the palate and you get a little pepper in amongst more traditional cherry, mushroom and anise flavours.

The finish has very good length and a nice balance right to the end.

Deep-ish ruby with a tint of purple in the rim; the bouquet is very spicy and dark cherry, with a pervasive waft of smoky sulfide. There’s a big core of sweet fruit on the mid-palate which persists into a long finish, the sweetness lingering long but cleaned up at the very end by alcohol warmth and a touch of sulfide bitterness. 

Huon Hooke, The Real Review

No matter what others think of the wine, I have been drinking this wine for 4 years now and I firmly believe that the 2020 is the best I have tasted yet. 95/100 points.

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LINKS

• https://www.nicks.com.au/products/2019-apsley-gorge-vineyard-pinot-noir
• https://www.therealreview.com/wines/7mn56mw8wy22/
• https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/food-and-wine/australia-s-first-burgundy-grand-cru-to-make-its-debut-in-tasmania-20200402-p54giy
• https://www.decanter.com/premium/apsley-gorge-a-burgundian-odyssey-in-tasmania-408214/