Introduction: Ninth Island, although often shrouded by ocean mists, is visible from our vineyards in northern Tasmania. The island name is used for our range of fresh, early drinking wines that capture the distinctive cool-climate flavours of Tasmania. The climate is perfectly suited to the production of premium sparkling wine.
Winemaking Objective: In the creation of this non-vintage sparkling wine, we aim for a consistent, easy drinking style. The use of pinot meunier plays an important part in the immediate enjoyment and accessibility of the style. Acting as a flavour 'accelerator', pinot meunier gives bright fruit notes on the nose and also acts to flesh out the middle palate.
Soil: The grapes were grown on the deep Ferrosol (volcanic) soils of our Pipers River district vineyards. This particular soil type has an excellent water holding capacity, offering a steady supply of moisture and nourishment to the vines throughout the growing season.
Viticulture: The chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes for this wine were sourced from specific sparkling vineyard sites in the Pipers River region.
Trellising: All grapes are grown on narrow spaced vineyards (1.5- 2.2 m row spacing). The vines are vertically shoot positioned (VSP) and hand pruned during winter and hedged during summer to allow adequate fruit exposure.
Viticulture: Pinot Grigio, also known as Pinot Gris, is a variety that thrives in coolest of climates like northern Tasmania where our vineyards are based. The grapes are sourced from the renowned Pipers River district and the Tamar Valley wine regions, and were harvested in early April from low-cropping vines. These vines are grown on spur pruned Vertical Shoot Positioned trellises, which helps to expose the ripening bunches to the sun, thus achieving full ripeness and well-balanced flavours.
Winemaking: Our aim in the winemaking of this style is to maximise all the natural, cool climate flavours and aroma’s distinctive to Pinot Grigio from our region, the grapes are carefully crushed and de-stemmed using full protective handling techniques that avoid any juice oxidation or browning. The juice is then clarified and fermented slowly at cool temperatures in stainless steel vats. To maximise the retention of fresh fruit flavours and aromas, the resultant wine is bottled early under screw cap, producing a style that is intensely aromatic with a well-integrated crisp acid finish.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale golden straw, with a slight coppery hue.
Bouquet: Gently lifted bouquet of rose petal and potpourri with lush exotic tropical fruits, dried banana chips, Turkish delight and the soft hints of musk talc and sweet Asian spice.
Palate: A lush full-bodied palate, flavour reminiscent of freshly squeezed exotic tropical fruits; paw-paw, mango, banana passion fruit, all with the soft and elegant alluring flavours of a ripe tropical punch that finishes lively and fresh with zingy crisp acid and lingering fruit.
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