Apsley Gorge Pinot Noir 2021

The Wine

The colour is typical of Apsley Gorge showing those deep purple tones with the classic cherry rim. This wine is unfiltered and unfined so it doesn’t have the sparkle of the stars, but more the hues of the earth. 

The nose has varietal fruit beneath the slightly feral, mysterious, nuances of the wild yeast. French oak is there providing yet another layer of complexity.

The pallet entry is rich and textured but also slightly restrained teasing you with what will follow. This wine is not a blockbuster but leans more towards elegance and refined burgundy characters with the long finish. This is a structured wine reflecting the philosophy of AGV, the expression of terroir and vintage. AGV 

NOTE: The Apsley style requires it to be decanted. Don't be precious, give it lots of air...

The 2021 looks great – finer than the 2020 vintage - it's very lifted – lovely balance and refinement. Great depth here! TC


The Details
Variety - Pinot Noir
Country - Australia
Region - Tasmania
Sub Region - Bicheno
Extra - Screw Cap
Year - 2021
Volume - 750ml

Established in 1988 this tiny vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir (5.5 hectares) and Chardonnay (1 hectare) and is located several kilometres inland from the coast near the entrance to the Apsley Gorge national Park north-west of Bicheno. The vineyards unique situation near the entry to the gorge brings breezes in the afternoon which have a distinct cooling effect which means this vineyard is typically one of the last to harvest in Tasmania with harvest usually being around the first week of May. This micro-climate is unique for the east coast. Since 1999 winemaking has been undertaken by owner Brian Franklin who also does vintage each year in Burgundy with Philippe Charlopin (himself mentored by his friend Henri Jayer) in Gevrey Chambertin, and is helped here in Tasmania by young French winemakers including Philippe Charlopin's son Yann. Including vintages undertaken in France Brian now has almost 40 vintages of wine-making experience in both France and Australia.

Always aiming for full phenolic ripeness the style of wines produced are rich and intense wines characterised by fully ripe fruit made using Burgundian know-how with texture and finesse and excellent natural acidity, without excessive extraction or heaviness. Produced very naturally with only a small percentage of new oak (maximum 30%) each year these are very individual wines of great class and structure that drink very well when young yet also age and evolve over a decade or more for the Pinot Noir. The single-minded Brian Franklin at Apsley Gorge has rendered himself half Burgundian with annual work immersion in Gevrey, and his courageously restrained winemaking combined with a warm, dry East Coast site results in Pinot of unusual breadth but great subtlety and allusiveness too. Andrew Jefford