NV Stefano Lubiana Sparkling Brut Reserve

Our fruit for this wine comes from our two estate vineyards in Southern Tasmania. The first, is from our home vineyard in Granton – this vineyard has a northely aspect and consistently ripens grapes. The site overlooks the eastern bank of the spectacular Derwent River and benefits from its capacity to cool northerly summer winds. The vineyard is planted at 100 metres elevation on a mix of two terroirs, grey gravelly loam over clay and red loam over gravel. The second, is from our vineyard in the Huon Valley which is from an old riverbed and consists of black loam over white clay. This vineyard is planted ranging from 25 to 50 metres elevation and is consistently cooler than the Granton vineyard, perfect for sparkling wine grapes.

This release of NV Brut Reserve (22) is mainly from the 2022 vintage with aged reserve wine dating to create the house style. This disgorgement is a blend of approximately Pinot Noir (90%) and Chardonnay (10%). After blending, the liqueur de tirage is added so secondary fermentation can commence in bottle. The wine then spends 20-24 months aging on lees to promote complexity and texture of the wine before being riddled, disgorged and finally labelled. The wine is made in a brut style and the dosage is 4.5 grams per litre. Disgorgement occured between late July and early September 2024

The 2022 growing season was met with an extremely wet winter (one of the wettest on record). A cool and drying spring arrived and a warm summer followed. These conditions led to healthy vines and grapes. The cooler temperatures and long ripening season allowed for steady accumulation of sugar, phenolics and aromas.

This disgorgement of the NV Brut Reserve has a yellow/gold hue and fine bead. On the nose it has a beautiful bouquet of lemon, nectarine, toasted almonds and a hint of minerality, with an undeniable sea spray and slate feature. Underneath the fresh attributes there is a subtle hint of toast, fresh baked croissants. On the palate the lemon and stone fruit feature prominently with peach, nashi pear and chalk. The palate has a fine creamy mousse and thick beading. This rendition of NV Brut Reserve is fresher than the previous vintage, a sophisticated delight to be enjoyed as an aperitif and enjoyed with fresh oysters. – Stefano Lubiana