Wine writer Mark Smith reports on the launch of the new Jansz Tasmania vintage wines and some standout international show results. Read on . . .
27 October 2008
Latest wine gets a whirlwind introduction, and the accolades follow...
Mark Smith, The Examiner (Tasmania, Australia), 12th October 2008
 WHEN Jansz Tasmania's Natalie Fryar offered to give the company's latest sparkling wine releases a bit of a whirl earlier this week, few of the 20 or so members of the wine trade who turned up to taste them would have expected the talented winemaker to be quite so true to her words.
But there it was, a snazzy little privately-owned helicopter, just raring to be put through its paces over the company's 30ha vineyard site and state of the art Wine Room and Interpretive Centre.
It's hard to say who were more surprised, Monday's master class participants or the local Pipers Brook residents who watched as the chopper repeatedly swooped over all those chardonnay and Pinot noir vines before giving passengers a quick tour out over Bass Strait and back.
By all accounts, the quality of Jansz Tasmania's new 2004 Vintage Cuvee, 2001 Late Disgorged Vintage Cuvee, and 2005 Vintage Rosé has reached similarly dizzy heights.
Indeed, the past couple of months have brought the company some enviable national and international wine show success.
In early September, Jansz Tasmania's 2005 Vintage Rose won a gold medal at the prestigious 2008 Mondial du Pinot Noir held in Sierre, Switzerland.
The Hill Smiths' Dalrymple Estate at Pipers Brook also struck gold with its 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir.
The former Mitchell and Sundstrup family property was bought by Robert Hill Smith in 2007.
Its table wine production each vintage is now the responsibility of Ms Fryar. Fifty-three judges from 13 countries were given the task of assessing MPN's 1100 wine exhibits this year. Jansz Tasmania's 2004 Premium Vintage Rosé and the 2007 Dalrymple Estate Pinot Noir were awarded silver medals.
A little closer to home, Dalrymple Estate's 2008 Sauvignon Blanc - also made by Ms Fryar - took away a gold medal award after judging at September's Royal Perth Wine Show.
"That's the thing about cool climate viticulture in Tasmania - it's high risk but high return," said Ms Fryar on hearing news of her successes.
The State's record-breaking vintage provided plenty of work for the industry's vineyard and winemaking teams this year.
For those at Jansz Tasmania, the resulting wines will represent a rare quinella, according to the company's winemaker - the combination of excellent quality and substantial volume.
We'll have to wait a while to see the evidence in the glass. But judging by Natalie Fryar's winning form at the moment, you can bet that delay will be well worth the effort.
 UNDER REVIEW
2003 Jansz Tasmania Premium Vintage Cuvée
This week's launch of the 2004 vintage of Jansz'z premium bubbly means you'd better move quickly to secure the last stocks of the 2003. The wine is certainly something to celebrate. In the context of previous vintages, it's a little fuller and more powerful than usual, but the wine's creamy texture and zippy citrussy finish still bear the winemaking fingerprints of Natalie Fryar. Splash out on a bottle for the Cup. Back to top | 
