Louis Roederer of Reims shared the belief that the climate of the area was ideal for the production of finely structured methode champenoise and formed a venture with Tasmania's Heemskerk to establish the Jansz operations. With a climate very close to that of Champagne, this region is known simply as Sparkling Tasmania. The Jansz vineyards lie in the Tamar Valley at the heart of Tasmania's Pipers River region.
With a mantle of red basalt soils and a cool climate moderated by the proximity of Bass Strait, the Jansz Tasmania vineyards are ideal for allowing grapes to ripen slowly and develop the lingering acidity essential to produce a premium sparkling wine. Jansz Tasmania has evolved to become known as the benchmark Australian sparkling wine after winning the highly prestigious National Australia Day Council's Perpetual Trophy for the Australia Day Wine of the Year.
Waiting for the perfect moment to pick the fruit from the vineyard each year is something that Jansz Tasmania Winemaker Natalie Fryar takes seriously: "You've really got to get to know the fruit you're working with and form a close relationship with the viticulturists and grape growers!" Natalie brings with her a wealth of sparkling wine experience gained at Seppelt's Great Western winery, making some of Australia's most awarded red and white sparkling wines. A winemaker with a passion for turning great fruit into exceptional wine.
The winemaking philosophy is firmly focused on the vineyard with a great deal of time spent walking the rows looking at the vines and tasting the grapes through the various stages of ripeness. It's the only way to get a real feel for the fruit and, therefore, the resulting wine. "This is the real thing. Top quality Pinot Noir made into sparkling wine could only come from this part of Tasmania. Natalie Fryar has an obsession with detail, and perfection is clear to see, smell and taste in this wine. Not content with making a mind-blowing ‘02 rosé’, she encourages a wider audience with a cracking Jansz Premium Rose NV, too!" -Taste Food and Wine
"I say: the Apple Isle is the finest site for quality sparkling-wine grapes outside Champagne itself. A big call, you think? Certainly one that might put a few other regions offside. But I stand by it, and this is one of the wines that's helping me keep my feet. Jansz standard NV is a perennial favourite too, but this '02 Premium is one very classy bottle!" -Ken Gargett
Bass Strait isn't the only thing that sets Jansz apart. Visit the Jansz Tasmania Wine Room and Interpretive Centre and find out what makes Tasmanian sparkling wine among the best the world has to offer. Just an hour's drive from Launceston, through rolling green countryside, brings you to Jansz Tasmania. Here you'll make your way through the vineyard, past the picturesque lake complete with gaggle of geese, to the Jansz Tasmania Wine Room and Interpretive Centre. The friendly Jansz Tasmania Wine Room team can guide you through a tasting of Jansz Tasmania sparkling wines or you are welcome to wander the Interpretive Centre and find out about Tasmanian history, listen to the winemakers talk about the sparkling winemaking process as well as learn about how the grapes are grown and how the vineyards are managed by the viticultural team.
“A familiar name at the top of the game is Jansz, surprisingly the only Tasmanian winery devoted solely to sparkling wine. Its Tasmania Rosé 2005 is aromatic with upfront flavours and a crisp finish. The Tasmania Cuvée 2004 is a complex and well-balanced sparkler with lingering hazelnut and nectarine flavours. Best of all is the Tasmania Late Disgorged Cuvée 2001. Seven years on lees have made this wonderfully complex with spice and citrus notes!" -Courier-Mail
