To cut a long story short; Prestigious Champagne House ‘Louis Roederer’ of Reimes eyes off north-east corner of Tasmania as perfect climate/soil for the first Australian Sparkling. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are planted in roughly the same proportions in Champagne, vines reach maturity, sparkling wine is made. And it becomes one of Australia’s finest. The name JANSZ has become synonymous with Tasmanian Sparkling.

With a tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign as Méthode Tasmanoise, JANSZ is one of the few Tasmanian producers specialising only in the bubbly stuff. Vintage Cuvée, Late Disgorged Vintage Cuvée and Non-Vintage Cuvée comprise of mostly Chardonnay dominant strain of sparklings where as the Non-Vintage Rosé and Vintage Rosé are Pinot dominant. Needless to say the technical brilliance of the wines shine forth, I was taken back by the immensity of the structure this wine had to offer; Vintage Cuvée 2002 is outstanding. Poise and finesse are impressive, value for money-wise cannot be beat when comparing to the real French bubbly.

Jansz Vintage Cuvée 2002 [Tasmania] 13%

‘A whole punnet tray of ripe granny smith apples, nice and tart with lip smacking zest. Good wafts of shimmering baked goods glazed in the much sought after honeyed character (not too dissimilar to Baklava). Autyolysis character (akin to agar plate) present in the middle palate, and the fine mousse lifted and finished everything off in balance. Poise that would ruffle a few feathers in the Champagne houses back home; and a certain heaviness experienced with other Australian sparklings was mostly absent. Supple, fresh and lingering.  In a seemless package which will seriously give the French ivory towers’ something to think about over a glass or two.’