Over the last decade or so, the wines of Tasmania have been receiving increasingly enthusiastic plaudits. The rise to prominence has coincided with a thirst for elegant, nuanced wines of restraint and character – qualities that the island’s cool climate is perfectly equipped to produce.
Today, winemakers are queuing up to exploit the state’s island air, long summer days, wet winters and varied topography. But Tasmania’s vinous heritage dates back a generation or two earlier, to a handful of enterprising pioneers…
Founded in 1958 – making it Tasmania’s second-oldest winery – Moorilla was transformed after its purchase in the ‘90s by colourful gambler David Walsh. While Walsh is perhaps best known for his installation of Hobart’s renowned – and somewhat risqué – Museum of Old and New Art, the bold, innovative wines made at the equally striking Morilla winery are arguably even more noteworthy. There, Canadian winemaker Conor van der Best harnesses grapes from two geographically distinct vineyards (Moorilla in the south, St Matthias in the north) to create three Tasmanian expressions of European styles: Cloth, Muse and Praxis.
Domaine A, meanwhile, was the dream of Swiss expatriates Peter and Ruth Althaus, who, having searched far and wide for their perfect spot, settled on Stoney Vineyard (the oldest in Tasmania’s most noted wine region, Coal River Valley, planted in 1973). More than a few eyebrows were raised when they chose to champion Cabernet Sauvignon on the north-facing, ocean-influenced site. But with the vines receiving some of the longest daylight hours in Australia, and a cellar regime that can see a decade or more of ageing before release, the resultant wines show incredible subtlety and poise. It was an approach that carried Domaine A quietly to the forefront of Australian winemaking until Peter and Ruth’s retirement in 2018, when they handed over to the new custodians: the Walsh- van der Reest combo of Moorilla.
We are delighted to welcome Conor van der Reest to the Club to host an intimate dinner featuring the wines of both producers. We invite you to join us to discover them for yourselves, introduced by the winemaker behind them, in what promises to be an enlightening evening.
Our menu for the night:
Welcome drink: Cloth, Late Disgorged Sparkling, Moorilla, Tasmania, Australia
Foie gras & game terrine, fig chutney, sourdough
2023 Sauvignon Blanc, Praxis, Moorilla, Tasmania, Australia
2023 Pinot Noir, Praxis, Moorilla, Tasmania, Australia
Stuffed cornfed chicken, salami, rainbow chard
2018 Pinot Noir, Muse, Moorilla, Tasmania, Australia
2018 Pinot Noir, Domaine A, Tasmania, Australia
A selection of British & European cheeses
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Domaine A, Tasmania, Australia
2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stoney Vineyard, Domaine A, Tasmania, Australia
