Jansz Tasmania

Brand Description

The name Jansz pays homage to Tasmania’s namesake, the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman who first sighted the island in 1642. In fact, when it was established in 1975, the Jansz vineyard was originally named after Tasman’s ship, the Heemskerk. In 1986, esteemed Champagne house - Louis Roederer partnered with the owners of Heemskerk Wines to produce Tasmania’s first premium vintage sparkling wine. They saw the similarities between the climate here and the famous wine region of their homeland. In 1997, the Hill-Smith family purchased the vineyard and began the journey that has seen Jansz Tasmania become the most highly regarded sparkling wine house in Australia.

Location of Vineyard

The Jansz Tasmania vineyard sits to the northeast of the island state within the Pipers River region of the Tamar Valley. This cool little corner is colloquially known as ‘Sparkling Tasmania’. Temperatures here are moderated by close proximity to Bass Strait. The ocean breezes keep the temperature up during winter – minimising risk of frost, and down in summer – allowing our grapes to ripen slowly and develop intense, delicate and refined flavours. Resting on a bed of pure, red, free-draining basalt soils, the Jansz vineyard truly is the perfect site to grow grapes for world-class sparkling wines. 

Winemaking and Viticulture Philosophy

The climatic conditions of the Jansz vineyard rival the famed French wine region of Champagne. In fact, it was originally with French contribution that Jansz became Tasmania’s first sparkling made using the traditional Méthode. Today we call it, Méthode Tasmanoise. It’s the essence of a partnership between the environment and our winemaker. Just as the cool Tasmanian climate creates spectacular beauty in nature, it is also instrumental in the creation of art in bottles. At Jansz, our focus is on the vineyard. We believe the vineyard is where the wine is born. Every day during the growing  season, our winemaker walks the vines and tastes the grapes to gain an intimate understanding of each of our twenty three one-hectare blocks. This experience informs every decision we make from picking to fermenting. Our focus on the vineyard has been instrumental in establishing Jansz Tasmania as Australia’s sparkling wine specialist.

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Winery Profile
Owner: Hill-Smith Family
Winemaker: Teresa Heuzenroeder / Viticulturist: Jennifer Doyle
Founded: 1975
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Acclaim
“Pipers River fruit, a blend of 68% chardonnay and 32% pinot noir; pale straw with an enthusiastic and fine bead and mousse. Aromas of crunchy green apple, wildflowers, sea spray, toasted brioche and hazelnuts and a touch of clotted cream. Light biscuity tones and a touch of crème fraîche on the palate, which displays a minerally tension courtesy of some fine, lacy acidity, driving towards an extended finish; clean, dry and very moreish.” — acclaim for 2019 Jansz Tasmania Vintage Cuvée from James Halliday, Aug 2024
“A blend of Pipers River chardonnay and pinot noir with partial barrel fermentation in aged French oak for six months. Light straw with a fine bead and mousse. Aromas of apple, lemon and lime zest along with hints of wildflowers and mountain herbs, a whiff of flint and sea spray, crushed stone and roasted nuts. It walks the ridgeline of richness and minerality confidently. There's tension there, releasing with a swift cadence and long finish with just a hint of elderflower amongst the citrus and stone fruits.” — acclaim for 2015 Jansz Tasmania Vintage Cuvée from James Halliday, Aug 2024
“Very, very pale orangey pink. Not much mousse. But very alluring Pinot nose and great balance of fruit and freshness. Like being caressed on the cheek by a feather. Gentle but not actively sweet. As suggested by Tam here, it really did go well with roast beef.” – 17 points  — acclaim for 2017 Jansz Tasmania Vintage Rosé from Jancis Robinson, May 2024
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