Sailor Seeks Horse Pinot Noir 2023

The Wine

Vintage 2023
‘If you’ve tasted wines from 2023 in Tasmania we think you’ll have been impressed. It really was an outstanding year – a lovely growing season with moderate yields for most. As with most years for us this was a low-yielding season coming in between 2.5-3t/ha depending on the variety and clone. We’d decided to graft over our MV6 to 115 and Abel in 2021 but some of the grafts didn’t take so we retrained some of the MV6 back to the cordon wire which has meant there is an interesting mix of clones in those rows now. There were also a few bunches from the new west-facing block in the estate Pinot and Chardonnay!

‘Picked at the end of April and into May with 5% whole bunch and our more traditional Tasmanian clones of 8048 and 2051, this is a classically savoury Pinot, lots of layers with a touch more tannin and weight than in cooler years.’ Gilli Lipscombe.

ON THE 2022 VINTAGE
96 Pts Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion 'Huon Valley pinot noir, wild ferment, 5% whole bunch, 12 months' maturation in a mix of barriques, hogsheads and puncheons, 10% new. Mid-ruby with aromas of wild strawberry, red and dark cherry with hints of raspberry coulis, Chinese barbecue joint, sous bois, nori, souk spices, crushed stone and low-volume wood spice. Spacious and silken, with just a scattering of amaro herbs, a touch of brine to the acidity and sapidity and ease of drinking galore. Drink 2023-2035.'

On the 2022
96 Pts Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion 'Huon Valley pinot noir, wild ferment, 5% whole bunch, 12 months' maturation in a mix of barriques, hogsheads and puncheons, 10% new. Mid-ruby with aromas of wild strawberry, red and dark cherry with hints of raspberry coulis, Chinese barbecue joint, sous bois, nori, souk spices, crushed stone and low-volume wood spice. Spacious and silken, with just a scattering of amaro herbs, a touch of brine to the acidity and sapidity and ease of drinking galore. Drink 2023-2035.'

We recently tasted the 2013 (March 25) & yes SSH does age very well! VC



The Details
Variety - Pinot Noir
Country - Australia
Region - Tasmania
Sub Region - Huon Valley
Extra - Screwcap
Year - 2023
Volume - 750ml

This tiny vineyard is one of Australia’s most southerly located in the Huon Valley in southern Tasmania. Paul and Gilli Lipscombe own the vineyard and make the wines and both have considerable vineyard and winemaking experience behind them including winning the Jimmy Watson trophy for Home Hill where they have been the winemakers in recent years. From working together in the Languedoc to New Zealand, Oregon and Margaret River they spent a lot of time researching and considering the best possible vineyard site with the aim  to produce Australia’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay finally settling on this ideal north facing vineyard which is sheltered from the prevailing south-westerly winds. Best described as a warm site within a cool climate, the soil is free-draining quartz inflected mudstone soil over clay. The vineyard is planted to a large variety of Dijon clones as well as numerous other clones planted by the previous owners and all vineyard work is done as organically as possible. In 2019 a new planting including some Trousseau has been made on the steep north-west facing slope beside the main vineyard block.

So to the name, where does that come from? There was a handwritten sign on the wall at the Red Velvet Lounge in Cygnet, our local coffee and cake respite from the Tasmanian weather. It said, “Sailor Seeks Horse” and went on to explain that the author had sailed solo around the world and ridden across the US from coast to coast and back again…on a mule. He’d then decided he wanted to travel around Tasmania by horse but didn’t have one. So, was there anyone who would lend him one? If they didn’t have a horse then a pony would do. It was an idea that resonated with us. Here we were, trying to do something a little bit crazy, without much money and requiring a little bit of help to get to where we wanted to be.