2024 Highclare Estate Sparkling Vintage Rosé $38
It's been 10 years since Sydney-siders Matt and Sarah Hurst first set eyes on their 130ha property just off the East Tamar Highway, near Hillwood. The run-down former grazing land hadn't been worked for generations. There was no road, no water, no power. But the town planner and the advertising executive bought it any way.
These industry newbies spent the next seven years learning cool-climate viticulture from scratch, planting 32,000 vines along the way.
They sensibly left the job of winemaking to highly-talented and experienced professionals, so when it came time to launch their first vintage releases of Highclare Estate single vineyard wines, the couple's new business hit the ground running.
They even brought the Highclare Wine Room and Cellar Door into town. Its Tamar Street location is opposite the main entrance to Launceston's historic City Park.
Fran Austin and Shane Holloway have been making topnotch wines in Tasmania for almost 25 years. Their Delamere traditional method sparklings figure among the State's best. This 100 percent Pinot Noir from the excellent 2024 vintage is a very good example of what can be produced from young vine fruit that spent just 18 months in bottle on its yeast lees.
The wine bursts into the glass with bright and engaging pale salmon pink hues and the appropriate swirl of fine creamy mousse. Its aromas are subtle/delicate, redolent of red fruits/red apples with a hint of almond paste.
The palate really lights up thereafter. It's fresh, bright, energetic, youthful. A good bit of teamwork from the two couples has seen the wine arrive at just about the ideal point of dryness for most consumers, with the finish following along in a nicely measured way.
These are still very early days for this young vineyard and its passionate ownership. Additional vine age and a little more time on lees is likely to see the evolution of a more complex and satisfying wine style.
There's no need to rush.
This 2024 offers very good value in the Sparkling Vintage Rosé segment and will deliver plenty of drinking pleasure for family and friends over the summer months.
It works very well indeed on its own, and has the intensity and structure needed to partner a wide range of likely festive foods, including fresh seafood, small and tasty savouries, not to mention the ubiquitous freshly-shucked oysters and smoked salmon.
The Hursts can be justifiably proud of this business milestone. Sydney's loss is our gain.
Source: Cellar door tasting, Highclare Wine Room
Last page update: 29 October 2026