Pinot lure
Duncan Ferguson and Susana Fernandez are no slouches when it comes to winemaking. It's what you'd expect of a couple who've lived and worked in some of the world's top wine-producing regions.
But talk with them about Altaness – their small artisan winery in Tasmania's Huon Valley – and the conversation takes an unexpected path.
It's not tools and techniques that are front-of-mind. It's details of the lavish and precision care they devote to their 1.5ha vineyard south of Cygnet.
It's the lure of cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
"You don't need fancy gadgets to make good wine," Ferguson explains.
"You need quality fruit before you need anything else."
Indeed, producing top quality fruit is the only game in town in cool climate Tasmania.
Every winemaker worth their salt will tell you that. Just stop and listen.
Ferguson and Fernandez figure among the 40-plus winemakers and vineyard operators with tales to tell – and wines to share – during Wine South's Southern Open Vineyards Weekend.
The event takes place from 28 February to 2 March, 2025.
It's a unique, self-guided journey into Tasmanian wine. Participating producers can be found in the Coal River Valley, the Derwent Valley, the Huon Valley/D'Entrecasteaux Channel and Tasmania's South East.
Vineyards furthest from Hobart – in the Huon/Channel and South East – account for more than half those with open invitations. Most represent an industry sector that is small-scale, family-owned and seldom seen. Many will have specially curated on-site tours, food and live entertainment.
"We started planting vines in 2016 but our vineyard is yet to be fully developed," Ferguson continues.
"In the meantime, we've been able to access fruit from mature vineyards we work with in the region. We have a good reputation for the wines we've made since purchasing our property back in 2015."
Amen to that.
Ferguson and Fernandez began their careers on the other side of the world. In 1997, they established the 4.5ha Cascabel Vineyard in South Australia's McLaren Vale.
Its mix of Spanish and southern Rhone varieties brought early success. But only Tempranillo and Riesling purchased from the Eden Valley raised owner pulse-rates, says Madrid-born Fernandez.
"We wanted to produce savoury wines with perfume and elegance; handcrafted, minimally-handled wines reflecting true cool climate origins," she explains.
"We wanted it all. We sold up in 2015 and moved to the Huon to start again; to explore the exceptional possibilities this valley has to offer. We don't have a problem producing small quantities of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir when we can create wines that have such purity, freshness and longevity. It's inspiring."
To visit this idyllic region is to discover Ferguson and Fernandez have much in common with their peers.
Two decades ago, Queensland-born Max Marriott was destined for a career in mechanical and aerospace engineering. A 21st birthday present in the form of an airline ticket from his parents took him to New Zealand instead.
"I fell in love with the place," he recalls.
"After exploring its wine regions, I dropped out of my uni course and moved to Christchurch. Twin passions for wine and applied science resulted in a degree in viticulture and oenology from Lincoln University."
Vineyard work at renowned Felton Road taught Marriott how to grow cool climate Pinot Noir, by addressing critical leaf canopy management. A move to a different landscape and vintage 2006 at Tamar Ridge Wines in northern Tasmania made hands-on winemaking a focus.
Marriott's spell in the State was brief but provided valuable insights into its new and evolving possibilities of cool climate wine production.
With his degree completed, Marriott headed back to Pinot-centric Central Otago. He soon found it was more than just red wine country. In 2009, Marriott and several industry partners embarked on an ambitious project to make small volumes of discretely different Central Otago Riesling, sourced from selected subregions.
Their Auburn wine brand wowed critics with distinctive, clear-cut expressions of the variety. Admirers included renowned UK writer and commentator Jancis Robinson MW.
Marriott says making Riesling from the same patches of dirt every year for six vintages helped foster a deep understanding of the complex connections that link site, season, grape and wine.
Vintages in Burgundy, the Mosel Valley and Oregon preceded Marriott's return to Tasmania in 2017 along with wife Siobahn. There was something about the lure of making topnotch Pinot Noir here that simply couldn't be resisted.
Today, the couple's Anim Wine company operates two leased vineyards: Windrush at Kingston and Tinderbox further south.
Marriott's key management roles at Clarence House, Cambridge, add to a busy working week.
By 2021, Marriott's single-minded focus on quality viticulture and winemaking was about to be rewarded. That year, he grew and made Clarence House's winning entry in the 2022 Australian Pinot Noir Challenge. The estate's flagship wine from the following vintage is now listed among Australia's top Pinot Noirs in the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion.
"My goal is growing great fruit at each of the three vineyards we lease, manage or oversee," Marriott explains.
"Our Anim project is small, personal, quality-driven. We farm the land organically; build soil condition and vitality. We work hard to increase plant health. We're making wines from the ground up; wines from fruit we've farmed ourselves and is truly unique and expressive of place."
Marriott will be pouring his Anim Wines at Tinderbox Vineyard during Wine South's Southern Open Vineyards Weekend. He's not only a talented viticulturist and winemaker, he's also a great communicator. Be sure to mark your calendar: 28 February to 2 March, 2025.
First published 21 February 2025: tasmaniantimes.com
Last page update: 26 May 2026