Our first table wine releases are now out. There is a 2015 vintage Fiano made in Canberra from Riverland fruit grown at Ricca Terra Farms and a 2013 Sagrantino from plantings at Murrumbateman in the Canberra District. Both are priced at $24 a bottle.
New releases - December 2015
Our next Ancestral method sparkling wine is now available. This is made with Savagnin grapes grown at Murrumbateman in the Canberra District, from the 2015 vintage.
Also released is our first table wine. The 2013 vintage produced the first crop of Sagrantino for the Canberra District and the wine shows the berries and dark cocoa of the variety.
See The Wines page for more, and how to order.
Gourmet Traveller - July 2015
Our Sparkling Gamay 2014 was one of the top drinks in the July 2015 Australian Gourmet Traveller.
CT and Winefront Reviews
There have been a couple of reviews of the Tumbarumba Gamay Ancestral in May.
Chris Shanahan in the Canberra Times on 6 May 2015 at Wine review – Sevenhill, Bowen Estate, Yalumba, Penfolds, d’Arenberg and Sassafras
And Mike Bennie at Wine Front on 22 May 2015 (you need to be a member to read the full review) at Sassafras Gamay Ancestral 2014...
"Top shelf pet nat. Never thought I’d say that; usually just guzzle the stuff down and shift on. It’s bright and vibrant in glass. Near the rim and musk, rose water and gentle sweet vanilla whiffs show with a dash of alpine herbs. Foamy mouthfeel, good creamy texture shifts to mouthwatering cranberry acidity. Bubbles are big and friendly, fruit is sweet-sour and there’s a lick of neat bitterness to whip the palate to fresh. Yum. This is fine, fresh and ballistically delicious. Sign up now."
Oz Wine Review article about the TGA
There is a new write up about the Ancestral Gamay by Andrew Graham on Oz Wine Review:
http://www.ozwinereview.com/2015/05/intriguing-new-aussie-ancestral.html
Liquor licence!
Ready to start showing the wines around, starting with the 2014 Tumbarumba Gamay Ancestral sparkling wine. The 2013 Canberra Sagrantino will go to bottle after vintage, with a bit of bottle-ageing before release.
Vintage 2015
The 2015 vintage has been excellent. While we wait on the grafted Fiano vines out at Hilltops to get bearing, a parcel of Riverland Fiano from Ricca Terra Farms was available, so there is a 2015 Fiano in tank. The ancestral sparkler for 2015 has been made from Canberra Savagnin grapes grown at Quarry Hill. There will be a Canberra Sagrantino from 2015 as well – ripe, spicy, tannic and acid-bright fruit picked 22nd of March.