2020 Pirie Vintage Sparkling, Tasmania

Trophy & Top Gold for Best Vintage Sparkling Wine at the 2026 Tasmanian Wine Show

A keenly focused Tasmanian blend of chardonnay and pinot noir produced in the traditional method. Pale straw with a boisterous fine bead and mousse. I've been liking the Pirie wines of late and their trad vintage is always on point. Notes of green apple and grapefruit flecked with sea spray, clover blossom, shortbread biscuits, wet stone, apple turnover and lemon curd. Precise and vital on the palate with tones of tarte Tatin, white flowers, cracked wheat and seaside memories with crystalline acid drive and a chalky, mineral vapour trail to remind of its passage. Drink to 2038.

96 points Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, March 2025

Tasmanian sparkling continues to rise in profile and it is wines like this one that set the benchmark. A classic blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, made using the traditional method. The wine then spends three years ageing on lees (the same as the minimum required for vintage Champagne). The result is enticing aromas of crisp green apple and lime blossoms with a sea spray note that conjures images of summer afternoons by the seaside. As it opens up in the glass, zesty lemon curd and perfectly crunchy shortcrust pastry bring the lemon meringue tart vibes.  On the palate the silky/tangy tango continues with yuzu zest, lime leaf and creme fraiche. There’s the herbal-citrus tang of just-picked tarragon and golden toasted filo pastry. A chalky minerality and perfectly fine bubble might just remind you of Champagne. Drink to 2030.

96 points Nicole Bilson for Wine Pilot, January 2025

Pale in appearance. The nose gives aromas of Asian pears, lemon zest and chalk. The palate is light-bodied with a fine mousse and focused acidity, showing aromas of shortbread, lime curd and straw. Made from a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir. Well balanced. Drink or hold.

94 points James Suckling, September 2024

The 2020 Traditional Method Vintage spent four years on tirage, and the fruit that was selected represents the best of the season, which was a cool and wet vintage. It was overlaid by the impact of COVID-19, as well. The fruit was picked early at around 10 to 11 degrees Baumé, and the cépage consists of an even split of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Tom Wallace and his team are looking for the tensest parcels to go into this wine, while the complexity is derived from autolysis during tirage. The wine recently won the trophy for best vintage sparkling wine at the 2026 Wine Show of Tasmania, and it looked every bit the part in the lineup. It's not the first trophy it has gained, either. The fruit is powerful and concentrated, with a spool of maritime acidity that spools out through the finish. This lovely wine had an eight grams per liter dosage. Drink to 2036.

93 points Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, March 2026

Pirie Tasmania was founded by Dr. Andrew Pirie, the trailblazing viticulturist who was a leader in establishing the fine wine credentials of Tasmania’s northeastern corner and who remains one of the most influential figures in Tasmanian wine.

The Brown Family Wine Group, of Brown Brothers and Tamar Ridge note, has built on his substantial legacy since 2010. Senior winemaker Tom Wallace’s team can easily confidently that Pirie Tasmania remains one of Australia’s best addresses for traditional bottle fermented sparkling wines, with an enviable track record of critical acclaim.