Our philosophy is all about being adaptable. The decisions we make are based on making a vintage the best it can be.
Old-world tradition, new-world grapes
As a small island separate from the mainland of Australia, Tasmania has a well-earned reputation as an exceptional winemaking region. With clean, pure water, mineral-rich soils, long summer days, plenty of rain and lots of hills, Tasmania can claim some of the most varied and interesting cool-climate terroir in the country. It has long attracted passionate and skilled winemakers seeking the perfect spot to ply their craft.
Using grapes from two geographically distinct vineyards (Moorilla in the south, St Matthias in the north), we create three very different wine series: Cloth Label, Muse, and Praxis.
Our approach is without compromise.
If the fruit isn’t perfect, the wine doesn’t get made. In this age of instant gratification, we only release wines at their best. And that can take years. Our dedication runs full circle. Vines are hand-plucked, hand-tied and hand-picked during the cool days of autumn. Wines are pressed down by hand. And by hand, our barrels are racked through the year. From spring bud burst to our bottles leaving the winery, precision and care shape our process.
42° 48’ 43.67” S
147° 15’ 39.17” E
Moorilla’s westerly aspect makes it something of a rarity in Tasmania, but the slope of the land is quite shallow so we still see good sunlight. Soils at Moorilla are very dry, which means yearly water availability and rainfall have a big bearing on both yields and ripening speed across the vineyard— ordinarily with a vineyard of this size (two hectares) you’d expect to be picking it all simultaneously, but with the variations we see across parcels we can be picking for three weeks.
41° 20’ 16.73” S
147° 0’ 55.27” E
Sitting on the rising west bank of the Tamar River, the east-facing site receives full sun, which is tempered by near-constant cool breezes—helping to ensure long and cool ripening conditions. Soils are varied but fertile across the entire site, and this—coupled with a 110-metre rise in altitude across the site—means we can see significant variation in ripening and yields from one area to the next (just like Moorilla).
St Matthias is a stellar site for producing fruit- driven and acid-balanced wines, giving plenty of ripe varietal characters offset by delicate, natural vitality and acidity.
Moorilla recently joined Tasmania’s leading producers in Singapore, showcasing the island’s cool-climate wines to the region’s wine trade and media. Conor presented the 2019 Muse Extra Brut Rosé, alongside leading Tasmanian sparklings, Chardonnay and Pinot noir—a proud opportunity to showcase Tasmania on the world stage. (Photo credit: Colossal Pro | Wine Tasmania)
There’s plenty happening behind the cellar door, too. Disgorging of our sparkling wines will begin in late September, while next week we’ll be bottling the 2025 Muse Sauvignon blanc and Muse Chardonnay, alongside the 2026 Praxis Chardonnay Musqué and Praxis Sauvignon blanc.
Winter pruning is nearly complete, with the team starting the careful work back in mid-June. The vines are now pruned and tied down, ready for the growing season ahead, while the final vineyard jobs focus on maintenance and mulching the remaining prunings at St Matthias.
After another relatively mild winter, we’re keeping a close eye on the vineyards for an early budburst. The pear and cherry blossoms are usually our first sign that things are waking up, with budburst typically following around three weeks later at Moorilla.
The 2026 Southern Tasmania vintage was characterised as a late, slow-ripening season that produced exceptional fruit quality. A cooler-than-usual spring and persistent cloud cover delayed harvest by up to five weeks. This extended maturation period resulted in pristine fruit with outstanding flavour concentration and natural acidity balance, particularly in Pinot noir and Chardonnay. Harvesting for table wines extended into late May.
Vintage 2025 was a celebratory year, achieving a combination of exceptional quality and record-breaking yields. Seasonal conditions were consistent and slightly warmer than average, with moderated temperatures due to the island's maritime climate.
The vintage was earlier, condensed, and larger, which pressured winery capacity. Despite some localised issues like frost and hail, producer management ensured high quality.
The 2024 vintage was welcomed for achieving a "trifecta" of excellent quality, record value and a return to strong yields. Seasonal conditions were variable but generally dry, with above-average temperatures in the north and cooler temperatures in the south.
Consistently cool overnight temperatures were a notable feature, aiding flavour development and acid balance, which resulted in an earlier and condensed vintage pointing toward a very promising vintage for both red and white wines.
Despite a challenging season defined by wet, cool conditions that delayed ripening, the 2023 vintage yielded modest volumes of excellent quality. Overall production was similar to 2022, but with low yields partially counterbalanced by new vineyards entering production.
Exceptional producer vigilance ensured the harvested wine grapes achieved excellent quality.
A vintage that delivered excellent quality across all styles. Cooler-than-average temperatures and unseasonal rainfall in southern areas lengthened the growing season and delayed the start of harvest, which ultimately benefited the fruit by producing great depth of flavour and structure.
The 2021 vintage achieved the sought-after combination of good yields and exceptional quality, with the harvest volume returning to average. The growing season was defined by generous winter/spring rain, cool temperatures, and steady, slow ripening, resulting in a prolonged harvest. Across the state, standout varieties included Pinot noir, Chardonnay, and aromatic white wines, all noted for intense yet elegant flavours and vibrant structure.
The 2020 Tasmanian vintage delivered outstanding quality but with a significant quantity reduction: approximately 28% down on the previous year. It was one of the most challenging seasons, characterised by a cooler-than-average period that delayed harvest into May.
Cold, constant spring winds reduced bunch sizes and overall yields. Despite localised challenges with rainfall variability, the quality, especially for Pinot noir, Chardonnay, and aromatic white wines, was outstanding.
The 2019 Tasmanian vintage was an outstanding year for quality. The season was exceptionally warm and dry, placing it among the driest on record and minimising disease pressure. These conditions produced intensely concentrated fruit, leading to highly celebrated Pinot noir and Chardonnay with concentrated flavours, robust structure, and balanced acidity, while also providing superb ripeness for sparkling base wines.
New records for volume and value, 2018 was the earliest and quickest harvest recorded, starting in mid-February and proceeding at a frenetic pace due to warm weather and large yields. The season was warmer than average without being hot, and low rainfall resulted in a clean harvest with minimal disease pressure, leading to excellent quality, ripeness, and flavour across all wine styles.
A season of excellent fruit quality and high demand, widely regarded as potentially "one of the greats". The season began wet and cool but finished dry and warm, allowing for full vineyard potential. A very long and mostly quite cool season that resulted in fantastic depth of flavour and aromas across varietals, balanced by brilliant acidity, suggesting wines with great versatility and ageing potential.
2016 was a record-breaker for both yield and demand. Tasmania is a whole exceeded 15,000 tonnes with high quality fruit. Warm, dry conditions throughout spring and summer were ideal for fruit set, clean fruit with high natural acidity and excellent varietal characteristics.
2015 was marked with high quality with a moderate yield, finishing 3% above the long-term average. Spring and summer rainfall led to good vegetative growth, but cool weather in the south during flowering reduced potential crops for some areas. The resulting clean fruit was of high quality, exhibiting excellent varietal characteristics, particularly for dominant varieties Pinot noir and Chardonnay.
The season started with promise, but severe cool, wet, and windy weather in December and through flowering caused significant disruption to the fruit set, especially for Pinot noir and Chardonnay, leading to a 50–60% decline in yields. Favourable weather later in the season allowed remaining fruit to develop full flavour while retaining good natural acidity, resulting in above-average quality despite these low yields.
Bumper yields and high quality, setting record harvests. Excellent soil moisture from winter rains, followed by a long, warm, dry summer, supported strong canopies and larger than expected crops. The warm, dry weather ensured full flavour development and clean fruit, retaining good natural acidity, though the large crop load slowed ripening slightly.
The 2012 vintage was marked by very high quality despite a 6% reduction in yield. Generally cool weather interspersed with warm periods, and slightly below-average rainfall. Early frost contributed to smaller bunch sizes and a reduced harvest, but overall low disease pressure allowed vineyards to produce clean fruit with high natural acidity, and excellent varietal characteristics.