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To mark the milestone, we recently gathered in Melbourne for 40 Years in the Making, an intimate tasting that brought together our current releases and remarkable back vintages spanning three decades. From our beginnings in Pipers River to the Jansz Tasmania Sparkling wines of today, the evening offered an opportunity to reflect on where we've come from and raise a glass to our bright future.
Four decades of Jansz TasmaniaThe Jansz Tasmania story began in 1986, when renowned Champagne house Louis Roederer collaborated with Heemskerk Wines to plant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines at Pipers River. The vineyard site was carefully selected for its proximity to Bass Strait and ancient red basalt soils. Together, this creates the ideal conditions that allow grapes to ripen slowly while developing the natural acidity and flavour required for exceptional Tasmanian sparkling wine. The next defining chapter arrived in 1998, when the Hill-Smith family acquired the brand and continued to shape Jansz Tasmania into a pioneering Australian sparkling wine specialist. Today, our home stretches across Tasmania. Our roots remain firmly planted in Pipers River, while our state-of-the-art Pontos Hill Winery in the Coal River Valley of south-east Tasmania represents another chapter in our story. Together, these distinctive locations reflect how Jansz Tasmania has evolved over four decades while remaining deeply connected to Tasmania and the sites that shape our wines. Through it all, Méthode Tasmanoise has remained at the heart of our approach. Inspired by Tasmania's remarkable environment and suitability for sparkling wine, this philosophy continues to define every bottle of Jansz Tasmania sparkling wine we craft.
Celebrating 40 Years in the MakingFour decades deserved a fitting celebration. On 15 September 2026, 40 Years in the Making brought guests together at Harriot Melbourne for an intimate vertical tasting and paired dining experience. The evening was designed to explore the evolution of the Jansz Tasmania house style through a curated collection of current and back-vintage releases. The vertical tasting brought together wines from different vintages, allowing them to be experienced side by side and offered a unique perspective on how our wines and house style has evolved over time. With Jansz Tasmania releases spanning three decades, from 1992 to 2022, the evening provided a rare opportunity to explore different chapters of our winemaking story in a single sitting. Guests included leading wine and food writers, media, industry experts and influencers, with contributors and representatives from publications and platforms including The Age, Gourmet Traveller, Decanter, Dan's Daily, Onya Magazine and The Modern Muse Magazine. Around the table, exceptional food met decades of Tasmanian sparkling wine, creating an opportunity to experience the Jansz Tasmania story not simply through dates and milestones but through the wines themselves. |
Leading guests through the evening were Jansz Tasmania senior winemaker Teresa Heuzenroeder and sparkling wine expert Tyson Stelzer.
Teresa is one of Australia's most highly regarded cool-climate winemakers, bringing almost 30 years of experience crafting acclaimed sparkling and white wines. Alongside her was Tyson Stelzer, an internationally recognised sparkling wine authority whose accolades include International Champagne Writer of the Year and International Wine & Spirit Communicator of the Year.
Together, they guided guests through the evolution of Jansz Tasmania across an extraordinary selection of vintages, sharing insights into the wines, their development and the house style that connects them.
Three decades of Jansz Tasmania wines in one eveningAt the heart of the Jansz Tasmania anniversary celebration was an extensive line-up of wines showcasing different styles, vintages and expressions. Our Cuvées bracket ranged from the Jansz Tasmania Vintage Cuvée 2022 back to the Late Disgorged Vintage Cuvée 1992, with the Late Disgorged Vintage Cuvée 2017 and our latest release of a new 2011 Late Disgorged Cuvée and Vintage Cuvée 1995 in between. Together, they offered a journey through decades of Jansz Tasmania sparkling wine. Our Rosé line-up was equally special, featuring Vintage Rosé from 2020, 2011 and 2002 alongside our latest release of our new Late Disgorged Vintage Rosé 2011. Jansz Tasmania is a Chardonnay lead sparkling wine house, and our wines have always showcased the purest expression of this variety. Chardonnay took centre stage, with Single Vineyard Vintage Chardonnay from 2020, 2011 and 2008, joined by the latest release of our new Late Disgorged Blanc de Blancs 2011. The tasting was completed by Jansz Tasmania Pontos Hills Vintage Cuvée 2017. |
Our newest Late Disgorged sparkling wines offers a fascinating expression of what time can bring to a wine. In comparison to earlier releases of these Cuvees, we kept aside tiny parcels of these wines which have spent an extended period (over 14 years) ageing on their lees before disgorgement. This additional time has contributed greater texture, complexity and aromatic depth whilst preserving the freshness and elegance of the wine.
The anniversary tasting provided a rare opportunity to experience our new Late Disgorged releases alongside current vintages and special museum wines. Among the highlights were three 2011 releases: Jansz Tasmania Late Disgorged Vintage Cuvée, Late Disgorged Vintage Rosé and Late Disgorged Blanc de Blancs. All three wines will be available from 1 November 2026, exclusively through the Jansz Tasmania Wine Room and online.
What 40 years reveals about the Jansz Tasmania house styleExperiencing wines spanning three decades brought the enduring foundations of the Jansz Tasmania house style into focus. From current vintages to Late Disgorged wines and museum releases, each bottle represented a different chapter in our winemaking story. While vintages, vineyards and expressions have evolved, our connection to Tasmania remains. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, cool-climate fruit and the influence of time continue to shape our wines, while Méthode Tasmanoise expresses the sense of place at the heart of our approach. Four decades on, these foundations continue to guide every bottle we create.
The next chapter for Jansz TasmaniaWhile celebrating Jansz Tasmania's 40 years, we did more than look back. We took the opportunity to recognise the foundations on which the next chapter will be built. From those first Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines planted at Pipers River to our home at Pontos Hill in the Coal River Valley, the 40 years of Jansz Tasmania have been shaped by remarkable places, dedicated people and an enduring commitment to sparkling wine. As we raise a glass to the 40th anniversary of Jansz Tasmania, we also look forward to the vintages, discoveries and celebrations still to come. Join us in celebrating this milestone with the wines that continue to tell our Tasmanian story. Explore the Jansz Tasmania collection online across our Sparkling White, Sparkling Rosé and Vintage Sparkling collections or contact Jansz Tasmania to plan an in-person experience and discover our wines in Tasmania. |
