Woodlawn 'Traditional Method - Cuvee 231' Sparkling

ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Woodlawn Tasmania encapsulates three collections from winemaker Ricky Evans: Two Tonne Tasmania, a sub-regional range focusing on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling; Havilah, an experimental, fun-to-drink range from the non-classic varieties of the region like Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris; and his small-batch, single-vineyard Woodlawn Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. His big break came in 2013 when he secured two prized tonnes of Tamar Valley Pinot Noir. This was no small feat; premium Tasmanian Pinot Noir is not easy to come by, as anyone will attest. However, it was a season marked by healthy yields, allowing Ricky to edge his way into a tight-knit region and kick off his label with pristine fruit from a great vineyard (Rosevears). The resulting wine generated excitement throughout the country and launched an exciting career for this young grower. As he’s continued to burnish his reputation with small-batch wines from highly regarded sites across Tasmania, Ricky has immersed himself in establishing his own top-flight vineyard on the old Evans family farm (Woodlawn) in the Tamar Valley. This breezy site on free-draining, silty and sandy soils near the river in Swan Bay is now productive, healthy and full of life—and he’s finally seeing results. Its fruit now forms the backbone of Ricky's TMV range, which includes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Never one to rest on his laurels, Ricky has been looking to make single-site wines for the last few years. In 2021, the stars aligned: it was an excellent season in Tasmania, and the fruit quality from Ricky's chosen sites was through the roof. One of these is Waverley Vineyard, managed by Ricky since 2015, located just to the east of Launceston and planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Then, there's the warm, bright and sunny Three Wishes Vineyard, which sits just north of Hillwood on the eastern bank of the Tamar River, also home to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These wines are made in tiny quantities, and from the first release, it's clear they are primed for inclusion in the upper echelons of vineyard-specific bottlings from the Apple Isle. Imbibo