This Pinot blend, made by gun winemaker Peter Dredge, is the silver lining from a terrible tragedy. Indeed, the wine would not have existed were it not for Tasmania’s devastating 2019 bush fires. With no single-varietal 2019 Pinot slated for release, Meadowbank instead turned their attention to making a snappy, juicy blend of Syrah & Pinot Noir. Loads of fresh raspberry, cherry and rhubarb, with a twang of pepper on the finish. Unfined, unfiltered and with minimal sulphur. Dive right in…

Gerald and Sue Ellis picked the first grapes from their large vineyard at the top end of the Derwent River in 1976, having planted the vines in '74. It was a labour of love, and a calculated risk, there being only a handful of wineries in the region at the time. They made their wines at the neighbouring winery, Frogmore Creek, who eventually purchased the Meadowbank cellar door, leaving the Ellis's to focus on growing grapes. Enter rising star winemaker Peter Dredge, a South Australian who did time at Petaluma before moving to Tasmania. Dredge, having been intimately associated with the vineyard for six years, formed a partnership with the now extended Ellis family (Gerald, Sue, daughter Mardi and her husband, Alex Dean) to relaunch Meadowbank. With old vines, quality winemaking and a families commitment to a special site, the future of Meadowbank seems assured. Exciting times.