Apsley Gorge Vineyard — Tasmania's Most Singular Pinot Noir Estate
Apsley Gorge Vineyard is one of Tasmania's most distinctive, celebrated, and genuinely singular wine estates — a small, low-yield, non-irrigated vineyard on the rugged east coast of Tasmania that produces Pinot Noir of extraordinary depth, complexity, and Burgundian character. The story of Apsley Gorge is inseparable from the story of its founder and winemaker, Brian Franklin — a former abalone diver and lobster fisherman who planted his vineyard in the early 1990s, taught himself winemaking, and has since become one of the most respected and admired Pinot Noir producers in Australia.
History & The Brian Franklin Story
Apsley Gorge Vineyard was established in 1988 and takes its name from the Apsley Gorge — a dramatic mountain pass on Tasmania's east coast, near the town of Bicheno, where the Apsley River cuts through ancient dolerite and sandstone to reach the Tasman Sea. The vineyard was planted in the early 1990s by Brian Franklin — a man whose path to winemaking is one of the most extraordinary and unlikely in the Australian wine industry.
Brian Franklin spent his early working life as an abalone diver and lobster fisherman on Tasmania's wild east coast — a life of physical hardship, intimate connection with the natural world, and the kind of patient, observational intelligence that the sea demands of those who work it. It was this same intelligence and patience that he brought to viticulture and winemaking when he planted his vineyard at Bicheno, and it is these qualities that are evident in every bottle of Apsley Gorge Pinot Noir.
Brian took over the winemaking at Apsley Gorge in the late 1990s, and in 2000 began what has become an extraordinary and ongoing commitment to learning from the world's greatest Pinot Noir producers: he has worked every vintage in Burgundy since 2000, most recently working alongside Yann Charlopin at Domaine Charlopin-Tissier — one of Burgundy's most celebrated and respected domaines. This annual immersion in the Burgundian tradition — the techniques, the philosophy, the attention to detail, and the deep respect for the grape and the terroir — has profoundly shaped the character of Apsley Gorge Pinot Noir, producing wines of a Burgundian precision and complexity that are genuinely rare in the Australian wine landscape.
The Vineyard
The Apsley Gorge vineyard is approximately seven hectares in size — small by any measure, and deliberately so. The vineyard is farmed as low yield and non-irrigated, with hand pruning and hand picking throughout — a commitment to quality over quantity that is the foundation of everything Brian Franklin does. The combination of low yields, non-irrigation, and the meticulous hand-farming of every vine produces fruit of extraordinary concentration, complexity, and character — the kind of fruit that only comes from vines that are genuinely stressed, deeply rooted, and intimately connected to the ancient soils and cool maritime climate of Tasmania's east coast.
The Region: Bicheno & Tasmania's East Coast
Bicheno is a small coastal town on Tasmania's east coast, approximately 190 kilometres northeast of Hobart, situated on the shores of the Tasman Sea. The east coast of Tasmania is one of the island's most distinctive and climatically unique wine-growing areas — sheltered from the prevailing westerly winds by the Central Highlands, the east coast enjoys a warmer and drier microclimate than much of the rest of Tasmania, with long, sunny days and the moderating influence of the Tasman Sea creating ideal conditions for producing Pinot Noir of exceptional ripeness, aromatic complexity, and natural acidity.
The ancient soils of the Bicheno area — derived from the Jurassic dolerite and Permian sandstone that form the geological backbone of Tasmania's east coast — are free-draining, mineral-rich, and capable of producing wines of extraordinary depth and terroir expression. The combination of ancient soils, cool maritime climate, and the dramatic topography of the Apsley Gorge creates a terroir of genuine uniqueness and distinction — one that is ideally suited to producing Pinot Noir of the complexity, elegance, and longevity that Brian Franklin has spent three decades pursuing.
Apsley Gorge Pinot Noir — Tasmania
The Apsley Gorge Pinot Noir is produced in the Burgundian tradition — unfined and unfiltered, preserving the natural texture, complexity, and character of the wine without the stripping effect of fining agents or filtration. Despite being unfined and unfiltered, the wine achieves remarkable clarity and brightness in the glass — a testament to the quality of the fruit and the care of the winemaking.
Deep ruby red, full of promise. Mysterious and deep on the nose with underlying ripe Pinot fruit — no bracken or green character, only the pure, concentrated expression of Tasmanian Pinot Noir at its finest. Textured entry on the palate, mouth-filling and rich, with a long, persistent finish and enough natural acidity to make the wine sing. The wine is initially closed and benefits significantly from decanting — allow at least 30–60 minutes in a decanter to open its full aromatic complexity and reveal the complex Pinot character that lies beneath the firm tannin structure.
A wine of genuine depth, complexity, and cellaring potential — one of Tasmania's most celebrated and collected Pinot Noirs, produced in tiny quantities from one of the island's most distinctive and historically significant vineyard sites.
How to Enjoy Apsley Gorge Pinot Noir
Best served at 14–16°C in a generous Burgundy-style glass. Decant for a minimum of 30–60 minutes before serving — this wine rewards patience and will continue to open and develop in the glass over several hours. Outstanding with roasted duck, venison, mushroom-based dishes, aged soft-rind cheeses, and the full range of Tasmanian produce. A wine to be savoured slowly, in good company, on a special occasion — the product of a lifetime of dedication, Burgundian training, and an intimate connection with one of the world's most extraordinary wine-growing landscapes.
Explore our Apsley Gorge Vineyard range below and discover why Brian Franklin’s Bicheno estate — born of a former fisherman’s passion, shaped by decades of Burgundian apprenticeship, and rooted in the ancient dolerite soils of Tasmania’s wild east coast — produces one of Australia’s most singular and celebrated Pinot Noirs.
