Pipers Brook: The modern Tasmanian classic with European roots

We caught up with the Chief Winemaker from Kreglinger Wine Estates and Pipers Brook, Luke Whittle, to find out a little bit about him and his winemaking philosophy. But first we wanted to understand how the company he represents came to be.

“Kreglinger Wine Estates and Pipers Brook are owned by Paul de Moor. Paul moved from Belgium to Launceston in the early 2000s to diversify the Australian arm of Kreglinger Australia Pty Ltd. But the Kreglinger name can be traced back hundreds of years to the founding of the Antwerp-based trading company, G&C Kreglinger. The company had primary interests in lambskin and wool but wine also became a part of the business. Paul’s grandfather, Georges Thienpoint, a Flemish wine merchant, bought the iconic Vieux Château Certan in 1924 which marked the beginning of the family’s presence in the Bordeaux region. So Paul had grown up with wine “in his blood” and was keen to carve out his own chapter of the Kreglinger story. His love of wine and Tasmania’s perfect climate aligned beautifully with his European roots.”

Separately, Tasmanian wine pioneer Andrew Pirie and his brother David recognised the potential of a pocket of land in Tasmania’s Tamar Valley and founded the Pipers Brook vineyard in the early 1970s. Andrew and David were proven right: with a terroir comparable to some of the world’s premium European wine regions, the Pipers Brook vineyard quickly developed a reputation for producing fine wine with elegant Tasmanian character.

“When Paul saw Pipers Brook vineyard was on the market in 2001, it only made sense that it became the new home for Kreglinger Wine Estates.”

Today, Pipers Brook vineyard is home to five labels: Pipers Brook Estate, Ninth Island, Kreglinger Sparkling, New Certan Pinot Noir and Pipers Tasmania. Luke oversees all of the group’s labels, along with external consultant and industry stalwart, Jim Chatto.

“I grew up in Whangamata, a small coastal town on the North Island of New Zealand. I studied for a degree in Wine Science before working several vintages in New Zealand, Canada, Germany, and Central Victoria. I always thought I’d return to New Zealand but instead Tasmania lured me right in – I always had a passion for cool climate wines, naturally, but when all the stars aligned for me to be here, it just made sense.  

“There is just so much potential and so many great wines coming out of the State that it is great to be involved in what is happening in Tasmania. It is an awesome opportunity”, says Luke.

 Luke has overseen an ambitious programme of vineyard redevelopment at Pipers Brook, with a transformation of the vineyard infrastructure and vine architecture in 2016/17. This was not an easy undertaking considering the almost 200 hectares of vines at Pipers Brook – huge in comparison to the boutique quantities of most Tassie wineries.

With the ambition of producing consistently high-quality yields, the rejuvenation programme has paid off.

“Each vintage has given us better and better quality fruit”, says Luke, “The way I see my job is certainly not to go in there and try and force the sites into something, into a certain style, but rather make wines that are the best representation of those vineyard blocks.”

With the Pipers Brook vineyard sites selected for their similarity in soil, aspect, and weather conditions to wine regions like Champagne and Alsace, it should come as no surprise that the wines produced on the land are some of the most celebrated in Australia. 

With a focus on Sparkling wines, Aromatics, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Luke’s wines have been recognised at major wine shows in recent years, including the Sydney Royal Wine Show, the Royal Hobart Wine Show, and the Royal Adelaide Wine Show.

“When you think about how much work went into those five or six years, starting in the vineyards, and then taking those wines through the winemaking process, when you get recognition in the form of a trophy, a medal, or a great review, that does make us really proud. It’s pretty special,” says Luke, with a smile.

With the success of the vineyard-rejuvenation clearly evident, a skilled and passionate team crafting and sharing the story of the wines each vintage, and a deep family heritage that has enabled aspiration to strengthen through the generations – there’s every reason these wines will continue to deliver the best quality year-after-year.

Want to try? Discover Pipers Brook Riesling and Pipers Brook Rose in our current Select Six subcription box. Or buy it once. While stocks last.