Ricky Evans
PURE BRILLIANCE
Small-batch winemaker Ricky Evans is a champion for Tasmania’s growing wine scene, with ambitions to help elevate the island to one of the world’s great wine regions.
As a winemaker, Ricky dreamt of starting his own label, but the cost of buying grapes proved prohibitive. In 2013, a local winery offered him two tonnes of Pinot Noir in exchange for filling in as temporary winemaker. This was the foot in the door he needed, and that year he produced his first wines under his label Two Tonne Tasmania in the coveted Tamar Valley. Pure and elegant, Ricky’s wines are a shining example of the brilliance coming out of Tasmania today.
Isle of wine
Born and bred on the scenic island of Tasmania, Ricky wouldn’t want to make wine anywhere else. His star has risen rapidly since he launched his own label in 2013, and these days his wines are hot property.
Operations are a little bigger now, with Ricky handling much more than that initial two tonnes of fruit, but his ethos remains the same: “Small parcels, big love”.
“I put a lot of thought and care into small parcels of fruit to make more complete and complex wines,” says Ricky. “I like to spend a lot of time in the vineyard and pick out bits that are going to shine in particular ways.”
Ricky’s award-winning wines reflect the pristine island they come from: pure, fresh and vibrant. Pinot Noir is his signature offering, notoriously challenging to make, and it sits alongside others including Riesling, Chardonnay and some exciting blends.
“I want flavour... I want the wines to be generous and people to feel that they’ve really got something out of them,” says Ricky. “But purity is first and foremost what I’m trying to find.”
It’s a quality that defines Tasmanian wine more broadly, and Ricky is passionate about contributing to the wine community and encouraging the rest of the world to discover this unique region.
“I’ve spent a lot of time away, and I’m excited to get away, but I’m more excited when I’m coming home,” he says. “Tasmania is incredibly diverse. My vineyard here is very different to another one of my vineyards which is 10 minutes away, and that’s just within a very small area.”
Ricky believes the island has what it takes to become one of the great wine regions of the world.
“I hope part of my role, being a younger person in the industry down here, is to help Tasmania reach its potential.”
“I want flavour. I want the wines to be generous. But purity is first and foremost what I’m trying to find.” – Ricky Evans
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