My story
The Lubiana family have been making wine in Italy since the late 1800’s in the northwest of Italy (today Croatia) , Andrea Lubiana left his family vineyard in Istria, and moved his winemaking life from Northern Italy to South Australia for a new life after World War Two. In South Australia - Andrea’s winemaking continued and was taken over by his son Mario Lubiana. Steve Lubiana was the next winemaker to continue the legacy and moved to Tasmania with my mother Monique in 1990 to produce fine wines from cool climate varietals. After finishing high school I undertook a bachelor of Oenology and Viticulture at the University of Adelaide and graduated in 2018, during my time in Adelaide - I worked for East End Cellars for two years where my palate was fine tuned to quality fine wines of France and Italy thanks to Michael Andrewartha and the team. Finishing university I was left with a strong interest in Burgundy, I went on to find an internship in Cote d’Or for the 2019 vintage. The experience was great and looking forward to another European vintage. Due to covid-19 I have not be able to visit Europe and have been busy honing my skills at my parents winery in Granton, Stefano Lubiana Wines, we I continue to make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay each year with less emphasise on the Huon Valley and more on Granton (Derwent Valley). I now have export in Singapore, Hong Kong and the UK. Stay tuned for updates via my mailing list (see below).
My approach
Growing up on a vineyard I have seen the change in viticulture from conventional in the 2000s to biodynamics in the past 15 years and from this have always been interested in this type of viticulture and winemaking. I continue to learn more each day from books, my father and personal observations. I believe a lot of knowledge from the past vine growers of ancient times who spent countless hours in the vineyard noticing small changes in the vines with our cosmos have been lost and replaced today with science and chemicals. Like my father and many other notable vignerons around the world have said 90% of the wine quality is from the vineyard and the remaining 10% is from the winemaking. My winemaking techniques are therefore simple, pumps are used for ferments and after that gravity takes preference. Cold humid cellar temperatures during maturation allow for a slow evolution of the wine which I believe is a necessity to produce quality wine. Sulfur is a tool my father has taught me well to be careful with, I use the least amount of sulfur as possible or none in some cases without losing freshness and longevity of my wines. I only buy the best corks and bottles to give my wines the best condition possible to mature in your cellar.
Wine Reviews
Marco Lubiana is one of the rising stars of Tasmanian, nay, Australian wine. This marks his 5th release, now focusing solely on the certified biodynamic Granston Estate vineyard in the Derwent valley. 30% whole bunch this year due to the cooler season. Bright ruby with nicely focused fruit tones of raspberry, red cherry and wild strawberry. Hints of medina spice, purple flowers, crushed stone, dried orange peel, mountain herbs and dried meats. Harmonious and supple with a very composed flow across the palate, fine porcelain acidity and subtle chalky tannins, finishing long and true. 2023 Pinot Noir - Dave Brookes (95 points)
A mineral-rich Derwent Valley chardonnay with great detail and verve, showing white peach, nectarine, confit lemon and apple fruits with hints of sea breeze, soft spice, crème fraîche, dried tangerine rind, stone and yellow plum. Creamy yet precise, that vivid acidity doing its thing, finishing long and true with flavours of grapefruit pith, stone fruits and spiced oatmeal. 2023 Chardonnay - Dave Brookes (95 points)
From two family (Lubiana) vineyards comes this pinot. Making waves, is Marco. A sappy and snappy pinot noir, crisp and bright, red cherry fruited with some pickled cherry elements, faint clove, some smoky paprika, mint, pleasing bitter amaro characters with flavours and scents matching well. Sits at just shy of medium weight, a potency here no doubt, the spice trail lingering and puckering in the palate, flighty tannins shaping things nicely to a fine chew through the finish. It’s a moody pinot noir, one for fireside and cooler places, which has its worth, and for drinkers of the variety there’s depth and complexity in spades. Nicely done. 2022 Pinot Noir. -Mike Bennie
Younger gen Lubiana doing his thing. An attractive array of wines have been released under this label, made at the Lubiana home base. Great!It’s a rich and round chardonnay with a swathe of grapefruity acidity cutting through green melon, green apple, nougat notes and sweet spice. Lots of flavour, lots of character, some palate staining sweetness and more spice, a slick finish that rolls on with light, briny elements. Feels serious, feels deep and potent, yet has good vitality too. Power and grace hand in hand. 2022 Chardonnay. -Mike Bennie
Huon and Derwent fruit sources. Huon, de-stemmed. Derwent, whole-bunch. Orange rind, smoky marjoram, kirsch and bay leaf. An intriguing meld of herb-doused tannins, meshed with generous plummy fruit and blue pastilles, not dissimilar in mid-weight or drinkability to a good cru Beaujolais from a warmer year. A delicious wine for the earlier term. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. 2022 Pinot Noir. - Ned Goodwin MW
A flinty reduction on the nose is assuaged by the softening hints of malolactic on the layered palate. Acacia, hibiscus, orange rind, a fleck of ginger and nectarine splayed long. This really is a lovely mid-weighted wine of considerable extract, verve and a winning tension, worth putting away for five years to a decade. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2026. 2022 Chardonnay. - Ned Goodwin MW