Freycinet Vineyard

Geoff Bull was a former newspaper photographer and abalone diver when he decided on a tree change. He cleared 4ha of land not far from his home in Bicheno and established what would become the East Coast's iconic Freycinet Vineyard. The year was 1979.

With no prior industry experience, he and wife Susan sought consultant advice from the mainland to produce their first vintage of wine in 1983. Within a decade, winemaking had transitioned to Bull himself and then on to daughter Lindy and partner Claudio Radenti. Both had returned to their home State with Roseworthy College qualifications and vintage experience overseas.

It was the start of something special. Over the next two years, the family made preparations to develop a second 4ha site on brown dermosols formed from dolerite parent material. It brought forth early-drinking Chardonnay and Pinot Noir under the Louis Freycinet label. 

A separate 1ha block, further up the hill – in a cooler, more sheltered location – received vines in preparation for a traditional method sparkling wine program. Its first bottle-fermented wine emerged in 1993 in the form of an experimental Chardonnay Pinot Noir blend.

Vintage releases of Radenti – named after its self-effacing winemaker – provided the winning formula until 2011. With the 2012 vintage, Radenti took to producing triple vintage blends, denoted on the label as R3. 'Radenti is doing a Krug,' observed the inscrutable James Halliday in his annual Wine Companion.

The first R3 comprised 40 percent base wine from 2012, 44 percent from 2013 and 16 percent from 2014. The result was an even better sparkling than a single vintage. It combined vibrant, citrussy freshness with a more complex and layered palate that offered superb texture and put good Champagne to the test.

While R3 made it into Australia's Top 100 Wines in 2021, vintage releases like the 2008 and 2016 Grand Vintage continued to set new standards for quality. Freycinet Vineyard celebrated its 30 years of Radenti Sparkling by taking out the Trophy for Best Sparkling Wine at the 2023 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards. The 2016 Vintage Cuvée was pushed to the limit by the vineyard's other gold medal winner, the 2017 Vintage Rosé.

Pinot Noir success came very early on for the family's annual releases of small-scale, single vineyard wines. Renowned critic James Halliday – in his chair of judges role at the 1993 Tasmanian Wine Show – attributed a breath-taking score of 19.5/20 to the 1991 Freycinet Pinot Noir.

In 2019, Sydney critic and wine judge Huon Hooke singled out the 20o8 with high praise and a 98/100 score as the wine moved into its second decade of life.

The release of the 2024 Reserve Pinot Noir in 2025 set another high water mark for the family company, with the variety being offered to consumers in a three-tier structure reflecting style and quality. Louis Freycinet may not quite have the pizazz of its lauded siblings, but it remains a topnotch, medium-bodied wine that drinks very well from an early age.

Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc from the property have also won multiple trophies and gold medals over the decades, confirming Freycinet Vineyard's rightful position as a cornerstone of East Coast viticulture and an exemplar of Tasmanian cool climate wine.

"Lindy and Claudio have dedicated their lives to enhancing its reputation. They are two of the most appealing ambassadors in the wine world." The Weekend Australian, December 2023.

Postscript, 2026 Tasmanian Wine Show trophies: 

Best Riesling, 2025 Freycinet Vineyard. Best Sauvignon Blanc: 2025 Freycinet Vineyard Wineglass Bay

Key details:

• Geoff Bull: owner/director
• Susan Bull: owner/director
• Lindy Bull: owner/winemaker
• Claudio Radenti: owner/winemaker

Vineyard/cellar door address:

15919 Tasman Hwy, Apslawn TAS 7190

Telephone:

+61 (3) 6257 8574

Email:

info@freycinetvineyard.com.au

Website:

www.freycinetvineyard.com.au

Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.

Climate data* for sites on the East Coast highlight the wide range of growing conditions here. Consider: Saltwater River Wines (MJT 16.0°C; 859 GDD) and Sterling Heights (MJT 18.3°C; 1267 GDD).

Vineyard sites on the Australian mainland are far warmer than those in Tasmania.

South Australia's Piccadilly Valley* (MJT 20.4°C; 1730 GDD) and Macedon Ranges* (MJT 19.9°C; 1365 GDD) in Victoria are regarded as the coolest GIs in their respective states.

Climate data* for Apslawn, 1995-2024:

• Total annual average rainfall: 705mm
• Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 433mm
• Average autumn rainfall: 167mm
• Mean January temperature: 17.6°C
• Growing degree-days: 1127 GDD
• Average no of hot days (35°C or more) per year: 0
• Average no of cold days (minimum 4°C or less) Sept 1-April 30: 15

*Source: My Climate View, utilising past data from the Bureau of Meteorology and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Funded by the Australian Government.

Last page update: January 2026