In just a couple of years, Paul and Gilli Lipscombe have developed cult status for their glorious Huon Valley pinots - and with some young vines coming online there is more of it than ever before (although production is still tiny). This is a very structural pinot with great acid and intensity that sits midway between the fruit-driven style favoured by many Tasmanian pinot producers and more subtle savoury nuances. It is a wine of power and palate interest, with an immediate drinkability factor. Long and supple; serious but fun. $50. https://sailorseekshorse.com.au
There is something stirring down at Bream Creek. The wines from Fred Peacock's vineyard have always been reliably good but nowadays they are reaching another level. This wine, inspired by the dry rosés of Provence, is a case in point. I've tried it several times over the past few months and it has never failed to deliver crispness and freshness with a tangy cranberry/raspberry bite on the palate. Made from 100% pinot noir it has terrific acidity and would probably be best enjoyed well chilled, as a youngster, perhaps matched with some Middle Eastern dips. $29. www.breamcreekvineyard.com.au.
This lovely wine, light and well balanced, was judged the best white at the Bream Creek Show yesterday - and it is one of better Australian gewurzs I've tried; varietal but restrained. The nose alone reveals it as gewurz with its musky, Turkish Delight notes, and those characters follow through to the palate with fresh lychee notes joining in the palate party. Inverquharity, called IQ for convenience, is a 10-year-old,1.2 hectare vineyard, located just out of Richmond in the Coal River Valley. The vineyard is predominantly planted with pinot noir with a few rows of gewürztraminer. The wines are made by Alain Rousseau at Frogmore Creek. You'll need to be quick for this one, as its made in tiny quantities. $30. www.iqwines.com
Joe Holyman is one of the great characters of the Tasmanian wine industry - a former Sheffield Shield cricketer and party boy from way back when. Everyone who is anyone in the wine industry knows Joe. But Holyman's irreverent attitude and love of a beer should not detract from from the seriousness with which he approaches his winemaking - and has done for the past two decades. The wines under his two labels, Holyman and Stoney Rise, are impeccably crafted, the first using estate-grown fruit from his western Tamar vineyard. There's a lot of quality here; plenty of flavour and impeccable balance. This vintage saw 55% whole bunches during ferment and 30% new French oak barrels for maturation. Power meets poise; structure meets seduction. Cellar worthy - certainly. You'd almost swear it was made by some serious old duffer wearing a tweed jacket. $55. www.stoneyrise.com.
Brothers Jonny and Matthew Hughes are names to watch in the impressive arena of boutique Tasmanian wines. Their top wines are sold under the Mewstone label. This is smashingly good young pinot made from a blend of grapes from the D’Entrecasteaux Channel (where they are based at Flowerpot), the Coal River, Derwent and Huon valleys. There is a small amount of whole bunch in the blend and each batch was held on skins for 18-22 days before being pressed to oak. The wine is unfined, low sulphur and made in very small quantities - but worth chasing down. Superbly slurpable. $30. www.mewstonewines.com.au/hughes-and-hughes-wine-brand/
This will almost certainly be the finest schönburger you've ever tasted. It might also be the first. This rare German grape variety has been pioneered in Australia by Tasmanian viticulturist Fred Peacock and after several years of experimentation by the Bream Creek winemakers this is very much in the groove. From a good vintage, this is probably best described as a cross, style-wise, between riesling and gewurztraminer. Think tropical fruit flavours, lychee and Turkish delight, with a long, clean finish and some residual sugar balanced by fresh acid. We paired this with a very spicy Thai chicken curry and it was a combination that shone. Only 200 cases are made, so it might pay to be quick. $29. www.breamcreekvineyard.com.au.
It was a complete toss-up whether I reviewed the 2017 Holm Oak Pinot Gris or the equally excellent riesling from the same vintage. Both are outstanding examples of cool-climate Tasmanian viticulture and offer excellent value as interesting sub-$30 aromatic whites. This family-owned Tamar Valley winery is one of the most reliable in the state, and the pinot gris is particularly food friendly; an amiable companion for fresh Tasmanian seafood, particularly scallops and octopus.There is an appealing blend of vivacious acidity and the oiliness often found in gris. The end result is a wine with appealing aromatics, fresh pear flavours, complexity from partial wild ferments and more length than Tally Sally. $28. www.holmoakvineyards.com.au.
