Glaetzer-Dixon 2024 Uberblanc Riesling

A different take on Tasmanian riesling from Nick Glaetzer, who spent vintages working in the Pfalz region of Germany during has younger years and was beguiled by the nuanced styles. This is blend of grapes from three different regions of Tasmania: Pipers River, the Tamar and the Coal River Valley, vinified at Glaetzer's urban winery in Hobart. It  is floral with citrus/peach/pear flavours, fennel hints, minerality and bright acid, alongside a textural element on the palate. The mid-palate structure of GDF riesling is created by ageing sur lie, which involves keeping the finished wine on ferment lees. Pair with fresh Tasmanian scallops. $36. https://www.gdfwinemakers.com/

Holm Oak 2021 Hotshot Pinot Noir

 

A rather bland label disguises the flagship pinot noir from family-owned Tamar Valley winery Holm Oak. At four years of age, this has developed in to a lovely wine that combines power and poise in the style of Central Otago. Made from small batches of estate fruit and produced only in outstanding vintages, this has impressive structure thanks to the use of whole bunch material. The fruit was basket pressed and matured in French oak (50% new) for 14 months. The end result: complexity and style and a balance between dark red fruits, deli and undergrowth notes, allied to that intense concentration. $130. https://www.holmoakvineyards.com.au/ 

Small Island 2024 Chardonnay

 

James Broinowski's Small Island Wines is one of the rising stars of the Tasmanian wine industry. The first wines were produced using crowd sourcing and a decade along the business is producing some excellent drinking at fair prices. This impressively balanced cool-climate chardonnay comes from vines at Saltwater River on the Tasman Peninsula, around an hour east of Hobart, one of Broinowski's regular sources of grapes. This is a young wine, but the quality fruit from the single vineyard shines through - as does short-term potential for cellaring, although it  already has "come hither" accessibility. $49. https://smallislandwines.com/

   

Sailor Seeks Horse 2023 Pinot Noir

 

Those in the know when it comes to cool-climate pinot noir have the name Sailor Seeks Horse in their notebooks. Paul and Gilli Lipscombe have built a formidable reputation for the quality of their estate wines grown at Cradoc in the Huon Valley. This is a pinot with impressive tension; there's a panoply of flavours on the palate, but aligned to a sense of calmness and cohesion. This a classic style with immediate appeal, along with medium-term cellaring potential. The balance between fruit and savoury characters and some grippy tannins make this beguilingly rustic. $70. https://www.sailorseekshorse.com.au/