Charles Reuben Estate 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon

You don’t find too many cabernet sauvignons from Tasmania. Other than a few specific micro climates it is just too cool for the variety to be consistently successful. Family-owned Charles Reuben Estate in the Coal River Valley is a notable exception - and has the benefit of Nick Glaetzer as consultant winemaker. This has violets on the nose and is definitely on the elegant side of the cabernet ledger. The cabernet vines date back to the 1980s. Forceful violet aromas lead on to classic Bordeaux varietal characters with cassis, herbal and spice notes aided and abetted by 18 months in French oak. Just 12.5% alcohol but plenty of flavour, bright acid and a smooth finish. Pair with a cheese platter or lamb roast. $39. www.charlesreuben.com.au     

Small Island 2024 Coal River Pinot Noir

 

Here's a pinot noir with a real spring in its step. There's plenty of weight here but also some lively savoury notes. James Broinowski started by crowd-finding his first release but is now a decade into his winemaking career. This new release is made from fruit sourced from two different sites in the Coal River Valley just outside Hobart. Made in small batches at the Dr Island facility at Cambridge, this is midway between middleweight and light-heavyweight if you are a boxing fan. There is impressive structure here, just a lick of saltiness, and I suspect this will cellar for a few years. We paired it with steak, onion rings and salad - a very nice combo. $49. www.smallislandwines.com  

Delamere 2024 Flyleaf Rosé

This might just be the most fun wine in Shane Holloway and Fran Austin’s impressive range of premium Delamere wines from the Pipers River region in the far north of Tasmania. If you like your rosés sweet then this is not for you. If, however, your taste is for pale, savoury and textural rosés then this will hit the spot. Flyleaf is the entry-level range for Delamere, using estate and grower pinot noir fruit here, and it can offer excellent value. The pinot gris is also very good. This is thoroughly modern, with fresh apple and red berry flavours and a crispness designed for immediate enjoyment. Pair it with a picnic, a Caesar salad, or maybe a Lebanese mezze plate. $35. https://www.delamerevineyards.com.au/  

Bangor Vineyard 2016 Late Disgorged Blanc de Blanc

 

What a delightfully elegant sparkling wine from the historic family-owned Bangor property at Dunalley on the Tasman Peninsula, just over half an hour from Hobart. Made from 100% chardonnay grapes, this is impressively youthful with its pale colour, bright line of acid and crisp lemon sherbet fruit flavours. The grapes were hand-picked and the juice spent over six years on yeast lees for palate presence before being bottled. The crispness, vibrancy and sea spray notes allied to citrus and green apple flavours on the palate make this a terrific aperitif style. $110. https://bangorshed.com.au/