Pooley 2024 Butcher's Hill Cane Cut Riesling

Tasmania is a much-underrated producer of rieslings, and there are only a handful of dessert styles made on the island, This is an outstanding example from Pooley, a family winery in the Coal River Valley that is this year celebrating its 40th anniversary. Made from grapes grown on the estate vineyard outside Richmond, this is an aromatic, pure and intensely luscious wine with citrus and apricot notes to the fore. Disturbingly drinkable, but fortunately it carries only 8.% alcohol as a second glass would seem mandatory. There is 137 grams per litre of sugar here but the lively acid and pithy crispness on the finish acts as a counterweight. Great with anything from an apple crumble to a cheese platter. $45 for 375mls. https://www.pooleywines.com.au/  

Two Bud Spur 2022 Gamay

 

Gamay is the grape used in the lighter-bodied red wines of Beaujolais in France. It is a style well suited to the outdoor lifestyle in Australia, vibrant and best enjoyed in the first five years of its life. There are still relatively few local producers making gamay, however, but Two Bud Spur, a small family producer in the Huon Valley, makes two: a lighter nouveau style and this earthier version. Made f rom 100% estate fruit, this undergoes small-batch fermentation and then sees 12 months in oak, making it more substantial than some of its lighter brethren. Pair with anything from quiche lorraine to croquettes and chill just a little on a warm day. $45. https://twobudspur.com.au/ 

Josef Chromy 2023 Pinot Noir

 

The price for the top Tasmanian pinots has gone through the roof: with the big names now easily fetching three-figure sums for their latest releases. Cool-climate pinot noirs are all the rage; from wine bars to back decks. This wine from Relbia, just south of Launceston, is not stratospherically priced; instead it offers some delightful drinking at a reasonable price point. There is no need to cellar this one; it is immediately approachable with some juicy red fruit characters to the fore, restrained oak and some lovely balance. A great entry to the wonderful world of Tassie pinot. Supple, soft and smooth. $45. josefchromy.com.au  

Haddow & Dineen 2023 Grain of Truth Pinot Gris

 

Haddow & Dineen is the impressive collaboration between Tasmanian cheese guru and wine lover Nick Haddow and former Joseph Chromy winemaker Jeremy Dineen. The pair has a project underway to deliver a super-premium benchmark pinot gris down the track, but their current textural release from their Yorktown Vineyard delivers a lot of drinking pleasure. This is not a simple wine - as so many pinots gris are. Think hand-picking, whole bunch pressing, wild yeast and barrel fermentation. The end result is just a little funky, unfined, unfiltered and full of palate weight and density. Its richness and complexity make it very food friendly. $60.  https://www.haddowanddineen.com.au  

Sailor Seeks Horse 2023 Chardonnay

Wife and husband team Gilli and Paul Lipscombe have been making some of Tasmania's finest artisan chardonnays and pinots for several years now, but is exciting to see them continue to make tweaks to their vineyard at Cradoc in the Huon Valley that produce small incremental improvements as they learn more about their vines. This is an outstanding estate chardonnay that is notable for its clarity of style. There is plenty of length, some cool-climate varietal swagger and briny hints, with quality French oak providing texture. Pork belly would make a stellar food/wine match. A brand new release, this, but given the history of the brand it probably won't last long. A regional exemplar. $70. https://www.sailorseekshorse.com.au/

Resolution Vineyard 2024 Pinot Noir

 

There is a capital P for potential and a capital V for value for this brand-new release from one of Tasmania's prettiest vineyards. I tasted this just three weeks after it had been bottled and it was a little disjointed, but it opened up impressively over 24 hours. Resolution Vineyard is a tiny, one variety vineyard that has been producing excellent quality pinots for several years, vinified by Alain Rousseau at Frogmore Creek. There is plenty of flavour here, and unmistakeable pinosity, and we know that Resolution pinots age impressively. All good then. Hard to find, but worth the effort. And the price is a winner. Oh, and if you do want a bottle to drink immediately, the 2023 is looking very good. $40. resultionvineyard.com.au     

Pressing Matters 2023 Texture Riesling

Not your average riesling! From Coal River Valley riesling specialists Pressing Matters, this is a funky and textural take that immediately grabs your attention. Wild fermented in older oak puncheons and left to mature on its lees, this has plenty of palate interest along with edgy minerality and structure. Some time spent in bottle has helped tame the wild acidity that characterises many young Tasmanian rieslings. I like the length and breadth here; this is no shrinking violet. Fun and different with its yeasty lees influence. $65. https://pressingmatters.com.au/ 

Kate Hill NV Noir Rosé Sparkling

 

Kate Hill crafts some terrific-value, small-batch, cool-climate wines from her base in the Huon Valley, one of the southernmost wineries in Australia. I help out at cellar door occasionally. This is a fun Methode Champenoise bubbly made from pinot noir grapes: such a lively, easy drinking style for enjoying over the final days of summer. The pretty pink colour indicates exactly what is in store: lively strawberry fruit notes and a crisp, dry finish make this ideal for pairing with sausage rolls, party pies, vegetable quiche or smoked salmon sandwiches. $45. https://www.katehillwines.com.au/

Freycinet Vineyard 2024 Riesling

 

What a joy this wine is to enjoy on a warm day - and it is a bargain, too, given how riesling somehow remains an under-rated variety in Tasmania, where it can produce stellar dry wines. This comes from an East Coast vineyard closing in on 50 years of age, and is made by talented team Claudio Radenti and Keira O'Brien. I tried a glass at a friend's place, then quickly went back for a second. Hand-pruned and hand-harvested from 25+ year old vines, this undergoes a slow, cool fermenation to ensure maximum flavour. This is ripe, it is dry, it is juicy, it is crisp and it is hard to say no to a third glass. Pair with anything from a vegetable pizza to Vietnamese glass noodles. Stunningly good. $36. https://freycinetvineyard.com.au/

Holm Oak 2023 Fearless Pinot Noir

 

This excellent small-batch pinot noir is the latest pinot to join a formidable list made by Holm Oak duo Bec and Tim Duffy. It found almost unanimous acclaim from my tasting group this week, but the bad news is that it is made in such small quantities that it is only available at their Tamar Valley cellar door, or to wine club members. Made from two barrels that were outstandingly aromatic and intense it is named after one of the old wooden Alexander tennis racquets with which they have a family history. This is fruit driven with no new oak and no whole bunch. Think poise and precision. It is smooth and delicious. $65. www.holmoakvineyards.com.au     

Spring Vale 2024 Melrose Pinot Noir

 

Looking for a gloriously gluggable, vibrant and no-nonsense Tassie pinot noir that you can put in the fridge for an hour or two on a warm day?  This lighter-style pinot delivers fun drinking without breaking the bank: a classic "vin soif" designed to be enjoyed in its youth; fresh, zesty and refreshing. Think red fruits plucked fresh from a hedgerow, a soft, supple palate driven by fruit not oak, and lively acidity on the finish. Pair with anything from a charcuterie plate to Lebanese mezze. $32. https://www.springvalewines.com/

Bream Creek Vineyard 2019 Reserve Old Vine Riesling

 

Bream Creek on the Tasman Peninsula has some of the oldest riesling vines in Tasmania, planted in 1974. They produce intense, lively young wines on release, or more savoury offerings if held back for a few years. This will not be to everyone's taste but if you enjoy mellow, aged whites the you will be in luck. This is from a dry vintage that produced intense flavours that merited a reserve bottling. There is a lot of restrained power here with classic citrus flavours along with some straw and sea spray notes on the palate. A wine for sipping and savouring. Pair with a vegetable quiche. $50. https://www.breamcreekvineyard.com.au/

Jansz 2019 Single Vineyard Chardonnay

 

From one of the pioneers of Tasmania's buoyant sparkling wine industry - Jansz was founded in 1986 - comes a single vineyard, single variety bubbly with a confident strut. Made exclusively from estate vineyard blocks at Pipers River - close to the cellar door. This is very taut and pure - think shortbread/brioche notes - with a swag of acid on the finish. This is a wine designed to be enjoyed with food; perhaps matched with canapes or hors d'oeuvres, but with enough palate oomph to pair with main courses. Only 3563 bottles were made, and this is produced only in stellar vintages. Sold in attractive gift box. $68. https://www.jansz.com.au/    

Sonnen 2024 Blanc

 

If you enjoy your white wines with a bit of swagger and attitude then this brand new release will be right up your street. Sonnen is a personal gig for winemaker Luke Andree, who works with Samantha Connew and makes wines for Pressing Matters in the Coal River Valley. This is made from fruit sourced from the Tamar Valley in the north of Tasmania and joins impressive 2024 chardonnay and pinot noir releases in the Sonnen range. This is made from pinot gris with a small portion seeing 10 days of skin contact, the remainder being direct pressed. Fermented in old oak for texture and palate interest, this is savoury, grippy and very food friendly. $35. https://www.sonnenwine.com.au/

Haddow + Dineen 2024 Sehnsucht Riesling

 

Haddow + Dineen is a joint venture between Bruny Island cheesemaker/brewer Nick Haddow and former Josef Chromy winemaker Jeremy Dineen. You can sense they having a lot of fun with their idiosyncratic small-batch releases. This is a tribute to some of Germany's finest wines; a riesling made from grown at Sorrel in the Coal River Valley. Think indigenous ferment, some skin contact and a wine that is unfined and unfiltered. There is a lot of flavour here, and a lot of texture, too. Vibrant and delicious; this one sings in your mouth. Sehnsucht is a German word that can be translated as "yearning", or "craving". $45. https://www.haddowanddineen.com.au/