Holm Oak 2024 Shiraz

 

Cool-climate shirazes from Tasmania are increasingly find favour with wine drinkers looking for more subtle/elegant takes on the grape variety. With the 2024 vintage wines coming from a warm, dry year at Rowella in the Tamar Valley, that created perfect conditions for fine, peppery shiraz. I really liked the immediate drinkability of this one, which has moderate alcohol but plenty of flavour. Red fruit and spice notes are aided and abetted by quality French oak (just 20% new) that sits comfortably in the background. Fruit driven, medium bodied and a statement that there is more to Tasmanian reds than just pinot. Pair this with poultry dishes, or maybe roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. $50. www.holmpoakvineyards.com.au.  

Holm Oak 2023 The Wizard Pinot Noir

 

Another outright winner from a family-owned Tamar Valley producer that makes top-notch wines across several price points. Bec and Tim Duffy's vineyard at Rowella produces excellent quality cool-climate fruit and this is estate-grown, made and bottled. It is a wine for those who like their pinots with plenty of flavour and structure. Some of the fruit comes from younger vines with clones selected for offering structure and complexity. The 30% whole-bunch material helps lift the mouthfeel game with maturation in French oak barriques for 12 months. So think dark fruit flavours, well balanced oak and cellaring potential. Save this one for the cooler months and pair with a rich winter casserole. $65.  https://holmoakvineyards.com.au/

Holm Oak 2024 The Wizard Chardonnay

 

Yet another cracking wine from family business Holm Oak in the Tamar Valley - this one is their flagship chardonnay. Richer and riper than many Tasmanian chardonnays - thanks to a warm vintage - this still has cool-climate style and balance with stone fruit flavours to the fore, along with impressive complexity on the palate, which makes it very food friendly. Wild ferment, malo and quality French oak all play key roles here and there is enough length and weight for winemaker Bec Duffy to recommend pairing it with local crayfish. It would also match well with salt and pepper squid, or Portuguese roast chicken. $65. https://holmoakvineyards.com.au/ 

Holm Oak 2023 Shiraz

Shiraz from Tasmania? Yes. And a very good one, too. It certainly found favour with the members of one of my tasting groups last week. You won't confuse this with any of its blockbuster cousins from McLaren Vale or the Barossa: it is a very different beast with red fruit flavours to the fore, along with attractive pepper/spice elements that shine in well composed cooler-climate shirazes. This is from a family winery in the Tamar Valley and reminds me of an old armchair, soft, plush and comfortable. It is medium-bodied, ready to enjoy in its youth paired with anything from beef sausages to a Sunday roast. $50. https://holmoakvineyards.com.au/

Holm Oak 2025 Riesling

Tasmania gets a lot of attention for its stellar sparkling wines, as well as world-class chardonnays and pinots noir. What is often overlooked is that riesling can also thrive in the cool climes, much as it does in the Canberra region. This is a stellar cool-climate offering from a family-owned and -operated vineyard in the Tamar Valley in the north of the state. It is impressively floral with tangy citrus characters playing the lead role. There is plenty of lively acid on hand and this finishes dry with lots of length. We paired it with a hearty Toad in the Hole with braised leek, but it would also work well with seafood and poultry dishes. Very well priced at $32. www.holmoakvineyards.com.au.      

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/