Forty-Two Degrees South 2025 Chardonnay

 

Classy cool-climate chardonnay from the south of Tasmania that won't break the bank? It's hard to find better value from the Apple Isle than this lively recent release from Alain Rousseau and the team at Frogmore Creek, at Cambridge in the Coal River Valley, just down the road from Hobart Airport. This is delightfully drinkable with the fruit doing the talking and the winemaking in the background. It ticks all the boxes for lovers of young whites; bright acid, zingy lemon-lime-peach fruit notes and some fresh minerality. Very refreshing on its own but it would be an absolute treat paired with roast pork, crackling and all the trimmings. $30. https://www.frogmorecreek.com.au/

Mewstone 2025 Riesling

 

This is a fun surprise; a way removed from your traditional dry riesling offer, but disarmingly slurpable and full of palate interest. It is made from grapes grown on Mewstone's dramatically beautiful estate vineyard overlooking the d'Entreasteaux Channel and Bruny Island in the far south of Tasmania by the Hughes brothers, who also make wines under the Hughes & Hughes label. Hand picked and whole bunch pressed to older French oak, the fruit spent 44 days fermenting slowly and was matured on lees, resulting in pure fruit flavours but more mouthfeel than in many of its Australian riesling siblings. $60. https://www.mewstonewines.com.au/       

Sonnen 2025 Pinot Gris

This is an excellent value pinot gris from one of the rising stars of the Tasmanian wine business: Luke Andree. He sources fruit from some of the best vineyards across the state; this batch coming from long-established Grey Sands at Glengarry in the north of the state. This just oozes drinkability with its bright natural acid, but barrel fermentation has added structure and palate interest to a wine alive with melon and pear fruit flavours and vatrietal spice. This is sold out at the winery but Luke tells me there is still some stock with distributors Mezzanine and in retail land. Enjoy well chilled with spring salad, or a quiche lorraine. $36. https://www.sonnenwine.com.au/

Dalrymple 2024 Mount Lord Pinot Noir

 

Here's a new flagship pinot noir from Pete Caldwell and his team at Dalrymple Vineyards in the far north of Tasmania, although the grapes for this one come from a small vineyard at the other end of the state. The Hill-Smith family's Mount Lord Vineyard lies on a steep slope high above the Coal River Valley between Richmond and Sorell. This is all about quality. Cool-climate fruit intensity, pinosity, complexity and selected French oak barriques. Pair with roast Chinese Duck, or maybe a mushroom fricasee. I'll leave the final word to Cygnet taster and pinot noir lover Cho Lin. "That was very delicious". $130. https://www.dalrymplevineyards.com.au/  

Pipers Tasmania 2025 Syrah

This is the impressive latest addition to the Pipers Tasmania range - a collection from Luke Whittle and the Pipers Brook team that offers affordable cool-climate wines. This is made from fruit grown on Tasmania’s slightly warmer East Coast and offers a mix of bright fruit, hints of pepper and spice and a nicely balanced palate. It's immediately accessible and very food friendly. It was launched in Tasmania but is now being distributed nationally by Pure Wine Co. $35. https://www.kreglingerwineestates.com/product/Pipers-Tas-2025-Syrah

Pooley 2025 Cooinda Vale Riesling

 

I have long subscribed to the view that dry rieslings from Tasmania are best enjoyed several months after being bottled, or at four or more years of age if you like more savoury notes. Very young rieslings from the island state can often be ultra high in acidity. If you subscribe to that viewpoint then you'll find this wine from one of Tasmania's finest family producers to be right in the zone right now. There is serious depth of flavour thanks to whole-bunch pressing, and four months on lees, but the wine retains its bright, lively, citrusy attitude on the finish. Pair this Coal Valley product with pan-fried snapper or blue eye for a Tassie taste treat. $70. https://www.pooleywines.com.au/   

Kreglinger 2019 Vintage Brut

Looking for a serious, food-friendly sparkling wine? This is a classic blend of pinot noir and chardonnay from the same people that make the Pipers Brook table wines. It offers complexity and richness on the palate while retaining cool-climate freshness and vibrancy. Made from grapes grown in a single vineyard in Pipers River - in the far north of tTasmania - this is an excellent dinner party choice with berry/apple orchard aromas leading to a delightfully balanced palate that is simultaneously yeasty, toasty, citrusy and savoury with an impressive mousse. Cold fermentation in barrel, malo and battonage have added to a kaleidoscope of flavours and textures. This was aged for five years+ in bottle before release. $65. https://www.kreglingerwineestates.com/

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.  

Freycinet Vineyard 2025 Louis Schönburger Riesling

This unusual sweet white blend has found favour with a couple of Tasmania's best producers - and is a very amiable companion for spicy dishes from the likes of Thailand and Korea, or maybe an Indian vegetable curry.  This one, from a pioneering producer on the east coast, is a blend of 67% German hybrid schönburger and 33% riesling, with a melange of sweet/ripe tropical fruit flavours to the fore, along with hints of white spice and citrus notes. Aromatic, and soft on the palate, this would also pair well with a platter featuring soft blue cheeses. Drink young. Drink chilled. $33. https://freycinetvineyard.com.au/

Dalrymple 2024 Single Site Pipers River Pinot Noir

 

Here’s a great combo. One of Australia’s leading wine families; top-quality Tasmanian grapes and talented winemaker Pete Caldwell. This is one of a pair of uber-impressive new release single-site Tasmanian pinots from Hill-Smith family-owned Dalrymple: this one from the winery’s home turf in Pipers River in the far north, the other from the Coal River Valley in the south. From a warm - for Tasmania - year, it has dark cherry and spice notes, is ripe and bright with well integrated oak. It pulls off the neat trick of being intense and elegant at the same time. Pair with Chinese roast duck  $80. www.dalrymplevineyards.com.au

Two Tonne Tasmania TMV Chardonnay 2025

 

Here's one of the stars from a batch of impressive new 2025 TTT releases from Ricky Evans - the pinots and riesling are also well worth seeking out. Evans makes wines under the TTT and Woodlawn Park labels as well as running popular Launceston wine bar Havilah and is a proven star on the Tasmanian wine scene. This is a lovely cool-climate chardonnay from Evans' home ground in the Tamar Valley, pure and linear with enticing chalky minerality. Whole-bunch, fermentation in older big format oak and some malo for palate complexity have delivered a wine with immediate appeal and brisk natural acidity/salinity on the finish. Very impressive - one for Burgundy lovers priced out of that market. Look out for this label. $39. 

Pirie Sparkling Vintage 2021

Named in recognition of Andrew Pirie, a pioneer of cool-climate viticulture in Tasmania, this is an outstanding example of the quality sparkling wines for which the island state has become recognised. Pirie now operates his own small bijou wine business, Apogee, but I suspect he would be very happy with the quality of this recent release: It is fresh, bright and elegant with precision and purity. Citrus and sea spray aromas lead on to a crisp palate that is fruit-forward with toasty/nutty characters in a support role. The finish is full of citrus peel vivacity. Pair with oysters or simple grilled fish dishes. The website shows this as being sold out, but there should still some in retail land.  $55. https://brownfamilywines.com.au/collections/brands-pirie

Sailor Seeks Horse 2024 Pinot Noir

 

The new release pinot noir from Sailor Seeks Horse delivers exactly what you would expect from one of best of Tasmania's new wave of wine producers. Paul and Gilli Lipscombe have built a formidable reputation for quality since taking over a deserted and overgrown vineyard in the Huon Valley a decade and a half ago. Their wines now have an international reputation and are found in top restaurants and wine bars, as well as being exported to key markets - most recently to Singapore. Very long, very precise. Structured, sappy, and potentially long lived. From a warm. dry year, this was wild fermented with a tiny amount of whole bunch material. It saw mainly aged oak and has impressive spice and dark cherry notes. Just lovely. $70. https://www.sailorseekshorse.com.au/

Holm Oak 2025 Pinot Gris

Winemaker Bec Duffy and her viticulturist husband Tim make an impressive range of fairly-priced, cool-climate wines at their Rowella property in the Tamar Valley. If you are looking for a white to accompany a Thai green chicken (or vegetable) curry then you might like to try this vibrant option. It has freshness allied to palate interest sparked by 10% of the wine being wild fermented in older oak barrels and 10% wild fermented in tank; adding complexity. You'll find white pear and apple fruit notes here along with texture, a hint of bitter almonds, and crunchy acidity on the finish. Serve chilled. Drink now. $32. https://holmoakvineyards.com.au/

Bream Creek 2025 Riesling

 

Tasmania is best known for its sparkling wines, chardonnays and pinot noirs. That means that other varieties often fly under the radar. Riesling is a case in point with this excellent offering from Tasman Peninsula producer Bream Creek well worth seeking out. Bream Creek makes excellent wines across the board, probably due to the fact that proprietor Fred Peacock is one of the island state's top viticulturists. You'll find citrus aromas that lead on to a crisp, dry palate with bright, chalky minerality, tropical fruit hints, and zingy acid. You could pair this one with freshly shucked oysters or pan-fried sardines. $36. https://www.breamcreekvineyard.com.au/ 

Jansz 2021 Vintage Cuvée

 

Looking for a treat for Mother's Day? Jansz has always been one of the "go to" labels for quality cool-climate Tasmanian sparkling wine at fair prices. This is a standout example - and a very good choice for just about any celebration. A classic blend of hand-picked chardonnay and pinot noir, it offers a melange of freshness and maturity - with lively citrus on the nose and hints of toasty brioche on the palate. Barrel fermentation and three years of lees ageing has added palate complexity. This would pair with a brunch by the pool, or a whole fish on the barbecue, or just for sipping on the back deck with canapes. Available at Dan Murphy's, BWS, and independent retailers. $56. https://www.jansz.com.au/

Spring Vale 2023 Pinot Noir

 

The Lyne family has been farming at Spring Vale, on Tasmania's east coast, for over 150 years - and making wine for close to four decades. The vineyards were established in 1986, adapting historic farmland into rows of vines. The east coast is the warmest of Tasmania's sub-regions and produces wines with plenty of flavour. This bold pinot wine - mature at three years of age - has dark, rich fruit flavours and chocolate/vanilla notes not necessarily associated with the island state. It has an earthy and textural finish and would be an excellent companion for roast lamb and all the trimmings. The historic cellar door is well worth a visit. $58.springvalewines.com

Freycinet Vineyard 2021 Louis Syrah

Climate change has seen several of Tasmania's top vineyards become increasingly capable of producing succulent cool-climate shirazes. This one, from the Freycinet Vineyard on the east coast, represents excellent value for lovers of aromatic, spicy reds. The Louis range of wines is designed for everyday enjoyment or for short-term cellaring, and this hand-picked number is right on target. At five years of age, it offers immediate drinking pleasure and is a stylish, medium-bodied red with classic spice and pepper on the nose leading to soft red and dark fruit flavours on a supple palate that also offers some deli hints. Very food friendly - pair with lamb dishes, or a winter pasta and ragu. $35. https://freycinetvineyard.com.au/

Trial Bay Estate 2024 Pinot Noir

 

So you like to support artisan producers? They don't get much more micro than Trial Bay Estate at Kettering, a hamlet in the d'Entrecasteaux Channel south of Hobart. Trial Bay produces just one single vineyard wine each year from its 2 acres of vines - and there were just 895 bottles made in 2024. That's bottles, not cases. Some wines just leap out of the glass with their youthful vitality and this is an excellent example; turbo-charged with vibrant fruit character from the hand-picked grapes that are organically grown, although not certified. Red berries and French oak are well aligned and previous vintages have rewarded cellaring for 4-5 years. $55. https://www.trialbayestate.com.au/

Kate Hill Wines 2025 Sauvignon Blanc

There is a delightfully chilled, youthful vibe about this new release from Kate Hill in the Huon Valley. It is a bright, blue-eyed child of a wine, blessed with citrus and tropical fruit notes ahead of light herbaceousness in a style that pays homage to the classic sauvignons of the Loire Valley. Made from southern Tasmanian grower fruit, it spent some time in older oak building mouthfeel and is perfect for late summer enjoyment, perhaps with a quiche and green salad, or maybe sushi/sashimi. I declare some bias here: I have been known to pop up at Kate's cellar door - but I wouldn't do that if I didn't enjoy her wines. Love the colour-coded labels, too. $34. https://www.katehillwines.com.au/