Evenfall 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Tasmania's cool climate means you don't see many cabernets from the island state - it is a hard grape to get ripe and needs just the right site. This comes from a relatively new producer in the Tamar Valley - based at what used to be the Elmslie in Legana. It is extremely impressive - as you'd expect from accomplished consultant winemaker Liam McElhinney - very composed, cohesive and stylish. I also tried a chardonnay and a pinot noir from the same producer and all three were impressive. Definitely a name to watch. $48. https://evenfall.au/ 

Bream Creek 2023 Pinot Noir

 

There are few wine producers that offer consistent quality and value as does Bream Creek, tucked away on Tasmania's Tasman Peninsula. Vigneron Fred Peacock and his team have conjured a classic cool-climate estate pinot that's made in pretty small volumes. Vibrant red fruits dominate the bouquet and on the palate, where there is a youthful vibe and subtle spice hints. This would pair well with roast chicken, quail and other poultry dishes. Also check out the darker, more intense and cellar-worthy 2022 Reserve Pinot Noir ($70). This one is $50 and offers a lot of immediate drinking pleasure. www.breamcreekvineyard.com.au.

Sinapius 2023 Gruner Veltliner

 

Sinapius may be one of the smaller wine producers in Tasmania but Linda Morice is making some mighty wines from her close-planted hilltop vineyard at Pipers River. This is a super-impressive take on the Austrian grape variety gruner veltliner. which would seem well suited to Tasmanian conditions but is still surprisingly rare. This is a beautifully composed wine that manages to combine silky elegance with textural elements. Wild ferment and full malolactic fermentation have produced a wine full of interest. This is simultaneously floral, fruity, spicy and minerally. Lots of intensity, lots of length and lots of drinking pleasure here. $42. www.sinapius.com.au    

Henskens Rankin of Tasmania 2016 Brut Rosé

 

Another hugely impressive new release from Frieda Henskens and David Rankin, Tasmania's garagiste producers of quality traditional method sparkling wines. This is one of just 451 bottles made of this wonderfully expressive rosé bubbly that has benefited from extended time on lees, building complexity while managing to retain freshness. It is a multi-regional blend of fruit from the Coal River Valley and Pipers River with chardonnay (69%)the dominant grape variety. I loved the vibrancy in this salmon coloured wine with its evocative nose and a palate with notes of red fruits, sherbert, tangy pink grapefruit and ripe tangerine. There's a lot of length here, and some minerality on the finish. Pair with shellfish dishes and serve cool, but not cold. $105. https://henskensrankin.com/   

Hughes & Hughes 2024 Rosé

 

This brand-new release is a delightfully food-friendly rosé from the Hughes brothers of Mewstone fame; an impressive savoury drink that will star when the sun is shining a little more. The problem is, however, that many wines from this stable sell out within months, so it may all be sold by summer. Move quick. This is - confoundingly for those who have been told that rosés are not a mix of red and white grapes - a blend of syrah, tempranillo and chardonnay from both the south and north-west  of Tasmania, barrel fermented with wild yeasts and matured in tank (for just a few weeks). It is unfined, unfiltered and very delicious. Fewer than 800 cases were made. Pair this with a Lebanese mezze plate and chill - but not too much. $35. https://www.mewstonewines.com.au/hugheshughes-wines    

Wines by Aunt Alice 2023 Ocean Chardonnay

 
So you love Chablis, but want to drink Tasmanian? Former Norfolk Rise and Karatta winemaker Alice Davidson, now based at Franklin in the Huon Valley, has the answer. Now a negociant/producer, Davidson uses grower fruit from across Tasmania to produce wines that are both edgy and delicious. The range also includes an unusual, but beguiling, oaked riesling and a whole-bunch driven pinot noir, but this is the star of the show for me; pure, focused and fruit-driven chardonnay. It is made from Tamar Valley fruit, hand-picked and barrel fermented with 15% new oak, a small portion of malo, and bottled unfined. But forget all that. It is, quite simply, a bloody lovely drink. Close to sold out, so be very quick. $50. https://www.auntalice.com.au/

Glaetzer-Dixon Family Winemakers 2021 Reveur Pinot Noir

Here is a serious, cellar-worthy pinot noir for those who enjoy their red wines with intensity and complexity. A blend of fruit from two Coal River Valley vineyards, it is dark and composed with plummy and black cherry characters front and centre with some classic cool-climate spice notes and some restrained oak influence. This is a finely poised wine, impressively balanced, that can be enjoyed in the short term, or benefit from 5-10 years of cellaring. $56. https://www.gdfwinemakers.com/