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/       

Rooster & Robin 2025 Eleventh Hour Pinot Noir

 

It is always good to see a new Tasmanian wine brand off to a flying start. This is the impressive debut release from Rooster & Robin, a family-owned and -operated east coast producer. The sustainably farmed former Melrose vineyard at Cranbrook on the Freycinet Coast was purchased by Robert and Robyn Pearshouse in late 2024 and is now called Elmsroe. I really enjoyed the balance between bright red fruit characters and stylish savoury notes - good work from consultant winemaker Jake Sheedy (Sisu). Only only 2,100 individually numbered bottles were made. One for sipping and savouring. $55. https://roosterandrobin.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/  

Woodlawn 2023 Three Wishes Vineyard Pinot Noir

Woodlawn is the premium wine brand from Ricky Evans, the talent behind the Two Tonne Tasmania and Havilah labels, and comprises small-batch, single-site releases of pinot noir and chardonnay from the Tamar Valley. All are sold in heavy bottles sealed with wax with strikingly stark labels. A serious statement. This one comes from the Three Wishes vineyard planted by the Whish Wilson family over 25 years ago. It is made in the small winery at Evans' Woodlawn farm. This is an aromatic, concentrated, varietal wine with impressive depth that you could pair with a roast lamb en croute right now, or confidently cellar for a few years. $70. https://tttwine.com.au/collections/woodlawn-tasmania

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

Spring Vale 2019 Family Selection Pinot Noir

 

Hitting Tasmania’s delightful east coast? Want to take home a very stylish local wine that is mature and ready to enjoy right now? This one hits the bullseye; delicious classic cool-climate pinot noir from land at Cranbrook that has been farmed by the Lyne family since 1875. The vineyards arrived a bit later: in 1986, but Spring Vale is very much part of regional history. I really enjoyed the balance of this wine; beautifully poised between fruit and savoury notes, and well worth a splurge. Note, however, that it is made in tiny quantities - from one barrique - and virtually impossible to find anywhere other than cellar door. $125. www.springvalewines.com

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/

Pooley 2024 Syrah

The wine industry moves at a fast pace. A decade or two ago it would have been absurd to expect quality shirazes from Tasmania. Climate change and deft winemaking now see several leading Tasmanian producers making impressive cool-climate shirazes; and this is one of the best. It's downright delicious. Anna Pooley and her team have crafted a structured and flavoursome wine from the Coal River Valley with dark fruit and savoury/spice notes dancing a seductive tongue tango. Fresh, well balanced and food friendly, we paired this with marinated lamb chops. $60. https://www.pooleywines.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/ 

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

Boomer Creek 2024 Chardonnay

Boomer Creek is one of the newer names on the Tasmanian wine landscape and its delightful cellar door is a terrific place to stop during an east coast drive. Here a tasting involves great views, the chance to enjoy some deli treats and well-made wines. The first vines were planted in 2012 and the operation is a third-generation family business. This is an impressive cool-climate chardonnay with plenty of varietal flavours balanced by elegance on the finish. There are aromas of toasty oak and vanilla while the palate us driven by stone fruit flavours and hints of crisp citrus. The Boomer Creek team recommends pairing with seafood dishes like salt and pepper calamari or creamy garlic scallops. It would be foolish to argue. They've got it spot on. $45. https://boomercreekvineyard.com.au/

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/