A serious textural pinot noir with plenty of oomph from an organic producer going it alone in the remote Liffey Valley in the foothills of the Great Western Tiers. The two hectares of vines have been farmed organically by the Cairns family since 1991 and the grapes are hand-tended and hand-picked. There is plenty of fruit intensity here, along with layers of flavours and hints of appealing rusticity. Seriously good and one that pinotphiles will want to check out. $38.50. www.tasorganicwines.com.au
A few years ago I used to be on the judging panel for the Taste of Tasmania and Festivale wine awards. As regular as clockwork this would be either a trophy winner, or gold medalist. It is reliably one of Tasmania's finest dry rieslings with lashings of racy acid and zesty lemon and lime juice notes. Made by two families in the Tamar Valley, it comes in at 12.5% alcohol and is a perfect partner for fresh oysters or pan-fried Tassie flathead. $32. www.goatyhill.com.
We should all be drinking a lot more wine made in this style; fresh, bright and perfect for an Australian summer. Vaughn Dell and Linda Morice have come up with another winner with this young estate-grown, close-planted gamay from Pipers River that is wild fermented, underwent traditional whole cluster carbonic maceration for three weeks, sees just a smidgen of old oak and undergoes no fining or filtration. The end result is lusciously juicy with red cherry and spice notes, fresh acidity and plenty of length. You could even chill this on a warm day. $38. www.sinapius.com.au.
Natalie Fryar is known as the "Queen of Bubbles" and the former Jansz sparkling winemaker is building a formidable reputation for the quality of the wines under her own label. This 60-40 blend of cool-climate chardonnay and pinot noir is spot on stylistically, fresh, vibrant and pure with beautiful balance of ripe fruit and nutty/savoury notes. It's not for those who want their bubbles to have spent a decade or more on lees, but it is a delightful expression of Tasmanian quality fruit. Fryar says it is "Made by Tasmania". Try it on New Year's Eve. $70. https://bellebonne.wine/
Owen Knight and his family took over the Elsewhere Vineyard in 2015. Once one of the gems of the Tasmanian wine industry, it needed some hard work in the vines to re-establish its credentials. Overlooking the Huon River at Glaziers Bay, Elsewhere is one of the southern-most vineyards in Tasmania and produces cool-climate wines of real character. This is a brilliant little riesling made by Glenn James at Winemaking Tasmania. It is full of the joys of life, with classic citrus aromas and lemon/lime/grapefruit sherbet notes on the long, refreshing palate. Crisp and fresh, it would be a perfect companion for a Christmas seafood platter. $34. www.elsewherevineyard.com.au
The Gala vineyard at Cranbrook on Tasmania's East Coast is producing some outstanding wines at realistic prices. This is a wine that sits midway between the pinot gris and pinot grigio styles, with rich stone fruit complemented by the lively cool-climate acidity found in so many Tasmanian whites. Fresh, clean and very pure, it is a really lovely summer drink with a high refreshment quotient, perfect for enjoying with picnics and salads. $30. www.galaestate.com.au
This is the first release from Petrichor Wines, based in the Coal River Valley just down the road from Hobart Airport. Tim Hodgkinson and Kate Akmentins moved to Tasmania from Sydney in 2014 and purchased 10-hectares at Tea Tree in 2017. They are planting and farming organically but in the meantime have sourced some fruit from a nearby vineyard for this impressive debut. This was made by Tim, whose full-time job is at Pooley Wines, and Thomas New (now of Mac Forbes) and is a single vineyard wine that was hand-picked and destemmed, wild fermented, basket-pressed and matured in older French oak. With minimal sulphur, no fining and no filtration, it is a beautifully balanced wine with contained power, elegance and complexity. Petrichor, incidentally, is the the word for the scent of rain on dry soil. $50. www.petrichorwines.com.au.
