Frogmore Creek 2021 Riesling

Dry, food-friendly rieslings are perhaps Tasmania's best-kept wine secret. High in acid when young, they mature slowly and beautifully, offering softness at 2-3 years of age before developing secondary characters. This one from the Coal River Valley - just 20 minutes outside Hobart - stood out from the crowd when tasted recently and would be a delightful foil for some local pan-fried flathead, or fresh oysters. Think zesty citrus notes on the crisp, dry palate with some balancing stony minerality. Lovely drinking - perfect for a pre-dinner tipple. $35. https://frogmorecreek.com.au/  

Craigie Knowe 2021 Estate Chardonnay

 

Tasmania is probably best known for its stellar pinots noirs and sparkling wines, but it also produces a wide range of excellent white table wines, including chardonnays and rieslings. This young chardonnay is a case in point, made from fruit grown on one of the cool Apple Isle's warmer sites on the East Coast on a vineyard planted in 1979 - positively ancient by Tasmanian standards. Well balanced at 12.9% abv, this is a classic cooler-climate chardonnay with stone fruit and citrus notes, a smidgen of oak and some bitey minerality. Pair with American-style pork ribs. Drink now or cellar short term. $38. https://craigieknowe.com.au/   

Holm Oak 2021 Arneis

 

Arneis, also known as nebbiolo bianco, is an Italian grape variety from the Piedmont region. The name means "little rascal" because the grapes are often difficult to manage in the vineyard. In the Tamar Valley, in the north of Tasmania, it has proved a success for husband and wife team Tim and Bec Duffy at Holm Oak. This is a very good medium-bodied, food-friendly alternative to chardonnay with stone fruit characters and fresh appeal to the fore, along with impressive texture. Pair with veal dishes, or perhaps a pasta with mushrooms. $28. www.holmoakvineyards.com.au/

Gala Estate 2020 "Emerald" Black Label Syrah

 

Tasmania is not always a happy hunting ground for shiraz. Some regions can be too cold to get the grapes ripe every year, and a few of the wines fail to hit the mark. This is very definitely an exception to that. A very fine medium-bodied shiraz from the warmer east coast, it has plenty of weight and length and is beautifully balanced. A serious food wine, this is varietal and stylish, made with a nod to the wines of the Rhone Valley, hence the use of syrah in the name. The family that owns Gala Estate has seven generations of farming experience and is planting new vineyards as the business expands. A wine producer to watch, with contract winemaker Liam McElhinney kicking a lot of goals. $65. https://www.galaestate.com.au/

Glaetzer-Dixon 2020 Avancé Pinot Noir

 

Looking for a berry fruit-driven young pinot noir with energy and immediate drinkability? You've come to the right place. But Nick Glaetzer's Avancé also has the structure to cellar well in the medium term, should that be your preference. The entry level pinot in the Glaetzer-Dixon range, this is a blend of fruit from the Derwent Valley, north of Hobart, and the Tamar Valley in the north of state and is crafted at an unban winery in downtown Hobart. Soft tannins make it immediately approachable and food friendly. This is lively, vibrant and varietal and formidably good value at $34. https://www.gdfwinemakers.com/   

Hughes & Hughes 2021 Chardonnay

 

Another winner from the Hughes brothers, who are among the shining lights of the wine industry in Tasmania. The Mewstone winery is at Tinderbox, south of Hobart, but this delicious young chardonnay is a blend of fruit from vineyards in the Coal River (Clarence House and Brinktop), Derwent Valley (Kinvarra) and the north-west (White Rock). It is 80% whole-bunch pressed, 20% cold-soaked on skins for five days, all naturally fermented in oak with partial malo and spent five months of lees. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered and is a thoroughly modern, lean and clean taste machine for enjoyment with perhaps a vegetable quiche or roast pork and all the trimmings. Serious satisfaction here. $37. www.mewstonewines.com.au/

Rivulet Wines 2021 Senko

 

This intriguing blend of pinot meunier from the Huon Valley and pinot noir from the East Coast is a recent release but it is already close to being sold out; no surprise given it is such a delightful lighter summer red with real personality. The name comes from a Japanese word meaning a light red, bright flash, or firecracker, Think florals, bright acid, dark cherries/cranberries along with mushroomy/undergrowth characters aided by old oak and lees maturation. There is a brightness and lightness to this beguiling wine. Great work from winemaker Keira O'Brien, but be quick. 94 points from me. $38. www.rivuletwine.com/