Chartley Estate 2024 Sauvignon Blanc

 

Chartley Estate is a respected Tasmanian producer of 20 years standing that tends to fly a little under the radar compared with some of its higher-profile neighbours. This is a wine made from the Kossmann family's estate vineyard at Rowella in the West Tamar, vinified by one of the state's leading contract winemakers Peter Dredge. It offers a classic sauvignon blanc amalgam of tropical fruit salad/tangerines and lightly herbaceous tangy notes. A fresh, vivacious wine for enjoying chilled in its youth, perhaps paired with seafood dishes, or a chill crayfish omelette. $30. https://chartleyestatevineyard.com.au/    

Charles Reuben Estate 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon

You don’t find too many cabernet sauvignons from Tasmania. Other than a few specific micro climates it is just too cool for the variety to be consistently successful. Family-owned Charles Reuben Estate in the Coal River Valley is a notable exception - and has the benefit of Nick Glaetzer as consultant winemaker. This has violets on the nose and is definitely on the elegant side of the cabernet ledger. The cabernet vines date back to the 1980s. Forceful violet aromas lead on to classic Bordeaux varietal characters with cassis, herbal and spice notes aided and abetted by 18 months in French oak. Just 12.5% alcohol but plenty of flavour, bright acid and a smooth finish. Pair with a cheese platter or lamb roast. $39. www.charlesreuben.com.au     

Small Island 2024 Coal River Pinot Noir

 

Here's a pinot noir with a real spring in its step. There's plenty of weight here but also some lively savoury notes. James Broinowski started by crowd-finding his first release but is now a decade into his winemaking career. This new release is made from fruit sourced from two different sites in the Coal River Valley just outside Hobart. Made in small batches at the Dr Island facility at Cambridge, this is midway between middleweight and light-heavyweight if you are a boxing fan. There is impressive structure here, just a lick of saltiness, and I suspect this will cellar for a few years. We paired it with steak, onion rings and salad - a very nice combo. $49. www.smallislandwines.com  

Delamere 2024 Flyleaf Rosé

This might just be the most fun wine in Shane Holloway and Fran Austin’s impressive range of premium Delamere wines from the Pipers River region in the far north of Tasmania. If you like your rosés sweet then this is not for you. If, however, your taste is for pale, savoury and textural rosés then this will hit the spot. Flyleaf is the entry-level range for Delamere, using estate and grower pinot noir fruit here, and it can offer excellent value. The pinot gris is also very good. This is thoroughly modern, with fresh apple and red berry flavours and a crispness designed for immediate enjoyment. Pair it with a picnic, a Caesar salad, or maybe a Lebanese mezze plate. $35. https://www.delamerevineyards.com.au/  

Bangor Vineyard 2016 Late Disgorged Blanc de Blanc

 

What a delightfully elegant sparkling wine from the historic family-owned Bangor property at Dunalley on the Tasman Peninsula, just over half an hour from Hobart. Made from 100% chardonnay grapes, this is impressively youthful with its pale colour, bright line of acid and crisp lemon sherbet fruit flavours. The grapes were hand-picked and the juice spent over six years on yeast lees for palate presence before being bottled. The crispness, vibrancy and sea spray notes allied to citrus and green apple flavours on the palate make this a terrific aperitif style. $110. https://bangorshed.com.au/

Glaetzer-Dixon 2024 Uberblanc Riesling

A different take on Tasmanian riesling from Nick Glaetzer, who spent vintages working in the Pfalz region of Germany during has younger years and was beguiled by the nuanced styles. This is blend of grapes from three different regions of Tasmania: Pipers River, the Tamar and the Coal River Valley, vinified at Glaetzer's urban winery in Hobart. It  is floral with citrus/peach/pear flavours, fennel hints, minerality and bright acid, alongside a textural element on the palate. The mid-palate structure of GDF riesling is created by ageing sur lie, which involves keeping the finished wine on ferment lees. Pair with fresh Tasmanian scallops. $36. https://www.gdfwinemakers.com/

Holm Oak 2021 Hotshot Pinot Noir

 

A rather bland label disguises the flagship pinot noir from family-owned Tamar Valley winery Holm Oak. At four years of age, this has developed in to a lovely wine that combines power and poise in the style of Central Otago. Made from small batches of estate fruit and produced only in outstanding vintages, this has impressive structure thanks to the use of whole bunch material. The fruit was basket pressed and matured in French oak (50% new) for 14 months. The end result: complexity and style and a balance between dark red fruits, deli and undergrowth notes, allied to that intense concentration. $130. https://www.holmoakvineyards.com.au/