Tasmania Wines

Tasmania has come of age and part of the reason is winemakers like Nick Glaetzer and the other contributing factor is the quality of the fruit and the cool climate. This has already been recognised with Glaetzer being awarded the prestigious winemaker of the year by Gourmet Traveller wine. Thanks to vintages in Burgundy, Nick has brought all his know how to this stylish red and created a wine of elegance and complexity. It’s lifted with plum and cherry fruit some savoury spice before a vibrant palate of black fruits, toasty oak and soft tannins.

Perhaps Tasmania's finest Chardonnay, this sexy svelte and elegant wine marries power with precision to make for one very tasty wine. On the Freycinet subject, if you do get a chance don't miss out on visiting the vineyard itself. Not only it is a rather attractive place, with startlingly good wines, but it is super close to the fabulous Freycinet national park. Triple win.

Smart wine this one. A smart wine from a producer that is continuing to build it's reputation for quality Tasmanian booze at very fair prices. Indeed this might be their best wine to date - a medium to full bodied Pinot Noir that carries plenty of the deeper richer fleshy flavours of Northern Tasmania, but still with that all important Tasmanian acidity. Yes. Tasty Pinot indeed.

Nick Glaetzer is a winemaker to watch and he’s celebrating a stellar year having been named winemaker of the year Gourmet Traveller,as well as having won the hallowed Jimmy Watson for his Shiraz at the tender age of just 31. This Pinot is made in a lighter style paying homage to his time working in the Minervois region of France. It’s light and lithe with the vibrancy of fresh berries, soft tannins and taut acids ensuring it’s ready for drinking immediately.

Set in a few acres along the impressive Freycinet coastline of East Tasmanina, the Lyne family has a proud history at Spring Vale dating back to 1875. This wine has a lovely signature of what we like to call Pinosity with vibrant raspberry and some mushroom-like earthy complexity. It’s a well structured wine that just gets better and better in the glass as it sinks down far too easily. It would pair well with mushroom or game dishes.

If there’s one thing better than a Pinot Noir from Tamar Ridge it’s a reserve Pinot From Tamar Ridge that proves Tasmania is making some of the country’s most exciting wines. Complex and giving, the aromas are ripe with raspberry and strawberry some meaty characters and spice. The flavours are mirrored on the palate but it’s the concentration, texture and tannin weight that holds the key. It finishes with good natural acid and shows amazing length of flavour and lingering fruit intensity.

Pinot Noir is the minx of the vineyard, she is notoriously fickle and needs time and nurturing. She’s the kind of grape you have take out several times before she gives out. Winemaker Julian Alcorso has nurtured his Pinot grapes well and turns out a varietal red that is vivid with wild berries and plums. It’s finely balanced between soft tannin weight and acid backbone. A duck would quack its enthusiasm to be matched with this delicate wine.

If you're a Tasmanian winery and you don't have a sparkling these days then you're not trying hard enough really. The crew at Josef Chromy thankfully are trying hard enough (clearly) which brings us this vintage sparkling, a serious bubbly made with loads of acidity and power to burn. It's a sparkling to bring out and serve to people who only drink French bubbles.

It’s time for Tassie Chardonnay to take a bow as it has come of age and one of the original vineyards is the picturesque Pipers Brook. This beautiful vineyard is capable of producing pristine fruit for wines like this. A good balance achieved between fruit and mineral complexity in this wine, it’s laden with apples, pear and citrus as well as stonefruit before secondary notes of spicy oak. A wonderful harmony of fruit oak and natural acids make for an expressive Chardonnay that works brilliantly with food.

Bay of Fires is on fire at the moment. Sound’s dramatic but it’s true because winemaker Fran Austin knows how to turn up the heat in a cool climate and produce scorching results. This is Chardonnay that tastes like it should, no oak parodies here, just pure, integrated Tasmanian fruit that’s full of individuality. It’s got all you could ask for from the variety, aromas of peach and citrus and some restrained toasty oak before a creamy and persistent palate. It finishes firm with natural acids and is attention grabbing down to the last drop.

One of the first commercial vineyards to be planted in Tasmania, Bream Creek's plot if now over 21 years old and is really hitting it's straps now (like 21yr olds often do). This wine is the perfect example too, a lovely bright and pretty Pinot with lots of red fruit flavours and a silky palate. It's just a little bit sexy too, which is great to see in a very fairly priced Tassie Pinot.

David Boon, Boags, Tasmanian Tigers and... Riesling? That's the possible progression of great Tasmanian things if this wine is anything to go by. It's a juicy style of Riesling yes also a dry one, straddling the ripeness fence to give something for the whole family (that should also get even better with a little more bottle age).

It's time to get wine nerd for a second. Don't worry it won't be hard, just bear with me for a second. There is an important number to be looked at when tasting this wine. It's called the 'TA' and stands for Total Acidity which is, unsurprisingly, a measure of the acidity in a wine. What's relevant in this case is just how high that figure is (7.4) which means that this wine has more than a little acidity in it. Now lots of acidity is not always a good thing but in a Chardonnay like this it means a crisp and refreshing white wine, particularly if the fruit is up to the task. Needless to say it is and this is one rather delicious modern Chardonnay in a very tasty style. Good indeed.

The Spring Vale philosophy is to make wines that express the cool climate they originated from in this picturesque part of East coast Tasmania. Pinot Noir here takes a long time to ripen ensuring really good flavour development. This is elegantly perfumed Pinot with berries, violets and earthy aromas underpinned by subtle oak. It has a plush mouthfeel with a silky tannin profile and while drinking well now, it will cellar well for the next decade.

Chardonnay from Tasmania is so hot right now. For a climate that’s cool it might be something of a contradiction. But forget what you know about Aussie Chardonnay a decade a go, because the new breed is genuinely exciting. This comes from the west Tamar and has a varietal nose that’s rich in citrus and peach as well as honey and toffee characters from time spent in barrel. Peach and citrus dominate the palate but it’s full of fruit purity and light on the oak. Crisp acids cut through the palate before a persistent fruit finish.

Tassie wine has come of age and there’s a real buzz about the potential of the Apple isle to turn out some nifty, cool climate wines. The Cracka offices are inundated with Pinot Gris and this one spoke to us (not literally), of where it came from. This is made in the fuller, French style so prepare for a palate of spiced pears and a nicely fulsome mouthfeel. This has got all round appeal for anyone that loves a good white wine and goes really well with a whole range of foods.

It’s Tassie’s time to shine as they are now making some of the most impressive cool-climate wines in the country. Bream Creek are one of the oldest established vineyards in the region, having been planted in the early 70s. This is an alluring yet varietal depiction of Sauvignon Blanc with intense, tropical aromas supplemented by snow pea and citrus. The palate is tangy and refreshing with zesty, fresh acids and a clean, crisp finish.

Prepare to be bowled over by a taste of Tasmania that will knock your socks off. This is the kind of Pinot that makes us sad to see it leave the warehouse although on the flipside we are happy for those of you who get to cellar it or drink it straight away. We don’t want to blow smoke up winemaker Alan Pirie too much but this Pinot was recently lauded over by International wine writer Matthew Jukes who said it is the best release of this wine yet. Expect floral aromas and black cherry before a palate of sweet plummy fruit and a firm finish.

The Lyne family are the visionaries behind the Spring Vale label and have a family motto that translates as ‘Live for your dreams.’ They have a strong belief that premium quality wine ensures a better life and we are sure you agree when you try this Chardonnay. This is complex, sophisticated Chardonnay with a core of citrus and baked bread complexity offering a creamy and textural palate. This is a rich and decadent drop that needs food to show it’s star quality.

Little story about this wine - I served it at my wedding because it just delivers all you want in great Aussie Sparkling wine without the Champagne price tag. What really stands out is its' Audrey Hepburn elegance and you can't go wrong with that!