Craigow Tasmania
- Riesling 2005 $28
- Sauvignon Blanc $25
- Gewurztraminer 2005 $23
- Dessert Riesling 2008 375ml $19
Today we’re taking a little stroll through Tasmania, beginning with this delightful, maturing, dry riesling discovered at the excellent Smolt restaurant of Salamanca Square, Hobart. We followed up with a visit to Craigow’s cellar door in the Coal River Valley, about half an hour’s drive from Hobart. Other classy wines from the estate, founded in 1989 by Dr Barry Edwards, are the light, fresh and zesty sauvignon blanc 2009, the purely-varietal, sweet Dessert Riesling 2008 with its bracing, fresh acidity and the most delicate gewürztraminer imaginable – its sweetness offset, again, by remarkably fresh acidity. See www.craigow.com.au
Kelvedon Estate East Coast Tasmania
- Sauvignon Blanc 2009 $22
- Pinot Noir 2008 $28
In 1829 Jack Cotton’s great, great grandfather established a 200-hectare farm, just south of Swansea on Tasmania’s east coast. In 1998 Jack planted one hectare of pinot, within spitting distance of the sea, on the now 2,200-hectare sheep property. In 2006 he established 0.9 hectares of sauvignon blanc near the original vines; and in 2000 and 2001 planted a separate, slightly more elevated site, to 2.5 hectares each of chardonnay and pinot noir, contracted to Constellation Wine Estate’s Bay of Fires operation. And he’ll be adding another two-hectares this year. The wines are first rate: the pinot ripe and generous but finely structured; and the sauvignon, light, herbal zesty and mouth-wateringly fresh. Order through kelvedonestate@bigpond.com
Spring Vale Vineyard Freycinet Coast Tasmania
- Melrose Pinot Noir Pinot Meunier 2009 $22
- Pinot Noir 2007 $40,
- Sauvignon Blanc 2009 $24
- Pinot Gris 2009 $28
William Lyne took up a land grant at Cranbrook, north Swansea, in 1826. Since 1986 Rodney and Lyn Lyne have planted 6.6 hectares of grapes on the property and 2007 purchased a neighbouring property ‘Melrose’ and its vines. The Lyne’s daughter Kirsten and her husband, David Cush, make the wines on site. The ‘ Melrose’ expresses a deliciously fresh, fleshy drink-now version of the two pinots; but the 2007 pinot is a far more serious wine – penetratingly varietal in aroma and flavour with a fine, taut acid and tannin structure. The richly textured, finely structured sauvignon offers ripe, tropical flavours. And the very dry pinot gris offers pear-like varietal flavour and savouriness www.springvalewines.com
Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2009