We love Tassie wines, as might be indicated by the fact that
Tasmanian producers dominated the Classification this year. With no fewer than eight of the sixty producers in this year's class hailing from the Apple Isle, it's safe to say they make a great wine down south.
In today's instalment of the DD Classification, we're shining a light on six of these Taswegian rockstars (some of which we're sure need no introduction!) and their brand new releases.
Stop the press, here we go!
Stoney Rise
Winemaker Joe Holyman and his wife Lou purchased their property in the Tamar Valley in 2004. It's a picturesque site with vineyards filled with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, planted in 1986.
Since then, they have developed a keen following, producing some of the most stunning Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on the Apple Isle. One of the most limited and sought-after releases on our calendar is the day Joe Holyman drops his stunning old-vine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from these original plantings on the property.
On top of these two rockstar wines is Joe's full-throttle Project X Pinot Noir with all new oak and 100% whole-bunch - a powerhouse Pinot that is one for the collectors.
These wines fly off the shelves. And no wonder, they are right at the top of the pile in Tasmania at the moment.
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Dr. Edge
Peter Dredge is Dr. Edge. He is one of the most intuitive and talented winemakers on the Apple Isle. With a wealth of experience garnered at wineries such as Bay of Fires, he has revitalised the Meadowbank label and returned it to its place as one of the must-watch vineyards in Tasmania.
As you can expect, we get very excited when Peter Dredge tells us he has new wines for us to taste.
Tasmania's most creative grape-wrangler has two delicious brand-new table wines for you today. The first, the ridiculously-named and ridiculously-delicious Tyrannosaurus dREDge is an electric Pinot Meunier - as bright and crunchy and thirst-crushing as you can imagine a red wine can be. As the weather warms up, we'll be smashing this, both with and without a chill.
The second is his latest skin-contact 'orange' wine, a wine he's dubbed Ambrosia. It brings together the common and often wonderful Pinot Gris with the rare and virtually unknown Schonberger in an amber wine with lots of personality. It's frisky and fantastical, slightly peachy in colour and smells like a dump truck of Springtime blossoms just smashed through your front door.
Only small batches all made by hand. These creations are riveting things to drink, and we recommend getting your fix from the Good Doctor while you can.
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Mewstone
Mewstone Wines is a joint venture between Jonny and Matt Hughes, two Tasmanian born wine-heads, and their respective wives Margie and Cathie.
The two families have invested in a small plot of land on the banks of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel in the charmingly named locality of Flowerpot, on the south-eastern tip of Tasmania. Matt works the grapes, Jonny makes the wines, taking what he learnt from seven years as assistant winemaker at Moorilla and re-imagining it for his own label.
We saw Mewstone owner/winemaker Jonny Hughes here at DD HQ a couple of months ago and convinced him to share a little of his precious estate-grown wine gems with us (and you!) and aren't we glad we did!
Recently added to the Mewstone collection, you will find new vintages of the excellent Mewstone Riesling and Pinot Noir and their hugely popular Pinot Gris that is part of their fantastic value Hughes & Hughes range.
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Two Tonne Tasmania
With the slogan ‘small parcels, big love’, Ricky Evans' thoughtful winemaking approach has seen his southern star rise rapidly with a swag of accolades in a relatively short time. The wines of TTT exemplify the purity and elegance of modern Tasmania.
We've spent years hunting for the best-value Pinot Noirs on the island and we think Two Tonne Tasmania represents about the best $35 you can spend on a bottle of Tasmanian Pinot Noir.
Ricky Evans made some sublime wines from the 2021 harvest but the TMV (Tamar Valley) Pinot Noir might be the pick of them that have been released thus far. It's packed with delicious red summer berries and flowers, it's seductive and vibrant and great bang-for-your-buck.
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Stefano Lubiana
Pioneers of biodynamic farming in Tasmania, Steve and Monique Lubiana are some of the best grape-growers south of the Bass Strait. We've been huge fans of theirs for years and are pleased to welcome the whole Lubiana family to the Classification this year.
Their gorgeous estate was the first to adopt the principals of biodynamics in 2008. Since then the quality of the whole Stefano Lubiana range has soared. The wines are immaculate: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Sparklings all packed with flavour, intensity and perfectly balanced.
Steve, a fifth-generation winemaker, is now one of Tasmania's leading producers, no doubt about it.
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Sailor Seeks Horse
On an island packed with excellent producers, the husband and wife team of Paul & Gilli Lipscombe at Sailor Seeks Horse have stood out from the pack.
Their pint-sized vineyard in the deep south of Tasmania's Huon Valley produces remarkable Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, albeit in tiny quantities. While those wines come and go in a flash, we do have a very small amount of their 2019 One Monkey Chardonnay available, sourced from top-flight vineyards Clover Hill, Tolpuddle and Ghost Rock. It is a true Taswegian triumph.
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