Description
Stargazer is a boutique, premium producer of some of the most exciting wines coming from Tasmania, predominantly from the Coal River Valley in the southern part of the Island where the range focuses on Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Winemaker Samantha Connew’s first vintage under Stargazer was in 2012 and after a long search her dream became a reality in 2016 when she purchased an 11 hectare site in the Coal River Valley, of which 1 hectare was planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Since then she has planted 2 more hectares compromising of Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with another 2 planned for planting in 2021.
2022 is the second vintage that Stargazer have used both fruit from their own Palisander vineyard in Coal River Valley and sourced from a grower in the Upper Derwent Valley, which was formerly 100% of the blend. The Stargazer plot was planted in 2017, south facing and is primarily brown dermosol on Jurassic dolerite. The Derwent Valley vineyard owned by Bernand Brain was planted in 1999 and there are soils white silica sand over sandstone and clay. The site is north-east facing.
Hand picked, whole bunch pressed directly to oak for fermentation. Wild ferment in 500L French oak (mercurey), 20% new. Full malolactic. No lees stirring, left in barrel for 8 months, the blended in tank for 3 months before bottling.
About the 2022 vintage from the winemaker: “The La Nina conditions over winter in 2021 delivered some solid rainfall during the winter months, but especially through spring with October and November in some spots recording the highest Spring rainfall on record. Whilst budburst commenced around normal in mid-September, the wet conditions slowed things down a little and flowering was particularly prolonged this year. Shoot growth was vigorous when it started to warm up and meant lots of hours shoot thinning and leaf plucking to open up the canopy and reduce disease pressure. Summer was dry and warm but the slow start delayed vintage by about 10 days on average.
“Light straw in colour with green edges, the nose shows plenty of white nectarine and fresh pear with some background secondary notes of gunflint and almond meal. The palate is complex and round with madarin juice mouth-watering acidity, the fruit and oak integrated and focussed at the same time.”
96 points, Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion “Light straw with aromas of lemon, grapefruit, nashi pear and white peach with wafts of struck match, soft spice, almond paste, white flowers and stone. Quite concentrated on the palate yet reigned in beautifully by the vivid, stony acidity. Finishes long and sapid with lipsmacking intensity and a lovely textural sway.”
94 points, Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front “Here we have subtle lemon pith and crushed lemon pip with bitter oil spills on sides of the tongue, but almond nougat comes in with a balancing sweet note. There’s melon skin, lemon curdy creaminess, just a touch of green pineapple skin and struck match, or is it more flint, but very elegant, complementary to the fruit. Utter refreshment comes from this wine along with its chalky texture and lime peel sweet-but-not-sweet tension. It’s a beautifully fresh style with all the lip-smacking Chardonnay traits on point.”
92 Points, Ned Goodwin MW, JamesSuckling.com “A densely packed, chewy, pithy and appetizing mid-weighted chardonnay. Tightly coiled scents of nutty praline, nougat and white peach. The oak, nestled into the fray seamlessly. The finish uncoils with air rather nicely, splaying long across a raft of juicy acidity. Drink or hold across the mid-term.”
RRP $77 Our Special Price $69.99 – Very limited!
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