Translation missing: en.New Arrivals + Stargazer: New Arrivals + Stargazer
New Arrivals
We’ve received some exciting new arrivals that don’t break the bank that we’re excited to share with you all. The Mesa Giunco Vermentino is fresh and vibrant with a good amount of texture, quintessential Sardinian Vermentino. The Di Giovanna Nerello Mascalese is an absolute steal for a great wine with 5 years of age already - red fruits with some spice and flowers. The Ochota Barrels Gewurztraminer is a classic, juicy with plush stone fruits and lychee/musk. The Scintilla is a 60/40 blend of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir - fresh, fruity and floral. The Pais is a rare Chilean grape with interesting darker flavours and texture. These are just some of the things that have entered our store recently. Drink up!Stargazer
Stargazer are one of the most exciting producers emerging from Tasmania, crafting distinctive Chardonnay and Pinot as well as other great treasures. Stargazer pays tribute to Abel Tasman - a navigator and explorer cited as the first European to set sight on the island (as well as the south island of NZ shortly after), and would have spent a lot of time gazing up at the stars. Winemaker Samantha Connew is a South Island Kiwi who fell in love with Tasmania, so Abel is a natural link for her. Sam is always inspired by the adage “always look up at the stars and not down at your feet” which is evident in these beautiful wines that inspire and tantalise.
The first case of wine that Sam ever bought was a dozen of Riesling from Tassie’s Tamar Valley and the first vintage she ever worked was in Oregon, understandably falling in love with Pinot. It made sense that after numerous forays around the world that she would end up in Tasmania making Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. On top of working vintages in Oregon, Italy, Spain and working as the Senior Winemaker for 10 years at Mclaren Vale’s Wirra Wirra and 5 at Hunter Valley’s Tower Estate, Sam has also worked for the Australian Wine Research Institute, was the youngest person and first woman to serve as Chair or Judges at the Sydney Royal Wine Show and even sits on the board of the Len Evans Tutorial.
Stargazer’s vineyard is located in the Tea Tree subregion at the northern end of the Coal River Valley. Initially planted to roughly 50/50 Pinot and Riesling, the vineyard has expanded to include some more Pinot with more clones, Chardonnay and more Riesling, with a more recent expansion in 2021 including plantings of Gamay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer. The Palisander vineyard as Sam calls it, is located on brown dermosol soil over jurassic dolerite and is particularly high in calcium which contributes to thicker skins and slower ripening. Sam and Vineyard Manager Guy Young are passionate about sustainability and regenerative agriculture; using sheep in winter for weed control, free range chickens to eat any bugs, bees for pollen and honey and have planted over 1000 native species on the property since 2020.
We’ve just stocked a range of Stargazer’s magnificent wines - not just their Chardonnay and Pinot. We have the ‘24 Riesling and ‘Tupelo’ white - an Alsatian-inspired blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Gewurztraminer. Fans of Hugel’s ‘Gentil’ should check this one out. We also have the ‘23 ’Palisander Riesling’ and the ‘23 Chardonnay which drinks similar to a Puligny-Montrachet. From their reds, we have the ‘23 ‘Kura’ - a spicy Shiraz/Pinot blend for those old school ‘Hunter Valley Burgundy’ lovers and of course the ‘23 Pinot Noir. Anyone who has liked what they’ve had coming out of Tasmania should do themselves a service and try Stargazer’s wines!