Stargazer Chardonnay 2022

Stargazer pays tribute to Abel Tasman, who as an explorer and navigator, must have spent a fair amount of time gazing towards the heavens. Tasman, a Dutchman under the employ of the United East India Company was the first European to sight Tasmania and then the South Island of New Zealand. Located in the Tea Tree subregion at the northern end of the Coal River Valley, the original single hectare vineyard was planted in 2004. Pretty much half and half riesling and pinot noir, the property is also home to an olive grove.

Talented winemaker and wine judge Samantha Connew took over the property in 2016 and expanded the vineyard to include additional vines: more pinot noir, some chardonnay and more riesling along with smaller quantities of gamay, pinot blanc, pinot gris and gewurztraminer.

2022 is the second vintage that Stargazer have used both fruit from their own Palisander vineyard in Coal River Valley as well as 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 is north-east facing and was planted in 1999 and where the soils are white silica sand over sandstone and clay. 
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.

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 mandarin juice mouth-watering acidity, the fruit and oak integrated and focussed at the same time.

The Finer Details
Style - White Wine
Varietal - Chardonnay
Country - Australia
Region - Coal River Valley, Tasmania
Vintage - 2022
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 12.5%