Product Information:
2023 is the third vintage that Stargazer have used both fruit from their own Palisander vineyard in Coal River Valley and from a grower in the Upper Derwent Valley. 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. Wound up tight, with lovely texture and length. Be quick, very limited.
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.
The Palsander portion was hand harvested. Whole bunch pressed and transferred directly to oak and concrete egg for ferment. The oak portion represents 80%. 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.
Maker:
Stargazer pays tribute to Abel Tasman, who as an explorer and navigator, must have spent a fair amount of time gazing towards the heavens. A Dutchman under the employ of the United East India Company, Abel Tasman was the first European to sight Tasmania (on 24 November 1642) and then the South Island of New Zealand, nineteen days later on 13 December. He is a natural link for winemaker Samantha Connew, having been born and bred a South Islander, and now having fallen in love with another island, Tasmania.
For Samantha Connew, the opportunity to work with pristine fruit to craft the wines she is passionate about in an environment of extraordinary beauty is really all she wanted to do as a winemaker. Sam recollects her high school Classics teacher, a Scotsman who at one point had been in the Merchant Navy, always said that when visiting museums, art galleries, and churches we should remember to look up as the best treasures can be above us.
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.
Vineyard:
From Palisander Vineyard in the Coal River Valley as well as fruit sourced from Bernard Brain's vineyard at Ouse, high in the Derwent Valley. The former was planted in 2017 and is a combination of clones 76, 95, 96 and 548, all but the latter on own roots. This block is south facing and is primarily brown dermosol on Jurassic dolerite, Bernard 's vineyard was planted in 1999 on own roots, the soils white silica sand over sandstone and clay. The site is north-east facing and of moderate vigour at approximately 100m above sea level. The clone is Bernard 76 and the vines are cane pruned and trained to a VSP canopy.
Stargazer vineyards are located in the Tea Tree subregion at the northern end of the Coal River Valley, the original 1ha vineyard on Back Tea Tree Road was planted by Norm and Jan Gangell in 2004. Pretty much half and half riesling and pinot noir, the property (eleven hectares in total) is also home to an olive grove. Samantha took over in 2016 and in late 2017 expanded the vineyard to include an additional two hectares of vines: more pinot noir (four clones), some chardonnay (another four clones) and more riesling. Stage two of the expansion was planted in October 2021: more pinot noir (two clones), gamay, pinot blanc, riesling, pinot gris and gewurztraminer.
Whilst still very new to the whole grape grower caper, Samantha and her new vineyard manager Guy Young are fervent believers in sustainable farming, biodiversity and regenerative agriculture. As part of this approach, they use sheep in the vineyard during winter for weed control, chickens free range throughout the year and scratch around for bugs, bees contribute their pollination magic (and honey) and since 2020 we have planted over 1000 native species on the property.
Nose - White Nectarine, Pear, Gunflint
White nectarine and fresh pear with some background secondary notes of gunflint and almond meal
Palate - Mandarin Juice, Red Grapefruit, Almond Meal
More stonefruit on the palate. Complex and round with mandarin juice mouth-watering acidity, the fruit and oak integrated and focussed.
Finish - Nervy, Mouthwatering Acidity, Integrated Oak
Seamless finish, the fruit and oak are well integrated and focussed.
The Finer Details
Style - White Wine
Varietal - Chardonnay
Country - Australia
Region - Coal River Valley, Tasmania
Vintage - 2023
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13%
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