wa2.gif (4241 bytes)


abut9.gif (3095 bytes)



abut12.gif (3207 bytes)
abut10.gif (3636 bytes)


abut11.gif (4039 bytes)



 

The wines of Tamar Ridge, Tasmania, Australia

Website: http://www.tamarridgewines.com.au/

Tamar Ridge is emerging as one of Tasmania’s leading lights, from a standing start back in 1994 when the first vines were planted here. The first wines to be released were as recently as 1999.

It’s a big venture, with around 300 hectares of vines in three different sites, overseen by well known viticultural consultant Richard Smart. Another famous name here is that of CEO and chief winemaker, Andrew Pirie, who became famous for establishing Tasmanian superstar winery Pipers Brook.

These are impressive cool climate new world wines, with the Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc catching my eye. Availability in the UK: Great Western Wine (here), Lay & Wheeler (here), Execellars, Eden Wine and Laithwaites.

Tamar Ridge Devil’s Corner Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Tasmania, Australia
Quite an intense, sweetly fruited nose with a herby edge and some limey intensity. It’s rich but fresh. The palate has generous, sweet fruit but a bit of an assertive grassy freshness. Lots of concentration here, and nice balance between the gooseberry and tropical fruit characteristics of the Sauvignon. Very good/excellent 90/100

Tamar Ridge Pinot Gris 2004 Tasmania, Australia
Fresh, herbal, slightly spicy nose. The palate is concentrated with a nutty richness underpinning the fresh, slightly neutral herb-tinged fruit. The subtle oak adds some interest to this otherwise slightly one-dimensional wine. It’s not as fat as an Alsace Pinot Gris and is struggling a bit to find its voice here. Very good+ 85/100

Tamar Ridge Pinot Noir 2003 Tasmania, Australia
Really appealing sweet, supple berry fruit nose: quite elegant and perfumed. The palate shows good concentration, nice acidity and some grippy, spicy tannins, but the fruit is ripe and elegant. Overall, this is a very convincing new world Pinot of great purity. It may well develop interestingly. Very good/excellent 90/100 

Tamar Ridge Limited Release Botrytis Riesling 2005 Tasmania, Australia
This goes remarkably well with raspberries. Try it! It is sweet and viscous, yet light and fresh at the same time. Lots of complex, sweet apricot and lemony fruit with a nice spiciness, some honeyed notes and high acidity. An impressive, precise sweet wine with some future ahead of it. Very good/excellent 91/100 (UK agent Vinus Vita)

Wines tasted between 01–07/06

Find these wines with wine-searcher.com

Back to top