Eastford Creek Vineyard Chardonnay and Gamay (2023)

 (Please also see my post below this post: Thursday, January 16, 2025  Eastford Creek Vineyard Tasmania Pinot Gris 2024.)

Eastford Creek Vineyard (ECV) is a young winery, but, given that, it's wine is surprisingly sophisticated (given also  my memory of tasting early Kangaroo Island (South Australia) wine, which became drinkable 10 years later). 

We arrived to live in Tasmania in early 2021, and ECV was established only three years earlier (2018). Yet I have watched the vineyards expand since 2021. And I think I can say I was an 'early adopter/visitor' to/of ECV because it is on my way out of my village to elsewhere. 

The 2023 ECV Chardonnay is light-to-mid gold in colour and the aroma and palate are all lemon. The palate also lingers. 

I experienced the change from big, buttery Chardonnays in Australia to light ones. But when I returned to the former, I fully appreciated their depth and flavour. Still, many wine drinkers have left the big Chardonnays forever. 

It's a definite problem that  I get used to wines from particular regions, and I have to 're-educate' my palate for the same grape in a distinctly different region. So far, I still think Tasmania, on the whole, does not come up to the standard of Chardonnays from Margaret River and Adelaide Hills, not do Tasmania Rieslings match either German or Clare Valley/Watervale (SA) ones. There are a few exceptions. For example, I was fortunate enough to have a taste of ECV's 'natural' Chardonnay' which I was astounded at, given that I am a verified hater of natural wine. So I am so looking forward to ECV's natural Chardonnay coming soon  to tasting/purchasing. 

It's rare to find alternative varieties in Tasmania, dominated as it is by the regulars of Chardonnay, Sav Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. Nevertheless, ECV produces a Gamay. Its 2023 is  similar in colour to Pinot Noir (lightish, transparent ruby red). In perfume it is like a drift of soil particles mixed with a light touch of peanuts and egg yolk. The light palate makes it very drinkable, and makes me think of the word 'town' which is not a bad thing, different as it is to the negative implications of  'city'.

Stargazer/Tupelo Tasmania Coal River Valley 2024 Pinot Gris/Riesling/Gewuztraminer/Pinot Blanc

 Ok, so Tasmania appears to be doing, unbeknown to moi, the combo grape variety wine, when I thought Tasmanian was all about predictable varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling, Sav Blanc and Pinto Noir. But, no, it does Gewurz, Pinot Blanc, Gamay and, wait for it, Chenin Blanc. See my post below that notes a not-dissimilar mix: Atom 2022 Entropic White: Gewuztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris.

This bottle invests in a quirky print maker, Kate Piekutowski, whom I've come across on Instagram. 

So it's light gold in colour. It has a perfume of pear  and jube (possibly red). On the palate, it is surprisingly full-ish and actually not sweet (on a second tasting with a day or so in between), thank the goddesses. A little too sharp on the end palate for such a mix. But wait, maybe waiting even more, the end palate is between savoury and sweet and seems finely balanced. 

The branding IS CONFUSING (yes, all caps deliberate) because I looked up Tupelo and could not find a devoted website under that name, which turns out to be Stargazer, which you have to look for on the back label of the bottle.  I am sure it has an explanation - but wait, there is another mixed variety wine with a different subtitle/name - but I was too tired to look for such. 

Atom 2022 Entropic White: Gewuztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris

 This Atom wine is a lovely, pale-golden yellow in colour. Salty in perfume. Long palate, that is high syrupy in the middle and  rich and lemony at the end. Savoury with a hint of sweetness. Atom wines are based in the south of Tasmania, at Lindisfarne is a suburb of the capital of Tasmania Hobart's Eastern Shore,

Gala Rose 2023 Tasmania

Gala Rose, along with Small Wonders Rose, are two of the best among Tasmanian Roses. Tasmanian Roses are usually Pinot Noir based ... 'cause PR does so well in a cool climate. In colour and perfume, the Gala is shy, and a  light but on-the-border-of- showy pink in colour, and in perfume, something of sea-water and an unperfumed rose that's about to have a perfume, or wishes longingly that it did. On the initial palate, it is fullish, and ends very drily. And after swallowing it down comes the knowing that it's a lovely elegant, sophisticated wine, with a sense of mature and assured making. 

Eastford Creek Vineyard Tasmania Pinot Gris 2024

Eastford Creeks 2024 Pinot Gris is rustic, light-bronze golden with a pink tinge. A pink tinge is always good in a Pinot Gris. And this is no exception. Think Zendaya's (why go for a single name?) dress at the Golden Globes 2025 but less copper/tangerine. In perfume it is peachy and on the palate fruity too, perhaps apricot, with a lightly backgrounded spice such as cinnamon or nutmeg or Chinese five-spice. It's a dry PG with a sophisticated and elegant palate. https://eastfordcreek.com.au/  I often stop here on a Friday for a glass of wine on my way home to Shearwater from a writers' group in Deloraine, Tasmania. And everything is interesting: the outlook, weather, wine choice. 

Small Wonder Riesling

 Though I love the Small Wonder Rose, the Riesling was not great. Much too sharp perhaps, no depth. Tamar Valley. 

Nocton Estate Chardonnay

 Coal River Valley, Southern Tasmania. The Chardy is perhaps too lemony for my taste. But Nocton is the first to make a Chenin Blanc in Tasmania.