Tasmanian Wines Highly Reviewed by Huon Hooke of The Real Review
Please note original article first published by Huon Hooke in The Review Review, February 2024.
Fogarty’s impressive Tasmanians
The impressive Tasmanian Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays of the Fogarty Wine Group were high on the list of attention-grabbers in 2023.
The Lowestoft wines impressed wine show judges as well as we critics. They are produced by chief winemaker Liam McElhinney and his team at the Fogarty-owned Tasmanian Vintners contract winemaking business in the Coal River Valley.
These are mostly quite high-priced wines but the Fogarty Wine Group (FWG) is also producing more affordable Tasmanian wines that have impressed me recently. They include Sandy Bay Estate and Strelley Farm Estate - all AUD $30 bottles.
The Fogarty Wine Group also produces Anon Tasmanian Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, both AUD $25. Tassie wine prices don’t go much below that level.
Reviews
2022 Sandy Bay Estate Riesling
91 Points
Light-medium yellow, bright, with a savoury bouquet, nutty, pencil-shavings aspects suggest some barrel work. There's attractive lemon-pith, peppery fruit as well. Soft, open-knit and fuller style of palate, which has a faint tickle of mid-palate sweetness then is dry and balanced to finish. Medium length. A fine wine, starting to develop a little toastiness.
2022 Strelley Farm Estate Pinot Noir
93 Points
Bright medium depth red-purple colour; the bouquet fresh and young, bright and even slightly estery, with some carbonic maceration-type nuances including a touch of stalkiness that leaves a firm edge on the tannins. Sweet fruit core. This is a baby and would reward even a year's extra time in bottle. Potential is there for a delicious glass of pinot noir. Real value here.
2022 Anon Pinot Gris
90 Points
Palish straw colour; spice and stone-fruit aromas of a cool-grown gris; the palate is lean and dry with a touch of poached fruit in the core, then a very dry, savoury finish, where some grip adds a touch of firmness. There's a bit more dimension to this than most Pinot Gris'.
2020 Anon Pinot Noir
90 Points
Light to medium ruby red colour. Red cherry and cola aromas. Bright red fruit on entry, well layered with dark earth and exotic spices adding complexity and character. The framework sits quietly in the background ensuring it flows long and finishes clean and dry. A good value example of the variety.
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