Stargazer Tupelo 2024

Stargazer Tupelo White Blend 2024

$38.00

One of our favourite white wines of 2024, of any style, from anywhere. A blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Gewurztraminer. A nod to the blends of Alsace, a showcase of region, rather than of varietal. The Tupelo is to a degree an orange wine, and in that idiom it is the best in Australia. Simply beautiful. Intensely aromatic, with notes of honeysuckle, white flowers, potpourri, custard apple, blood orange, lime preserve, pawpaw and yellow peach. Terrific shape, tense, yet generous and ample. Textural, a jot of peach skin/chalky texture, a compote of yellow, citrus, green and red fruits. Wildly complex, slightly smokey, spicy, gin herbs. Layered, detailed and sensual. The faintest touch of residual is perfectly balanced, ensuring as close to perfection as possible. Waters Wine Co

 

A wine that continues to defy the ‘Other varietal’ black hole on a wine list just by shining too bright to be missed. Stargazer’s Tupelo continues to be loved by trade and consumer alike. So much so much of the volume is allocated on release. The great news is that in 2024 the younger plantings on Samantha’s Tea Tree vineyard have started to mature enough that a small parcel was included this year in the final blend, offering us a little more wine to go around.

The blend of the 2024 is 42% Pinot Gris, 30% Riesling, 21% Gewürztraminer & 7% Pinot Blanc. This unusual blend mirrors the famous Alsatian ‘Gentil’ styles marrying the body and texture of Pinot Gris, exuberance of the Pinot Blanc with the spicy aromatics of Gewürztraminer and finishing with the finesse and acid structure of Riesling. That’s straight from Samantha’s own words.

The name Tupelo was inspired by the Tupelo black gum, of which its honey is highly sought after for its unique characteristic of having the perfect balance of sugars that it doesn’t crystallise. Samantha’s passion for white blends and the drive to find the perfect balance of sugar, acid and texture with her wines makes the naming of this wine perfect. Plus it’s the name of a Van Morrison song ‘Tupelo Honey’ and the place where Elvis was born. Given the praise this wine has received in recent vintages I’d say it’s keeping up with its heady namesake.

Samantha highlights how delicious Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer taste straight off the vine in Coal River Valley, so much flavour in the skins. All of the component varietals are sourced from the Coal River Valley from differing sub regions, Richmond, Tea Tree and Campania.

All the grapes are hand picked, destemmed. Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc & Riesling are left on skins for approximately 8 hours then pressed off to seasoned oak for wild ferment. Gewurztraminer is left a little longer on skins pre-ferment for 2 days. All varietals are left on lees post ferment for 2 months, with lees stirring every two weeks. Small parcel of Riesling is fermented in ceramic egg. Wine is fined and filtered due to the 3.7 grams of RS purposely left in the wine. Producer’s notes

 

Shop Stargazer

Producer:
SKU: SGA001-24 Categories: , , ,

Additional information

Producer

Grape Variety

, , ,

Region

Country

Vintage

Size

Producer Profile

Stargazer, in a very short space of time, has become one of the most exciting prospects in Tasmania.

Founder/owner/winemaker and grape grower, Samantha Connew, released her first Stargazer wines in 2012, after previously working with Wirra Wirra as chief winemaker. Initially her fruit was sourced from small parcels in the Coal River Valley and still is, but in 2016 Sam purchased an 11 hectare property, with 1 hectare of Riesling and Pinot Noir. She increased plantings to 3 hectares in 2017, more Pinot and Chardonnay. With a relentlessness born out of passion, true grit and early success, she has increased plantings in 2021, with additional Pinot Noir, Gamay, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurtztraminer. No doubt, there is more to come.

The vineyard is farmed sustainably. Every site, everywhere in the world is unique, but much of Tasmania is covered by brown dermosol soil over Jurassic dolerite. Free draining, but with excellent water holding capacity, fertility and high calcium content, it produces healthy crops of thick skinned grapes. Tannin management is the holy grail for Australian Pinot Noir, most being delightfully fruity, but without the requisite tannic power necessary for great Pinot. Tasmania, evidenced by producers such as Home Hill and Stargazer, are teasing not only longer, more refined tannins, but tannins of grip and presence that hold the palate and parade the fruit.

The whites all possess high levels of natural acids, tension, chisel, texture and flesh. There is a Pinot Meunier/Pinot Noir blend called Rada and a straight Pinot Noir. The Rada (when available) is juicy, bright, red fruited with pastry notes, delicate tannin and bracing acidity. The pinot noir, compact, spicy and wildly complex. Full bodied, structured and very powerful, it’s wide in the mouth and texturally silky, before the tannins fully assert themselves with an authoritative grip.

Stargazer’s range is unbeatable. The prices are a steal, truly fine wines of this quality are and should be more expensive. Sam Connew’s winemaking is an exercise in controlled virtuosity, bringing nuance and delicacy threaded with breadth, richness, structure and thrust.

Related products

Pin It on Pinterest