2024 Stargazer Palisander Riesling

Sam Connew doesn’t make cookie-cutter Riesling. From her Palisander vineyard in Tea Tree, planted back in 2002, she’s chasing flavour, texture and detail – not just acid and citrus. The thick-skinned fruit from this site gives her plenty to work with, and she leans into it, fermenting wild in ceramic and concrete eggs and leaving the wine on lees for ten months.

The 2024 has all the classic Coal River Valley markers – green apple, lime and that zippy freshness – but there’s more going on. You’ll find yuzu, mandarin and a touch of fennel, with a salty, chalky edge that keeps it mouth-watering. The acidity is lively, almost sherbet-like, yet softened by that time on lees. It feels bright and pure, but also a little more layered and savoury than your usual Tassie Riesling.

It’s ready to enjoy right now with seafood or on its own, though it’ll easily hold up in the cellar for years. Like everything from Stargazer, it’s made in small quantities and won’t hang around.

95 points
"Focused, textured and with impressive length and shape. There's just-ripe nectarine, pithy citrus and gravelly phenolics at play. Plenty of layers here."
- Aaron Brasher (The Real Review)