2025 Stargazer Riesling

Sam Connew has a knack for making Riesling that feels both precise and generous, and the 2025 release is right on song. Sourced from her own Tea Tree vineyard in the Coal River Valley – blocks planted in 2004, 2017 and 2021 – plus a little fruit from Campania, it’s a wine that shows just how far Tassie Riesling has come.

The style sits on that lovely edge between dry and off-dry, with just enough residual sugar to round out the naturally racy acidity. It’s not about sweetness though – it’s about balance. Expect classic Tea Tree characters of crisp apple skin and citrus, layered with spice (nutmeg, cardamom) and floral notes of honeysuckle and chamomile. There’s also a savoury fennel crunch and a saline line that adds texture and intrigue.

Sam plays with skin contact, wild ferments and a little lees stirring to give the wine shape and subtle grip, which makes it so much more than just fruit and acid. 

It’s approachable now, but with that backbone of natural acidity it will happily evolve in bottle for years. A beautiful, balanced expression of Tassie Riesling from one of the best in the business.

95 points
"Pithy, textured crunchy and focused, with a pure drive of juicy citrus, just-ripe nectarine and perky acidity. Textured and long."
- Aaron Brasher (The Real Review)