In 'The World of Wine Fine', a British quarterly magazine, a great article on the rise of Australian chardonnay was recently featured. We were delighted that Ken Gargett featured our 2023 Stargazer Chardonnay as an outstanding example for Tasmania, and indeed Australia.
Samantha Connew is a New Zealander who, back in the 1990s, was studying law and working in a local wine bar in Christchurch. When it came time to make a choice as to the future, it was no contest. Sam then worked in many regions around the world, before setting up her own operation, Stargazer, in 2012.
The name pays tribute to Abel Tasman, a famous explorer and navigator, the first European to set eyes on Tasmania, though others have suggested that it is named for the stargazer fish (an ugly thing that will bury itself in the sand if you hook one, making it extremely difficult to catch; you expect something large, given how difficult it is to move, but disappointment awaits).
Sam believed that the Coal River Valley in Tasmania would allow her to make the Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Chardonnay in which she believed. In 2016, prior to which she had been buying fruit, she purchased 11ha (27 acres). At the time, the vineyard was just one 1ha (2.5 acres) of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Since then, she has planted a further 4ha (10 acres) and is eyeing more. She uses clones 76, 95, 96, and a few rows of 548.
Winemaking is typical for the region. Wild fermentation, no added acid, and gentle use of oak. The use of malolactic fermentation varies depending on the conditions. Sam believes that the decision as to when to pick is critical, since the “raw product is awesome.” She picks not on sugar ripeness but where she believes the alcohol will finish. The oak is 500-liter puncheons, which allow the wine to stay fresher. She likes the contribution from Mercurey oak and uses around 20% new.
As for closures, she would be happy to change to a better option, but asked to choose between cork and screwcap, she replied, “Screwcap, of course—I’m not an idiot.”
Review of the 2023 Stargazer Chardonnay
Fruit here is from the Coal River Valley/Derwent Valley. A very pale lemon hue, with notes of green apples, spices, pink grapefruit, pears, lemon cheesecake, gunflint, and beautifully integrated oak. There is paper-cut acidity running the length, with a long and lingering finish. A wine of balance, focus, and intensity—expect it to provide pleasure for at least another decade. | 96
