Holm Oak
Acting on advice received, the final day of our jaunt around northern Tasmania saw us head north on the West Tamar Highway, turn off at Rosevears and follow the road along the edge of the river bank. It was undoubtedly the best piece of travel advice we’d received on the trip and took us past scenes of jaw dropping beauty with a wow factor of several million - so high, in fact, that after lunch at Beauty Point we decided to do the trip in reverse on the way to the airport..
On the way north we’d stopped at the Artisan Gallery & Wine Centre before turning off onto a dirt track that took us under the Batman Bridge, past a stone convict-built Presbyterian church to Holm Oak Vineyards, where I weakened and shelled out for a dozen of the 2005 Riesling (Halliday rating 94).
It wasn't a planned stop - I'd done my share of tasting the day before on the other side of the river, but we were in the area, we needed to fill in time and I'm glad we did. Most of the dozen are sitting in the cellar and, with suggestions that it can be cellared until 2012 (Halliday), 2013 (decanter.com) or 2015 (the winery) they're likely to be there for a while.
And the wine?
Picked later than usual after a freak storm in February 2005 that meant the vines struggled to ripen the fruit (an example of the value of stressing vines?) the result (11.7% alc) has some residual sugar to balance the natural acidity. Plenty of citrus on the nose follows through in the mouth. Echoes of the Mosel according to decanter.com, almost perfect balance, long in the mouth with plenty of steely acidity.
Last time I checked the website there was some left at $35.00 per bottle.
Holm Oak 2005 Riesling (5* $n/a) Three years after we visited the vineyard and ordered a dozen of this Halliday 94 pointer, things have mellowed out very nicely, the citrus on the palate has taken on the kerosene character associated with aged Riesling and the result is simply divine. $25 for the current vintage.