Clarence House Estate Chardonnay 2024

Cool-climate Chardonnay without going austere. A balanced, mid-weight Tassie style that pours easily — the dependable Tassie Chard pick.

The fruit comes off Block 4 at Clarence House Estate, an east-facing slope in Tasmania's Coal River Valley. The ground underneath is dolerite and basalt rather than deep topsoil, so the vines work for a small crop. Nights stay cold here between Hobart and the Coal Valley, and that cold holds the acid while the grapes ripen through a short season.

The grapes are whole-bunch pressed and left to ferment wild, split between stainless tank and old French oak puncheons. Nothing here is new oak, so the wood frames the fruit rather than flavouring it. Justin Bubb and Anna Pooley make the wine, the same pair behind Pooley Wines further up the valley.

Pour it cool rather than fridge-cold and give it a few minutes in the glass. It sits well next to grilled fish, roast chicken or anything off the barbecue that needs a wine with some grip.