2023 Glaetzer-Dixon Uberblanc Riesling, Tamar Valley

The cool climate Tamar Valley in northern Tasmania provides an unlikely but brilliant home for Riesling, where maritime influences and ancient soils create conditions closer to the Mosel than mainland Australia. Ben Glaetzer and Anna Dixon's collaboration harnesses the region's long, gentle growing season, allowing grapes to ripen slowly while retaining piercing acidity and intense aromatics. The 2023 vintage saw near perfect conditions, delivering a wine of exceptional purity and tension that speaks eloquently to both place and variety.

Pale straw with green tinges shimmer in the glass, hinting at the wine's youth and vitality. The nose is immediately captivating: lime zest, green apple and white peach dance with jasmine, honeysuckle and wet slate. There's a delicate citrus blossom quality, underscored by crushed herbs and a distinct minerality that recalls river stones. On the palate the wine is razor sharp yet wonderfully textured, delivering flavors of Meyer lemon, nectarine and pink grapefruit over a steely, saline core. The acidity is vibrant and mouth coating, driving a long, electric finish that tingles with lime pith and flint.

Pair with fresh oysters on the half shell, where the wine's salinity and citrus notes create a perfect marriage, or seared scallops with lemon butter that echoes its bright acidity. The Riesling shines alongside Tasmanian salmon, whether raw as sashimi or gently poached, and works beautifully with crab salad, green curry with prawns, or delicate white fish with herbs. For vegetarian options, try asparagus with hollandaise, goat cheese soufflé, or Asian inspired dishes like Vietnamese rice paper rolls or Thai green papaya salad that play to the wine's aromatic complexity.