2023 Sinapius Close Planted Chardonnay, Northern Tasmania

High density, multi-clone, dry-grown Pipers River chardonnay. Juicy white peach, nectarine and grapefruit fruit with hints of crème fraîche, gentle spice, clover blossom, crushed shell, grilled nuts and a light lick of vanillin oak. Such lovely fruit flow on the palate. Delicate and vivid with a light umami sheen to its saline acidity, finishing with white peach, grapefruit and lemon zest.

94 points Dave Brookes winecompanion.com.au

The Sinapius Close Planted Chardonnay is a masterclass in precision and intensity from Northern Tasmania. Produced by Sinapius, one of the most exciting small producers in the region, this wine comes from a meticulous close-planted block just outside Pipers River. The vines are densely spaced—about 7700 per hectare—forcing roots deep into the soil and increasing competition, which results in lower yields and naturally concentrated fruit. This vineyard philosophy is inspired by the old-world Burgundian model, and it shows in every detail of this wine.

Hand-tended from budburst to harvest, the fruit is picked early in the morning for freshness, then whole-bunch pressed and allowed to ferment naturally in a mix of new and seasoned French oak puncheons. There’s no hurry here. Ferments can take weeks, even months, adding layers of complexity and texture. The wine undergoes full malolactic fermentation, is aged on lees for close to a year, and is bottled unfined and unfiltered.

What you get in the glass is elegant and cerebral. Aromatically, it offers white nectarine, Meyer lemon, struck flint, almond meal and subtle wood smoke. The palate is taut and precise with mouth-watering acidity, gentle oak seasoning and a core of citrus and stone fruit layered with saline minerality. There’s tension and finesse, but also depth and quiet power.

This Chardonnay pairs beautifully with creamy seafood dishes like scallop mornay or crayfish thermidor, roast chicken with tarragon butter, or grilled miso-glazed king oyster mushrooms. Decant it in its youth to allow the reductive notes to unfurl, or give it five to eight years in the cellar to see it develop more nutty, toasty complexity.

Sinapius has steadily gained cult status among those who seek detail, elegance and place-driven wines. The Close Planted Chardonnay is one of the clearest expressions of the Northern Tasmanian cool-climate advantage—a wine that sits comfortably among Australia’s top-tier Chardonnays and has caught the attention of critics for its sophistication and purity.