2026 Stargazer Tupelo, Coal River Valley

The latest release of the always delicious Tupelo from Samantah Connew’s Stargazer label, with the previous 2025 vintage rated 95 points by both Halliday Wine Companion and The Wine Advocate.

The blend marries the body and texture of Pinot Gris and the liveliness of Pinot Blanc with the floral, spicy aromatics of Gewürztraminer, all held together by the acid structure of Riesling. Inspired by the sought-after honey obtained from Tupelo black gums, Samantha is always seeking the perfect balance of sugar, acid and texture in her wines.

We’ll add our tasting notes for this wine soon. In the meantime, here’s what Samantha herself sees in a glass of the 2026:

“This unusual blend mirrors the famous Alsatian 'Gentil' styles marrying the body of Pinot Gris, the exuberance of Pinot Blanc with the spicy aromatics of Gewürztraminer and the finesse of Riesling. Pale yellow in colour, the nose is delicately fragrant showing some dried mandarin and musk lolly spiciness with a hint of crystallised ginger and honeysuckle. The palate is glossy and textural, with positive phenolics playing an important role in framing the richness of the mouthfeel.”

NB. we think Sam is downplaying the quality on offer in this wine, as previous vintages have been well above the average Alsatian Gentil-style blends that are, for most parts, simple everyday wines.

More about this wine

The 2026 Tupelo is sourced from the 2021 plantings at Samantha's Palisander vineyard in the Tea Tree are of Coal River Valley, supplemented by small amounts of Pinot Gris from a vineyard just outside of Richmond.

The Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer portions were destemmed and left in contact with skins for about eight hours prior to gentle pressing. All juice was fermented with indigenous yeasts in older oak puncheons and left to rest on lees for close to two months post-ferment. The final 2026 blend is 50% Pinot Gris, 30% Pinot Blanc, 13% Riesling, 7% Gewürztraminer.

The artwork for the Tupelo label was commissioned from Hobart-born, now Brisbane-based artist Kate Piekutowski.

About this producer

Stargazer pays tribute to Abel Tasman, the Dutchman who is believed to be the first European to sight Tasmania and the South Island of New Zealand in 1642. Founder and winemaker Sam Connew is a born and bred South Islander who fell in love with Tasmania after fifteen years of vintages across the globe. Her Palisander Vineyard in the upper reaches of Coal River in Lutruwita/Tasmania was planted by its original owners in 2002 to Riesling and Pinot Noir and expanded in 2017 by Sam with more of the same (but increasing clone numbers) and four clones of Chardonnay. Pinots Blanc and Gris followed in 2021, along with Gamay and Gewürztraminer.

The property sits on brown dermosol soil over Jurassic dolerite and is particularly high in calcium associated with thicker skins and slower ripening. Sam believes in the strength of biodiversity and regenerative agriculture and uses sheep and chickens for manure distribution and weed and bug control. Bees and other insects are essential for vine pollination too, and Sam has planted over 1000 local plants on the property since 2020 to provide them with food around the year.