There are many reasons why the Tasmanian Wine Show has always been one of my favourites. There is only one panel, so the three judges taste all the wines. There are far more pinot noirs on display than at any mainland show. The show is run with the precision of a Swiss watch. The evening dinners are in the best restaurants Launceston or Hobart has to offer. Oh, and there is a day or two of trout fishing.

Then there is the contrast between the phenomenally high medal strike rate of the sparkling, riesling, chardonnay and pint noir classes, and the abysmally low strike rate of the pinot gris, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and shiraz (a recent arrival) classes.

With a few exceptions over the years, sauvignon blanc obstinately refuses to provide any of the effusive fruit of Marlborough, instead offering hard, minerally, acidic wines. Pinot gris is, if anything, even less attractive. The problem for sauvignon blanc seems to lie in the vineyard and clonal choice; the problem for pinot gris is a lack of ambition in the winery.

On the other side of the moon, Tasmania is a Garden of Eden for sparkling wines. And the longer they spend on lees, the better they are: Arras Grand Vintage 2003 and Arras EJ Carr Late Disgorged 1998 both won trophies.

The three dry riesling classes had a total of 82 entries that won 55 medals, the percentage lowest in the ’09 (60 per cent), then 67 per cent in the ’08 class, and 82 per cent in the ’07 and older class – the last providing the trophy winner, 1997 Chartley Estate. The ’08 Bay of Fires Riesling won the Top Gold in the ’08 class, and my Chairman’s Trophy. The medium sweet and sweet classes produced a plethora of gold medals, the lion’s share going to Pressing Matters, winning three trophies for its ’08 and ’09 R69 Rieslings, and Most Successful Exhibitor.

Chardonnay trophies went to a delicious ’07 Derwent Estate (Best Chardonnay) and a rich, complex ’08 Velo (People’s Choice). The four pinot noir trophies were won by ’07 Freycinet Louis Pinot Noir (Best Three-Year-Old), ’06 Pages Creek (Best Value) and ’08 Kate Hill (Best Pinot and Best Wine of Show). These emerged from 73 wines in the ’08 class, 32 in the ’07 class and 17 in the ’06 and older. A lip-smacking total of 122 pinots that won 82 medals.

2008 Pressing Matters R69 Riesling
This has been a beautiful wine from the outset, winning a gold medal at last year’s show. In the 2010 class for medium sweet whites of any variety (all were in fact riesling), ’09 vintage and older, it prevailed over two other golds, 2008 Pooley Late Harvest Riesling and its younger brother the 2009 R69 Riesling. Its luscious fruit has gained in depth over the past year, and it was this that earned it top spot. 9.1% alc/vol; screwcap.
Rating: 95 points
Drink: to 2014
Price: $29

2007 Freycinet Louis Pinot Noir
Two gold medals were awarded in the 32-strong 2007 pinot noir class. Both were Freycinet wines, a mighty achievement, but it was the second label, Louis, that prevailed (available through cellar door/mail order from March 1, or  through fine wine retailers from April; distributed by Negociants Australia). The Louis has excellent colour, with complex black fruit aromas leading into a powerful and ripe palate, full of sweet pinot fruit, and, indeed, in pinot terms, full-bodied but without any suggestion of dead fruit or over-extraction. 14.5% alc/vol; screwcap.
Rating: 95 points
Drink: to 2017
Price: $28

2008 Kate Hill Pinot Noir
The 73 wines in class 18 won 50 medals, including five golds, and it was ultimately Kate Hill which emerged as the top wine among those five. It then had to beat the 2007 Freycinet Louis, which it did in a split vote. The wine has wonderful colour, vibrant and deep; the palate is full of black fruits, every bit as generous as the Louis. It is a wine that will richly repay – and indeed demands – cellaring, with a minimum three years, and an ultimate lifespan closer to 15 years. 13.5% alc/vol; screwcap.
Rating: 95 points
Drink: to 2020
Price: $32