2024 Stargazer Rada $38

01/08/2026

Samantha Connew's first wine connections to Tasmania date back to 2007 during her time at Tower Estate in the Hunter Valley. She made five vintages of Pinot Noir for the company, based upon fruit grown in the Huon Valley. Her move to Bay of Fires at Pipers River in 2012 provided much greater exposure to Tasmania's vineyards and the minutiae of their various idiosyncrasies. So it's little wonder Connew was able to put all that to good use when she moved again to the Coal River Valley in 2016 to focus on her own Stargazer brand.

This release of Rada is a 50:44:06 (percent) blend of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Gamay, sourced from a vineyard on the East Coast and two sites in the Coal River Valley, including a tiny portion of first crop material from Connew's own Palisander Vineyard at Tea Tree. A little bit of winery magic and a fair amount of small batch work - including carbonic maceration of the Gamay component - have created a bright and delicious red for immediate enjoyment.

Unlike the three previous cooler and wetter La Niña seasons, 2024 was a warm and dry vintage that delivered really topnotch fruit for table wine production. There's a lovely vibrancy to the wine's colour, and that's matched to aromatics and flavours that are immediately engaging. Red cherry/black cherry and cranberry fruit complement more savoury elements, including sour cherry, subtle spice/fennel and something akin to blood orange. The lasting impression is a mouthwatering juiciness that begs another glass. A modest 13% alcohol makes it socially responsible. Well, almost.

Connew's winemaking peers might well take a long look at Rada. It's a carefully crafted yet friendly and joyous red, a worthy showcase for Tasmania's cool-grown fruit. Be sure to make your own assessments by visiting Connew's very smart new cellar door on home turf.

Source: Cellar door