The 2006 Pinot Gris is the only white to have received any oak treatment. Thirty percent of the juice was fermented in older oak and remained on the lees for four months before being blended with the tank-fermented component. Light straw-colored, it has a lovely herbal, tangerine/orange peel, and pear-scented bouquet leading to a weighty wine with plenty of mouth-filling flavor, balancing acidity, and a fruit-laden finish. Drink it over the next 2-3 years. Tamar Ridge winery is on the banks of the Tamar River in northern Tasmania. With vineyards located between 41 and 43 degrees south Latitude, Tamar Ridge has more in common viticulturally with New Zealand than it does with mainland Australia.Importer: Robert Whale Selections, Washington, DC; www.tamarridge.com.au Also tasted: 2004 Pinot Noir (84)

From Tasmania, this is a fine example of that island’s aromatic whites. Crisp acidity imparts a tense, mineral-like quality to the melon and fennel aromas, and while there’s enough flesh in the mouth to satisfy, there’s also mouthwatering focus and purity. Drink now–2010.——J.C.(9/1/2008)—— 88