Holm Oak’s Fearless Tassie Pinot + more new releases

It felt like an old mate returning home when a few bottles of Holm Oak wines lob up on the Australian Wine and Drinks Review doorstep. It’s been a few years between drinks, which is even more remiss given that a Holm Oak moscato was the subject of my first published article (which was sixteen years ago as I talked about yesterday).

No moscato in this lineup, but plenty of smart Tamar Valley Pinot Noir instead. Great to see a delicious Cab Franc here, which is a reminder that Tim & Bec Duffy’s vineyard is one of the few places in Tassie that do justice to the Bordeaux varieties (their Cabernet Sauvignon can be super too). Let’s take a look at how these new releases look:

Holm Oak Fearless Pinot Noir 2023

No new oak, no whole bunches, just an expression of the best of the Holm Oak site. Lots going on here – glace cherry, fresh cherry, a little mulch and a lacquer of oak in amongst the ripe red fruit. And ripe it is – there is a body and warmth here that feels un-Tasmanian – close your eyes and you could have crossed Bass Strait to the Yarra. It’s certainly not bad, though, just bold. There’s a bittersweetness, too, and a bite that shapes this into something better. A really nice wine.

Best drinking: good now and for at least five years, but don’t wait. 18.5/20, 94/100. 13.5%, $65. Would I buy it? Worth a few glasses.

Holm Oak Cabernet Franc 2024

Well, this is succulent. That’s the best way to describe it. Red cherry fruit, a little greenish herbs, sausage meat, the palate tangy and pretty in a Loire mode. Has plenty of acidity, which not everyone is going to like, but a lovely sense of Franc bite and energy.

Best drinking: nowish, no hurry. 17.7/20, 92/100. 13%, $40, Would I buy it? A few glasses easy.

Holm Oak Pinot Noir 2024

This is the ‘standard’ Holm Oak Pinot. Bright raspberry fruit, with a more serious edge and some grip – Lots of ripe raspberry fruit as the star here, and raspberry syrup generosity to finish. It’s a primary wine with a structure to follow and fill out with bottle age. Likable.

Best drinking: better next year and then drink over the short term. 17.7/20, 92/100+. 13.7%, $40. Would I buy it? Worth a glass.

Holm Oak Chardonnay 2024

I’m undecided whether this is just too young or a smidgen underdone, so a little patience is required. In the meantime, this is bright and youthful, with a really primary green melon and grapefruit with a gentle sweet peachiness. Easy pleasure here too, even if I think an extra layer will need to drop to fill it out.

Best drinking: from next year. 17.5/20, 91/100. 12.5%, $40. Would I buy it? A glass.

Holm Oak The Protégé Pinot Noir 2024

This entry-level Pinot is full of redcurrant fun. Light ruby coloured, there is a little spritz to start, lots of red berry fruit, a bit of carbonic red frog confection and a bright and lively palate. It’s hardly complex, but it is pretty much what an approachable early release Pinot should be.

Best drinking: now. 17/20, 90/100. 13.5%, $32. Would I buy it? A glass.

Holm Oak Arneis 2024

Tassie Arneis is a rare beast and this is a curious profile. Has a bit of red apple stone fruit ripeness and this slightly brassy, thicker edge. That translates into flavour width, but also a bit of flab and an indistinct finish. It’s ok.

Best drinking: now. 16.8/20, 89/100. 13.5%, $32. Would I buy it? No.