Bibendum Wine Co.
Bibendum Wine Co.
Bibendum Wine Co.
Bibendum Wine Co.

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Meadowbank

Delicious Things—2023 Chardonnay, Pinot and Gamay from the Pearl of the Derwent
Meadowbank
From the moment Peter Dredge joined forces with the Ellis family, Meadowbank has not missed a beat. Vintage 2023 continues this partnership’s stellar run of form. In the end, what might have been a damp squib of a vintage turned out to be one of the most exciting years for Peter Dredge and Meadowbank. “We were expecting it to be wet and gross”, Pete told us. “Instead, we got moderate and consistent, and the quality was through the roof.” The third in a line of cooler, low-yielding seasons, Meadowbank’s relatively sheltered position in a pocket of the upper Derwent saw them skate through the heavy rains experienced elsewhere in the valley. Gerald Ellis certainly knew what he was doing when he started planting vines here in 1976.

Peter Dredge has carved out some magic wines from this pristine, if small, harvest. Fuelled by cool-climate tension, the fleshy, mineral-flecked Chardonnay is as faultless as we have tasted from this site. It’s “the best I’ve made”, says Dredge, acknowledging he said as much about last year’s wine! The 2023 Pinot is the second release to include fruit from a small block of volcanic-rooted vines that Pete credits with taking the Pinot to another level. Meeting the high bar set by last year’s trophy-winning release may not have been a walk in the park, yet Dredge has knocked it out of the park with the pure and vibrantly red-fruited 2023. Last, we offer Meadowbank’s pithy, cherry and spice-scented Gamay. Campbell Mattinson calls it “delicious”, Dave Brookes “vivid”, and Bibendum—let’s go with “vividly delicious”. An altogether terrific release from a first-rate vineyard realised by a talented winemaker. What is not to love?

The Wines

Meadowbank Chardonnay 2023

Meadowbank Chardonnay 2023

Meadowbank’s Chardonnay yields were down considerably in 2023, yet quality and concentration were through the roof—so much so that Peter Dredge puts this year’s release up there with the very best he’s made. This comes off the property’s oldest vines, which are P58 clone and well into their 30s. Peter Dredge describes the vineyard as a “beautiful little spot” with loose sand and sandstone overlaying dark brown coffee rock rich in iron oxides. The fruit was picked over two passes at slightly different ripeness levels, ensuring sufficient acidity to balance the ripe-leaning nature of the clone. The fruit was pressed as whole bunches to French puncheons for fermentation. This year, Pete upped the percentage of new wood (20%) to balance the density of the fruit from this low-yielding year.

In the classical Meadowbank mould, it’s focused and chiselled with a rocky palate layered with citrus, white flowers and crunchy stone fruits, all pulled taut by that mouth-watering, cool-climate acidity. Dredge’s superb winemaking has drawn out a cracker this year, right down the tapered, pulpy finish teeming with slaty drive, Va va voom.

“This year maybe offers a little extra richness and fruit power, though it’s still a tight little devil, with a driving grapefruity acid line though white peach and lime zest, a little lemon butter gloss and richness, along with cedar and spice. The finish is very long and a bit on the flinty side. It sizzles and pops, and it’s an outstanding Chardonnay all up.”
95 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
“Bright and vibrant in the glass. Lifted aromas of grilled nuts, nectarine, white flowers, nougat and just-ripe white peach. The palate is fine, focused and multi-faceted. There’s lashings of white stone fruit, grapefruit and punchy, lemony acidity. The oak is subtle and supports the fruit beautifully and there’s a real seamlessness to the impressively long finish.”
95 points, Aaron Brasher, The Real Review
Meadowbank Chardonnay 2023
Meadowbank Gamay 2023

Meadowbank Gamay 2023

Since its first release, Meadowbank’s Gamay has generated considerable excitement in the trade. With some foresight, Meadowbank’s original Pinot Block was planted to Gamay in 1987. Then, in 2015, a second small Gamay block (evocatively named Top Woolshed) joined the fold. The soils in each block are loose sand over sandstone and dark brown coffee rock. The second block has a component of dolerite. Both sites are farmed sustainably.

2023 was another low-yielding year for Peter Dredge and the Meadowbank team, but, as in 2022, the fruit was excellent. The blocks were picked separately and fermented as whole clusters over 12 days. The wine was foot-stomped over the next few days before being pressed to old French barriques. The wine then matured for three months in barrel before being bottled without fining or filtration.

“I'm really digging Tasmanian gamay. Here from Gerald Ellis' Meadowbank vineyard in the Derwent Valley and made by Peter Dredge. Bright and bouncy in hue with wildflower and spice-flecked plum, cranberry and blue fruits, a crushed riverstone savouriness balanced just so with a nice tension between pure fruit and minerally acid velocity. Vivid, delicious and so easy to drink. Will take a chill easily if you want to whack it in the fridge and take it to the beach for rehydration purposes.”
93 points, Dave Brookes, The Wine Companion
“This is looking good. Squeaky clean, polished, perfumed and fruit-driven, but with enough flying about the edges to give it some breadth. Musk and bubble-gum cherries, sweet spice notes, a foresty element and a creaminess. It feels plush – at 12% alcohol – but then finishes dry. Apart from anything else – it’s delicious.”
93 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
Meadowbank Gamay 2023
Meadowbank Pinot Noir 2023

Meadowbank Pinot Noir 2023

The lion’s share of fruit for Meadowbank’s lithe, detailed Pinot is drawn from a north-facing parcel of vines planted by Gerald Ellis in 1987 (which Pete thinks is probably a combination of MV6 and D5V12 clones). For the last two years, a small portion (about 20%) of younger-vine fruit grown on the Top Woolshed block has been included in the blend. These vines were planted in 2014 on a lofty outcrop with more volcanic presence in the soils than the sand, sandstone and dark coffee rock in the old-vine block. The fruit from here lends savoury, graphite undertones to the wine, as well as driving power and grunt to the back palate. Last year’s release took out the Australian Pinot Noir Challenge, and this year’s wine (in our humble opinion) is a cut above its predecessor. Once again, Pete’s instinct has paid dividends. “The Top Woolshed block is pretty unique; without doubt, it’s the soil type making the difference”, he told us.

The fruit was picked over two weeks and fermented in two batches. The early pick was fully destemmed, while the later pick fermented with 50% bunches. Maturation took place in a mix of old and new oak (about 10%) for nine months. It shimmies out of the glass with lacy berry purity kissed by floral perfumes. Equally vibrant on the palate, the multi-layered texture deals in gorgeous red fruits flecked with sweet, earthy notes and fine, melting graphite tannins. Wow, delicious. There’s terrific depth throughout, yet the delivery is one of elegance, buoyancy, pretty flesh and subtle mineral-scented length of flavour. Quiet power meets Burgundy-leaning charisma. Killer.

“It fairly pops with red cherry and ripe strawberry, there’s also some spice, dried flowers and something a little bit earthy, like brown mushrooms, with a just a hint of smoky reduction. It’s juicy and succulent, with cool balanced acidity, and if you swish it around in your mouth, there’s fine emery board tannin that feels very nice, along with a pleasantly sappy edge. The finish is long, spicy and sweetly fruited. It’s lovely now, though likely better again with a couple more years under its belt.”
95 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
“Complex aromas of cherry, dried herbs, spice, sap, underbrush, earth and bramble. There’s plenty of fleshy blue and red fruits here, along with some bunchy funk and lift. The fruit is vibrant, textured and layered and there’s lovely, firm, shapely tannins and snappy acidity.”
95 points, Aaron Brasher, The Real Review
“Another cracking Peter Dredge pinot noir from Gerald Ellis’ Meadowbank vineyard in the Derwent Valley. Light and bright in colour with fragrant aromas of red cherry, cranberry and raspberry fruits with a whiff of watermelon. Hints of exotic spice and twiggy complexity along with ginger cake, pressed wildflowers, dried meats, softly spoken oak and earth. Spacious with an inflow of amaro and dried citrus rind on the palate, finishing powdery in tannin with a slightly wild look in its eyes.”
95 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion 2025
Meadowbank Pinot Noir 2023

“Wines from Peter Dredge are refined in their proportions. Flavour is always at the forefront, yet it’s the purity, structure and length of the wines that make them truly outstanding.” Toni Paterson MW, Gourmet Traveller WINE



“Meadowbank’s vineyard is one of the most important in Tasmanian wine; a whole host of the best quality and most interesting Tasmanian wine brands source fruit from it. The label and winery itself has had a bit of a hiatus but renowned winemaker Peter Dredge has teamed up with the Ellis family to kick things back into life.” Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

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