2024 Bubb + Pooley Chardonnay – Coal River Valley, Tasmania – Only 450 Dozen

🏆 One of Tasmania's Most Exciting Chardonnays – From Two of the Island's Most Accomplished Winemakers!

NEW RELEASE | 2024 Bubb + Pooley Chardonnay | Coal River Valley, Tasmania

Concrete Sphere Fermentation, Extraordinary Vineyard Sites and Beautiful Cool-Climate Precision!

2024 Bubb + Pooley Chardonnay

Coal River Valley, Tasmania

RRP $66

What happens when two winemakers with more than 40 years of combined experience decide to create their own label in one of Australia's greatest Chardonnay regions?

You get Bubb + Pooley!

And believe me, this is one of the most exciting boutique wine producers in Tasmania.

The people behind it?

Justin Bubb and Anna Pooley.

Husband and wife.

Two extraordinarily experienced winemakers.

And two people with an intimate understanding of Tasmania's remarkable vineyards.

But here's what makes their 2024 Chardonnay particularly interesting.

It's partly fermented in a concrete sphere!

Not a conventional stainless-steel tank.

Not entirely in French oak.

A specially designed, 1,500-litre spherical concrete vessel that forms an important part of the wine's texture and personality.

And the result?

A Chardonnay with beautiful citrus purity, delicate white peach, fine mineral tension, wonderful texture and extraordinary natural acidity.

This is exactly the sort of Chardonnay I get excited about at Liquid Vibe!

Bubb + Pooley – A Fascinating Tasmanian Wine Story

Bubb + Pooley was established by Justin Bubb and Anna Pooley, two accomplished winemakers who have spent much of their careers working with premium cool-climate wines.

Their first releases came from the 2021 vintage.

And their philosophy was refreshingly straightforward.

They wanted to make wines from exceptional Tasmanian vineyards.

Wines with personality.

Wines that reflect their origins.

And wines made with a thoughtful approach to sustainability and minimal unnecessary intervention.

For Justin and Anna, the vineyard comes first.

They work closely with growers to understand individual sites and select fruit with the right balance of flavour, acidity and structure.

The winery itself is designed around that same philosophy.

Thoughtful fermentation vessels.

Careful oak use.

And a determination to preserve the character of the fruit.

It's a fascinating approach, and one that is producing some seriously exciting wines.

Coal River Valley – One of Australia's Great Chardonnay Regions

If you're serious about Australian Chardonnay, you need to know about Tasmania's Coal River Valley.

Located northeast of Hobart, this remarkable region has become one of Australia's most celebrated districts for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

And it's not difficult to understand why.

The Coal River Valley combines long summer daylight hours with cool growing conditions and a relatively dry climate by Tasmanian standards.

The result is a wonderful environment for Chardonnay.

Fruit can develop beautiful flavour concentration while retaining the natural acidity that gives the finest wines their freshness, precision and longevity.

And some of Australia's most celebrated Chardonnay producers call this region home.

Tolpuddle.

Stargazer.

Decades.

Pooley.

And now Bubb + Pooley is another name serious Chardonnay lovers should have on their radar.

Four Vineyard Sources – A Beautiful Expression of the Coal River Valley

The 2024 Bubb + Pooley Chardonnay brings together fruit from carefully selected Coal River Valley vineyards.

The sources include the estate vineyard on White Kangaroo Road, together with fruit from Brinktop and Bremley.

Each parcel contributes to the overall balance of the wine.

One may provide beautiful citrus purity.

Another additional stone fruit concentration.

Another fine mineral structure.

And another freshness and length.

The objective isn't simply to blend fruit for volume.

It's to create a Chardonnay that captures the complexity and character of this extraordinary Tasmanian district.

The wine is predominantly made from P96 Chardonnay, with a smaller contribution from I10V1.

These different Chardonnay selections provide another opportunity to build balance and complexity.

The Concrete Sphere – Here's Where Things Get Really Interesting!

This is one of my favourite details about Bubb + Pooley.

Justin and Anna use specially designed concrete fermentation vessels.

And not simply because concrete has become fashionable.

Concrete has been used for winemaking for centuries.

But modern winemakers are increasingly exploring how different vessel shapes and materials can influence fermentation, texture and maturation.

For the 2024 Chardonnay, approximately 40% of the wine was fermented in a 1,500-litre concrete sphere.

Concrete provides a very different environment from stainless steel or new oak.

It doesn't contribute the vanilla, toast or spice flavours associated with new barrels.

Instead, it allows the winemaker to build texture while maintaining a strong focus on fruit character.

The spherical shape also offers a distinctive environment for fermentation and lees contact.

And when combined with carefully judged French oak, the result can be absolutely magnificent.

Beautiful fruit purity.

Fine texture.

Subtle savoury complexity.

And wonderful mineral precision.

It's a fascinating combination.

Winemaking – Concrete, French Oak and Beautiful Restraint

The 2024 Chardonnay was hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed.

Fermentation took place across a combination of concrete and French oak vessels.

The winery used a mix of indigenous and selected yeasts across the different vineyard parcels.

The wine then matured on fine lees for approximately 10 months.

French oak was used to provide texture and complexity without overwhelming the fruit.

And the approach to malolactic fermentation was carefully managed to preserve the wine's vibrant natural acidity.

The finished wine was bottled unfined.

What I particularly love about this approach is the balance.

The concrete helps maintain fruit purity.

The French oak provides subtle complexity.

The lees contribute texture.

And the acidity gives the wine its remarkable freshness.

This is Chardonnay made with enormous thought and restraint.

Tasting Notes – White Peach, Lemon Blossom and Extraordinary Mineral Freshness

The 2024 Bubb + Pooley Chardonnay is a wonderfully refined wine.

The aromatics reveal a beautiful combination of:

• White peach and nectarine

• Green apple

• Fresh lemon zest

• Grapefruit

• Citrus blossom

• Subtle almond skin

• Fine savoury complexity

• Delicate mineral notes

The palate is beautifully balanced.

There's lovely citrus and orchard fruit concentration, but nothing feels heavy.

Fresh lemon and pear provide brightness.

A fine, creamy texture adds depth.

And the wine's mineral structure gives it wonderful precision.

The acidity is beautifully persistent.

Fresh.

Clean.

And mouth-watering.

The finish is long, with grapefruit pith, subtle almond and a fine savoury edge.

White peach. Green apple. Lemon zest. Citrus blossom. Almond. Chalky minerality. Beautiful acidity.

This is a Chardonnay that combines elegance with genuine complexity.

And that's a wonderful combination.

Why Tasmania Is Producing Some of Australia's Greatest Chardonnays

For many years, the conversation about Australia's finest Chardonnays was dominated by regions such as Margaret River, the Yarra Valley, Beechworth and the Adelaide Hills.

And those regions remain extraordinary.

But Tasmania has become an increasingly important part of the conversation.

The island's cool climate provides the opportunity to produce Chardonnay with remarkable natural acidity and aromatic precision.

The finest wines can combine generous fruit concentration with an almost effortless sense of freshness.

And that's what makes them so compelling.

The best Tasmanian Chardonnays don't need excessive oak.

They don't need enormous alcohol.

And they don't need to be overly rich.

Their beauty lies in balance.

Fruit.

Texture.

Acidity.

Mineral tension.

And length.

The 2024 Bubb + Pooley Chardonnay is a wonderful expression of that philosophy.

A Chardonnay for Lovers of Great White Burgundy

If you love beautifully refined Chardonnay from Burgundy, this is a wine that deserves your attention.

Particularly if you appreciate wines with:

Fresh citrus fruit.

Fine mineral structure.

Subtle oak.

Delicate savoury complexity.

And vibrant acidity.

The 2024 Bubb + Pooley Chardonnay delivers many of those qualities.

But it does so with its own distinctive Tasmanian personality.

It's not trying to imitate Burgundy.

It's expressing the Coal River Valley.

And that's exactly what makes it exciting.

Cellaring Potential

This is a beautifully balanced Chardonnay with excellent natural acidity.

I'd happily open a bottle now to enjoy its youthful citrus freshness and precision.

But it also has the structure to develop further with careful cellaring.

Suggested drinking window: 2026–2032.

As the wine matures, expect the youthful citrus and orchard fruit characters to develop deeper nutty and savoury complexity.

Serve cool rather than ice-cold, and give the wine a little time to open in the glass.

Food Pairings

This is a magnificent food wine.

I'd recommend:

• Fresh Tasmanian scallops

• Southern rock lobster

• King George whiting

• Grilled snapper

• Roast chicken with lemon and thyme

• Mushroom risotto

• Grilled crayfish

• Comté or Gruyère

Personally, I'd love this with freshly grilled scallops, brown butter and a squeeze of lemon.

The wine's beautiful citrus freshness and fine texture would be absolutely sensational.

Why We Love It at Liquid Vibe

Because this wine represents everything that's exciting about modern Australian Chardonnay.

Two extraordinarily experienced winemakers.

One of Australia's greatest cool-climate Chardonnay regions.

Carefully selected vineyard parcels.

Thoughtful fermentation in concrete and French oak.

Beautiful fruit purity.

Fine mineral structure.

And extraordinary natural acidity.

Look at what you're getting.

2024 Bubb + Pooley Chardonnay

Coal River Valley, Tasmania

Winemakers – Justin Bubb and Anna Pooley

Hand-Picked Fruit

Whole-Bunch Pressed

40% Fermented in a Concrete Sphere

French Oak Fermentation and Maturation

Approximately 10 Months on Fine Lees

Predominantly P96 Chardonnay Clone

Small-Production Boutique Wine

RRP $66

This is serious Chardonnay.

But it's also wonderfully enjoyable.

A wine with beautiful texture, remarkable freshness and genuine regional character.

And exactly the sort of discovery we love sharing at Liquid Vibe.

2024 BUBB + POOLEY CHARDONNAY – NEW RELEASE

COAL RIVER VALLEY, TASMANIA

RRP $66

FROM TWO OF TASMANIA'S MOST ACCOMPLISHED WINEMAKERS!

40% FERMENTED IN A 1,500-LITRE CONCRETE SPHERE!

WHITE PEACH. GREEN APPLE. LEMON ZEST. CITRUS BLOSSOM. FINE ALMOND. CHALKY MINERALITY. BEAUTIFUL NATURAL ACIDITY.

ONE OF TASMANIA'S MOST EXCITING BOUTIQUE CHARDONNAYS – AND A WINE EVERY SERIOUS CHARDONNAY LOVER SHOULD DISCOVER!