Stargazer Tupelo 2026

“A wine that continues to defy the ‘Other varietal’ black hole on a wine list just by shining too bright to be missed. Stargazer’s Tupelo continues to be loved by trade and consumer alike.”

The 2026 Tupelo is majority sourced from the 2021 plantings of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling and Gewürztraminer at Samantha’s Palisander vineyard in the Tea Tree subregion of Coal River Valley, augmented with some Pinot Gris from a vineyard just outside of Richmond. Both vineyards are primarily brown dermosol on Jurassic dolerite, cane pruned and trained to a VSP canopy, with green harvesting and shoot thinning in spring and summer where necessary.

This unusual blend mirrors the famous Alsatian ‘Gentil’ styles marrying the body and texture of Pinot Gris, exuberance of the Pinot Blanc with the spicy aromatics of Gewürztraminer and finishing with the finesse and acid structure of Riesling.

The name Tupelo was inspired by the Tupelo black gum, of which its honey is highly sought after for its unique characteristic of having the perfect balance of sugars that it doesn’t crystallise. Samantha’s passion for white blends and the drive to find the perfect balance of sugar, acid and texture with her wines makes the naming of this wine perfect. Plus it’s the name of a Van Morrison song ‘Tupelo Honey’ and the place where Elvis was born.

The artwork for the Tupelo label was commissioned from Hobart-born, now Brisbane-based artist Kate Piekutowski.

The Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer portions were destemmed and left in contact with skins for about eight hours prior to gentle pressing. All of the juice was then wild fermented (by indigenous yeasts) in older oak puncheons. Left on lees for close to two months post-ferment prior to blending. Final blend: 50% Pinot Gris, 30% Pinot Blanc, 13% Riesling, 7% Gewürztraminer.

“This unusual blend mirrors the famous Alsatian ‘Gentil’ styles marrying the body of Pinot Gris, the exuberance of Pinot Blanc with the spicy aromatics of Gewürztraminer and the finesse of Riesling. Pale yellow in colour, the nose is delicately fragrant showing some dried mandarin and musk lolly spiciness with a hint of crystallised ginger and honeysuckle. The palate is glossy and textural, with positive phenolics playing an important role in framing the richness of the mouthfeel.” – Samantha Connew