Remember the old Strongbow Cider advertisement, “sweet, dry, or draught. Get into it, anyway you can”? If you’re old enough, you will. Taking a little inspirational licence in 2026, one could come up with something like “Dr Edge, wood, concrete or earth. Get into it, anyway you can”.
I certainly took the Strongbow line to heart, sleepwalking and hallucinating on a number of occasions whilst living in the UK, but I can honestly say that never has a wine had such mind-bending effects. Not on me anyway.
Tasting Peter Dredge’s marvellous 2025s, aged in wood, earth and concrete. The wines are identical, except for the vessels in which they are aged, hence their names. The obvious question, of course, is: which do you prefer?
Louise preferred both the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay aged in barrique (otherwise known as wood). Oak not only imparts flavour, smooths and promotes integration, but, when nicely judged, lifts a wine’s fruit character. And nicely judged they are. The wood-aged examples are certainly more fruit-driven, open and buoyant in character, and for most wine lovers, the influence of oak is a familiar character trait we’re accustomed to.
My own preferences fall into the hipster camp. My favourite wine being the ‘Concrete Matured Pinot Noir’, which I found to be layered and interwoven with delicate, pretty, floral and spicy characters, gorgeous aromatics and a complex compote of red, hedge and black fruits. The ‘Clay Chardonnay’ or chardonnay aged in clay amphorae with an open top was textured, with slightly oxidative elements of salt and honey.
Tasmania, like much of Australia, struggled with warm conditions and below average rainfall in 2025, however the resultant wines are spectacular. Fabulous, ripe fruit profiles buoyed by tangy acids make for fabulous drinking and Peter Dredge has nailed it yet again. Taking fruit off three different vineyards, from the Derwent Valley, Tamar Valley and an East Coast vineyard, he has been able to craft a set of thoroughly complete wines, the blends being greater than the sum of their parts.
Peter Dredge has uniquely placed his wines at the forefront of a very contemporary wine conversation. Firstly, that it’s ok to blend, and an expression of a vineyard is not the most important facet of a wine, if it’s important at all. Further, many of Tasmania’s current vineyards are not strong enough to stand on their own and are improved by blending. Great vineyards are less likely to need or warrant blending.
Secondly, a winemaker’s arsenal is vast, almost infinite, and a major influence on any wine is the vessel in which it is aged, and whichever is used it doesn’t really matter, it’s just a question of taste. All four wines are equally excellent, and I believe on any other day my preferences would alter.
Dr Edge. Wood, concrete or earth. Get into it, anyway you can.
Dr Edge Tasmania ‘Clay Matured’ Chardonnay 2025
There is an undercurrent of Jura here, courtesy of the open-topped amphora. Aromas of honeysuckle, nougat, gardenia, lemon, custard and smoke lead into a pure, soft and expansive palate, with the fruit volume dialled-up compared with the nose: grapefruit, mandarin and white peach. The Jura influence is ever-present, with notes of ginger, cream, popcorn and butter, all carried by a freshening salty tang. This reads a lot weirder than it tastes! More food-versatile than “classic” Chardonnay.
A blend of 60% Derwent Valley, 30% Tamar Valley and 10% East Coast chardonnay, pressed direct to clay amphora, 10% whole cluster, nine months of lees/fruit. Light straw with inviting characters of juicy peach and nectarine, Meyer lemon and custard apple. Hints of clotted cream, soft spice, pressed wildflowers, clover blossom, chicken stock, crushed stone, some distant honeysuckle and sea spray. Expansive, composed and showing a calm mineral resolve, with a waxy, textural, lemon-pure exit. 94 points – Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
Dr Edge Tasmania ‘Barrique Matured’ Chardonnay 2025
Deeper in colour, with a darker fruit profile. Classic aromas of spring jasmine, yellow peach, pawpaw, white peach, wood spice, roasted nuts and green apple. Richer and more textured on the palate, with greater heft and volume. Tighter, too, with the oak showing less oxidative influence than the amphora. Despite the greater width, there is also greater precision and structure, suggesting a wine built for ageing. Serious and very complete. More complexity will emerge with time, but the drive and length are already there for the long haul.
A blend of 60% Derwent Valley, 30% Tamar Valley and 10% East Coast chardonnay, nine months’ élevage in seasoned barriques and puncheons. Light straw with attractive aromas of white peach, apple, lemon and grapefruit. Hints of soft spice, clover blossom, nougat, light biscuity oak, sea spray and stone. Lemon flows in with more volume on the palate, as does a clotted-cream tone, all driven forward by a fine, briny acid cadence, finishing long and citrusy. 94 points – Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
Dr Edge Tasmania ‘Concrete Matured’ Pinot Noir 2025
My favourite wine of the release. It’s like walking into a florist next door to a spice market, such is the intensity and complexity of the aromatics. Gorgeously pretty and incredibly complex, with an array of flowers, sweet and savoury spices, cola, dark cherry, blueberry, cranberry and raspberry. Precise and delicate, with fruit, flowers, spice and mineral notes intricately interwoven, none dominating. Chalky tannins – from the concrete, perhaps? – provide gentle structure, while the finish is a gentle yet persistent goodbye. Superbly balanced, with a significant and fascinating future ahead.
60/40% Meadowbank in the Derwent Valley/Chartley Estate in the Tamar Valley; pied de cuve, 30% whole bunch, pressed to concrete tank for nine months on lees. Juicy plum, cranberry and raspberry fruits. Like last year, there’s a calm, composed, comfortable-in-your-own-skin kind of vibe going on. Exotically spiced with a lovely briny cadence and superfine gypsum-dust tannins; there’s a lot to like here. 94 points – Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
Dr Edge Tasmania ‘Barrique Matured’ Pinot Noir 2025
Lovely to taste a Tassie Pinot with weight, colour and heft, yet for all that, it still sits at around 12% alcohol. A darker fruit profile, with glacé cherry, cassis, raspberry, cranberry and violets. Richer and fuller, with that extra width, heft and structure associated with barrel ageing. Woodsmoke, lavender tea, fresh compost and Middle Eastern spices add complexity, while the tannins are loose-knit and juicy. It’s gorgeous now, showier than the concrete-matured wine, and best enjoyed over the next five years.
With 60% from Meadowbank in the Derwent Valley, 40% from Chartley Estate in the Tamar Valley, pied de cuve, 30% whole bunch, pressed to seasoned barrique for nine months on lees. Bright red cherry, cranberry and raspberry fruits veiled in Medina spice, gentle biscuity oak nuance, charcuterie, poached rhubarb, cinnamon and earth. Finely structured with powdery, toothsome tannins, a dusting of wood spice and a long stretch of flavour on the exit. 95 points – Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
