About the Wine

"A hedonistic mix of immediate restrained pleasure and long-term intellectual provocation" ~Decanter

Tolpuddle Vineyard is an outstanding vineyard established in 1988 and takes its name from the Tolpuddle Martyrs, a group of 19th-century agricultural laborers, some of whom were transported to Tasmania as convicts to work on a farm in the Coal River Valley, part of which is now Tolpuddle Vineyard. Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith MW purchased the vineyard in 2011 and now make two wines – Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay and Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir. They believe Tolpuddle is one of Australia’s great single vineyards, with plantings of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir.

Located about 20 minutes' drive from Hobart, in Tasmania’s southeast, the Coal River Valley has established a reputation for growing exceptional quality grapes. With a climate at the cool extremes for viticulture in Australia, it is no surprise that Chardonnay and Pinot Noir perform so splendidly. An anomaly for such a cool climate, the rainfall is significantly lower than many of Australia’s other cool climate regions, with an average of approximately 500mm of rain per year. This cool but relatively dry climate allows the grapes to ripen slowly in autumn, without the disease pressure that heavy rainfall 

can bring. The vineyard is planted with mature Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines, facing northeast and sloping gently up from Back Tea Tree Road. The soil is light silica over sandstone and of moderate vigor, ensuring well-balanced vines producing grapes of great flavor and intensity.

Tasting Notes: 

100% Chardonnay. 

This wine is true to the Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay style: fine and precise with firm acidity, and a combination of lightness of texture and intensity of flavor. 

Reviews

Owned since 2011 by Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw of Shaw & Smith Wines in the Adelaide Hills, the 20ha northeast-facing Tolpuddle vineyard occupies a prime position in Tasmania’s Coal River Valley. The pair saw the vineyard’s potential immediately, and have been producing exceptional single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ever since. There was a particularly wet start to 2021 – one of the coolest on record – resulting in much smaller but more concentrated grapes. Harvested by hand, the grapes are whole-bunch-pressed and then aged in French oak for nine months. The nose is fresh and ripe with incredible structure, showing quince, candied lemon peel, grapefruit juice, and subtle oak. A lingering acidity completes the frame of this outstanding wine. A wonder of lightness and precision; a hedonistic mix of immediate restrained pleasure and long-term intellectual provocation. An amazingly subtle and complex finish. I adore this wine. Aromas of gunflint, lavender, lemon peel, and wet stones lead into a mouth-filling yet svelte wine with mouthwatering acidity and a long, savory finish. Will cellar well for more than a decade. ~99 Decanter

I was shocked at the intensity of the 2021 Chardonnay when I first tasted it. How could a wine so young have this much flavor? It is polished, glassy, and graceful. It unfurls in the mouth and soars long over the horizon. It's balanced and powerful, crouching at this early stage, but all the building blocks of greatness are here. A wine of extension, expansion, and elegance—a formidable trio. ~98 Robert Parker 

I like the slate, flint and stone aromas to the sliced apples and white dried pineapple. Lemon curd. Some honeysuckle, too. Full-bodied, with a creamy texture and extremely long finish. Complete and beautiful. So well crafted. Drink or hold. Screw cap. ~97 James Suckling

~#53 Top 100 Wine Enthusiast Cellar Selections 2023

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