Description
Taking its name from the Tolpuddle Martyrs, England ‘s first agrarian union deported as convicts to Tasmania in 1834. The vineyard was established in 1988 by local farmers the Casimaty family who joined forces with two of Australia ‘s foremost wine business trailblazers. Garry Crittenden and Tony Jordan. to plant a vineyard to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Purchased in 2011 by leading producers Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith who say they never set out to purchase a vineyard in Tasmania … but upon seeing the site were immediately impressed by it ‘s near perfect growing conditions. “Buying a 20 year old vineyard in a location like this and this well set up it just isn’t the kind of thing that comes along very often.” says Hill Smith.
Located about 20 minutes drive from Hobart in Tasmania ‘s south east, the Coal River Valley has established a reputation for growing exceptional quality grapes. With a climate that is at the cool extremes for viticulture in Australia, it is no surprise that Chardonnay and Pinot Noir perform so splendidly. And yet 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 disease pressure that heavy rainfall can bring.
About the 2022 vintage from the winemakers ..“The coldest vintage we have experienced in more than a decade. Cool conditions especially around the time of flowering resulted in a combination of low yields and concentration of flavour. These cooler conditions which persisted throughout the entire growing season culminated in great natural acidity, now synonymous with Tolpuddle Vineyard fruit.”
“A strong but low yielding vintage for Chardonnay in 2022. On the nose, there is great purity, with florals, lemon, and lime notes. The palate has intensity and flavour but the personality of this wine is defined by its lightness, delicacy, and precision. It has excellent balance, with a crystalline character, fresh acid, and impressive persistence of flavour. The grapes were all hand picked, whole bunch pressed, and fermented in French oak. The wine spent nine months in barrel with gentle stirring as required, then rested in tank on lees.”
98 points, Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion “Another alluring Coal River chardonnay release from the folks at Tolpuddle. It’s at once full and concentrated but is reined in by a tight framework of acidity, coiling on rails of minerality before powering across the palate. Tension and detail on point, light textural phenolic elements give it a sleek and silken mouthfeel. The fruit tones of white peach, nectarine and citrus are cloaked in soft spice, white floral tones, struck match, almond paste and crushed stone and the wine displays a stony elegance and seriousness on the long finish. If we were to talk in hushed tones about what would constitute a Tasmanian Grand Cru chardonnay, the Tolpuddle would be the front-runner. Superb.”
98 points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review “Light bright yellow with a smoky, nutty, barrel fermented bouquet which also packs seaspray/oyster-shell, mixed spices and talcy aromas into the mix. In the mouth it’s very intense and focused, tensioned and crisp, without strident acidity but lovely refreshing properties. A superb wine, quietly complex and penetrating, obviously barrel-fermented but not showing too-overt oak. The acidity is bright and refreshing and cleanses the aftertaste. Amazing length. Magical stuff.”
96 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front “… the Tolpuddle house style is still distinct in this wine but the flavour profile seems to have increased, pleasingly so. Elegance has long been the headline of course, and more of that here. This would have to be my favourite release of this distinguished wine.
It’s compact and tense, precise and poised. It tastes fancy from hello and asserts a strong riff of chardonnay’s best assets of green apple, briny acidity, savoury-nutty undertows with a slick of cedary, spicy, cinnamon-meets-clove oak seasoning well measured into it all. Spicy, indeed, refreshing in that way and coolness with a sense of exceptionally judged, just-ripe fruit rippling with authority through the wine. It’s a persistent wine, immensely satisfying with each sip staining the palate gently. Inherently complex, gulpable with drinkability, wonderfully evocative of a cool place. A brilliant, crystalline chardonnay expression on hand.”
Our Special Price $109.99 – VERY LIMITED
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