TOLPUDDLE CHARDONNAY 2023

Trophy for Champion Young White – Melbourne Royal Wine Show Awards 2024
Trophy for Champion Chardonnay – Melbourne Royal Wine Show Awards 2024
Trophy for Champion Tasmanian Chardonnay – Melbourne Royal Wine Show Awards 2024
Gold Medal & 97/100 – Melbourne Royal Wine Show Awards 2024

Winery notes (2023 Vintage)
"In Tasmania’s south-east, the Coal River Valley’s climate is extreme for viticulture. Rainfall is low, with approximately 500mm per year. This cool but dry climate allows grapes to ripen slowly without disease pressure, resulting in grapes of great aromatic intensity. Planted in 1988 to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the vineyard is on a gentle north- east facing slope. The soil is light silica sands over sandstone, and of moderate vigour, ensuring well balanced vines.

Lifted aromas of orange blossom and white jasmine are hallmarks of a cooler season. The palate is powerful, layered and textured with grapefruit, lemon pith and minerality. Low yield flavour intensity is balanced with electric acidity. All fruit was hand-picked, whole bunch pressed, and fermented in French oak. The wine spent ten months in barrel with gentle stirring as required, then rested in tank on lees for a further four months."

"The 2023 Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay has lifted aromas of orange blossom and white jasmine which are the hallmarks of a cooler season. The palate is powerful, layered and textured with grapefruit, lemon pith and minerality. All fruit was hand-picked, whole bunch pressed and fermented MCs 12 in French oak. The wine spent ten months in barrel with gentle stirring as required, then rested in tank on lees for a further four months."

5 Stars & 97/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2023 Vintage)
"Bright medium-light yellow colour; smoky charcuterie, struck flint and toasted hazelnuts to sniff. The wine is intense, focused and very long on the palate. Piercing lemon/citrus flavours, fresh and balanced acidity driving it long and promising a big future if cellared, although it’s a great drink right now. An outstanding chardonnay."

98/100 Dave Brookes, James Halliday's Wine Companion (2023 Vintage)
"It seems a gross understatement to say that Tolpuddle has been in fine form as of late, but they have knocked it out the park again with this release from the cooler ‘23 vintage. The palest of straw in the glass, the aromas crisp and filigreed. Citrus, white peach and nectarine cut with glorious wisps of struck match and flinty complexity. Grilled hazelnuts, deftly-judged vanillin oak, lardo, white flowers, crushed riverstone, clotted cream and sea spray. The wine envelops the imbiber; flavours precise and pure with an umami-rich, mineral cadence, dreamy texture and daubs of spiced oatmeal, grilled peaches and flint. The finish is sustained, the only thing unresolved the need for another (larger?) bottle. An outstanding Australian chardonnay."

98/100 Shanteh Wale, WinePilot.com, September 2024 (2023 Vintage)
"The 2022 vintage will be very hard act follow, I tell myself, as I brace for disappointment. And then it hits like a vampire smelling its prey, pupils dilate and I am utterly captivated. Perfectly ripe lemons, peach sorbet and fresh linen billowing on the hills hoist. Whipped meringue cream, honeysuckle and bee pollen. Oak? What oak, yes it is there, with arches of cinnamon, fresh sawdust and hazelnut praline. But the fruit, oh the fruit reins supreme! It tickles the corners of your palate just where it should. Provides ample natural acidity and clean young almond milk creaminess on the finish. There is shale and river stone and the under current of not quite fathomable things, all at work to make you beg for another glass. With two wines that are so totally convincing, the magic of the Tolpuddle vineyard is real. Drink with prawn Har Gow dumplings and die happy."

96/100 Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front (2023 Vintage)
"Killer release of Tolpuddle Chardonnay… This gets down to business in no uncertain terms. It shows citrus and pineapple characters as flashes but its heart is all stonefruit, yellow apple, flint and smoked cedarwood. The effect is powerful, the persona is elegant. This is a wine of long lines and texture like satin. There’s a brine-and-tonic-like twist to the aftertaste but then every time I lifted the glass I saw or appreciated something new; it has more twists than Oliver. Basically, it’s a gorgeous release."

96/100 Andrew Caillard MW, October 2024 (2023 Vintage)
"Pale colour. Intense and fresh ripe nectarine, white peach aromas with honey/ marzipan notes. Richly flavoured and generous wine with ample stonefruit, grilled nut notes, fine chalky textures, lovely creamy mid-palate and fresh long mineral acidity. A hint of butterscotch at the finish. Delicious and expressive chardonnay with a retro-modern taste that will not disappoint."