Editors notes
Tolpuddle Vineyard is an outstanding site within the Coal River Valley region, planted in 1988 solely to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The grapes were all hand-picked and fermented as a combination of whole berries and whole bunches, in open fermenters, with gentle plunging. The wine was aged in French oak for nine months, of which about one third was new.
Good soil moisture from July and August rains meant the season started well. Cool and windy weather during flowering resulted in small bunch sizes, giving low crops with increased concentration and intensity. February saw even ripening and a rainfall event three weeks before harvest slowed the season down, resulting in fruit that was packed with flavour.
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Critic Scores & reviews
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James Halliday
97"(2018 vintage) Hand-picked, a combination of whole bunch and whole berry in open fermenters, matured in French oak (33% new) for 9 months. It is a portrait of top end Tasmanian pinot noir, intensely aromatic and achieves complexity and depth to its spice-laden berry aromas and flavours. Beautiful."
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James Suckling
95"(2018 vintage) This is a very driven and complex red with dried-strawberry, tea, coffee and mahogany aromas and flavours. Full-bodied yet integrated and compact, giving the wine a refined and very structured impression. This is one to watch."
Other vintages
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Locations
Australia
Australia's wine industry is a thriving part of the country's economy, contributing significantly to employment, production, export, and tourism. In fact, the industry is the fourth-largest wine exporter in the world, shipping out 760 million liters of wine to countries including France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. One of the key factors contributing to Australia's success as a "New World" wine producer is the formal export and marketing of its wines through Wine Australia.
Australia's wine regions are scattered across the south and southeast, with almost every state boasting its own vineyards. Victoria, for example, is home to an impressive 21 wine regions. Some of the most famous wine regions in Australia include Margaret River, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, and local regions to New South Wales such as Cowra, Southern Highlands, and Mudgee.
Australian winemakers are known for producing a diverse range of grape varieties, with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir being among the most popular. They tend to focus on producing wines that are ripe, fruit-forward, and easy to drink, using modern winemaking techniques and equipment such as stainless steel tanks and temperature-controlled fermentation.
With its bold, fruit-driven flavors and reputation for quality and diversity, Australian wine has become a popular choice for wine lovers around the world. And with such a broad range of wine regions and grape varieties, there's something for every palate to enjoy.
Tasmania
Apart from being the most southerly wine region in Australia, Tasmania has among the coolest growing subregions with the potential to make distinctly different wines than in the rest of the country.
Most well known for cool-climate varietals like Pinot noir and Chardonnay (thus sparkling too), Sauvignon Blanc smaller plantings of Riesling, Cabernet and Pinot Gris (more commonly Pinot labelled Pinot Grigio)
Historically, Tasmania can lay claim to being the founder of both the Victorian and South Australian wine industries as William Henty sailed from Launceston to Portland (in Victoria) in 1834 and planted grape cuttings there. Though not conclusively proven, it's believed that John Hack planted vines in South Australia in 1837, closely followed in 1838 by John Reynell.
Warmer vintages (possibly attributable to global warming) has had positive effects on region's industry, allowing grapes in recent vintages to achieve full phenolic ripeness, making for vibrant wines that have been widely accepted as world class.
Coal River
The Coal River Valley wine region lies in the south of Tasmania, an easy 15 minutes drive outside of Hobart. It's the apple isle's fastest growing wine region, with almost a fifth of all Tasmanian wines grown there. The region is known for producing superior wines grown over some of the most fertile soil around.
The elements of rainfall, sunshine hours, number of rain days, temperature and overall humidity coalesce and culminate in cool climate conditions ideally suited to growing particular varietals. Predominantly in the reds, the region, as with much of Tasmania has an affinity for making top Pinot Noir however Cabernet, Merlot and some superb Shiraz have been known to emerge from the Coal River Valley too. In the whites, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc lead the charge with lesser amounts of Gewurztraminer grown there too. The dense, Pinot Noirs produced in the Coal River Valley region typically have more weight than their New Zealand counterparts with distinct savory notes not unlike the great red Burgundies. They've enamored many a visitor and will continue to do so as premium winemakers flock to the region.
About the brand Tolpuddle Vineyard
Tolpuddle Vineyard was established in 1988 and it took its name from the Tolpuddle Martyrs: English convicts transported to Tasmania for forming an agricultural union. The leader of the Martyrs, George Loveless, served some of his sentence working on a property near Richmond, part of which is now Tolpuddle Vineyard.
The vineyard is planted with mature Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines, facing north-east, and sloping gently up from Back Tea Tree Road. The soil is light silica over sandstone and of moderate vigour, ensuring well-balanced vines producing grapes of great flavour and intensity.
In 2006 Tolpuddle Vineyard won the inaugural Tasmanian Vineyard of the Year award, reflecting the performance of this unique and distinguished site. Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith MW purchased the vineyard in 2011 and are fully committed to seeing Tolpuddle Vineyard recognised as one of Australia’s great single vineyards.
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