
2023 Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay
Tolpuddle Vineyard was established in 1988 in the Coal River Valley between Hobart and the town of Richmond. 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.
The cool climate here is at the extremes for viticulture in Australia, perfect for producing ultra-premium Chardonnay & Pinot Noir. Contrary to most cool climates, the Coal River doesn’t receive much rainfall, allowing the grapes to mature slowly throughout Autumn, without the disease pressure that heavy rainfall can bring. The vineyard is planted on a gentle north-east facing slope, which is composed of moderate vigour silica-soil, which results in well-balanced vines producing grapes of great flavour and intensity. 2023 was another cold vintage, with the cool conditions, especially at flowering, resulted in low yields, delivering wines with concentrated flavours and great natural acidity.