TOLPUDDLE VINEYARD, COAL RIVER VALLEY CHARDONNAY 2021
| Grape: | 100% Chardonnay |
| Vineyard: | Tolpuddle Vineyard |
| Origin: | Tasmania, Australia |
| Vintage: | 2021 |
| ABV%: | 13% |
| Colour: | Yellow |
| Aromas: | On the nose, this wine has aromas of lemon peel, quince and blossom |
| Flavours: | Classic Tolpuddle backbone of acidity, yellow grapefruit, lemon pith, and some flinty minerality. A combination of lightness, delicacy, texture, and extract. A touch of lees derived shortbread flavour adds complexity. |
The Tolpuddle Vineyard was purchased by Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw in 2011. First planted in 1988 by Tony Jordan and Garry Crittenden with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, it has since established a reputation for growing exceptional quality grapes. The vineyard took its name from the Tolpuddle Martyrs, who were transported to Australia in 1834 for starting an agrarian union. The leader of the group, George Loveless, served part of his sentence working on a property near Richmond called GlenAyr, part of which is now the Tolpuddle Vineyard.
Vineyard
The 20 hectare north east facing vineyard is located in the Coal River Valley, which is in a rain shadow, so is dry but cold. The dry climate ensures there is very low disease pressure, which in turn means that they can leave the grapes on the vines for longer to ensure they ripen fully. The soil is light silica over sandstone and of moderate vigour, ensuring well-balanced vines. In 2006 the vineyard won the inaugural Tasmanian Vineyard of the Year award, reflecting the performance of this unique and distinguished site.
2021 Vintage
The 2021 vintage was a wet and cold vintage. Following on from a wet winter, the vines were well irrigated in spring. The regular rainfall helped set up strong hydric reserves for the rest of the growing season. Overall, the conditions were cooler and berries took slightly longer to ripen. This led to a lower-than-average yield with grapes retaining excellent concentration of flavour and complex aromas.
Winemakers Highlights
The grapes were all hand picked, whole-bunch pressed, and fermented in French oak barriques. The wine spent nine months in barrel which had a mixture of toast levels and a third of which were new. There was gentle lees stirring as required, then a further two months in tank on lees prior to bottling.