Tolpuddle Pinot Noir 2017

Region: Coal River Valley, Tasmania, Australia

Grape: Pinot Noir

Vineyard Practice: Sustainable

Culinary Suggestions: Duck Confit, Wild Mushroom Risotto, Aged Gruyère

Alcohol: 13%

Bottle Size: 750ml

Overview

Tolpuddle Vineyard, located in Tasmania’s Coal River Valley, was established in 1988 and quickly gained a reputation for producing high-quality cool-climate grapes. In 2011, the vineyard was purchased by Michael Hill Smith and Martin Shaw, the acclaimed team behind Shaw + Smith in the Adelaide Hills. They saw Tasmania's potential for producing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and they transformed Tolpuddle into a boutique winery focused on these varietals.

The vineyard’s cool climate, long growing season, and limestone-rich soils create ideal conditions for these varietals, allowing for wines with elegance, intensity, and precision. Tolpuddle’s wines have since earned international acclaim for their purity, structure, and depth, particularly their single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Known for a minimal-intervention approach, Tolpuddle wines are celebrated for capturing Tasmania's unique terroir and are regarded as some of Australia’s finest cool-climate expressions.

The 2017 vintage was marked by a cool, consistent growing season that resulted in small, concentrated berries, perfect for producing a refined and structured Pinot Noir. Hand-harvested and carefully sorted, the grapes were vinified with minimal intervention to maintain the purity of the fruit and express the vineyard’s unique terroir. Fermentation included whole bunches to enhance the wine’s aromatic profile and texture, followed by ageing in French oak, adding gentle structure without overwhelming the wine’s inherent elegance. The result is a wine with poise and length, offering a profound expression of Tasmanian Pinot Noir that reflects both the region and Tolpuddle’s dedication to quality.

Critic Reviews

96 points

Gary Walsh, The Wine Front February 2019

Admittedly I’m a fan of nutty, stemmy, peppery red wines, and this certainly is of that style, but boy this has some emphasis to it. It’s an A+ wine. Foresty berries, strings of herbs, woodsmoke, cranberries, chicory and so many twigs, roasted nuts and spices. It’s raked with tannin, opens a fan of flavour on the finish. and is highly characterful. In short, it has aroma, texture, style and x-factor. Importantly, it’s also ripped with fruit. I’m scoring it 96, but the lean is to higher.

Drink 2021 - 2030+