Tolpuddle Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir bottle image

Wine Description

Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot  Noir reflects the cool maritime climate of Tasmania's Coal River Valley, and the site itself is gently sloping, north-east facing, with light silica over sandstone.  The result is a beautifully aromatic and textured Pinot Noir with intensity, power, purity and complexity.

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Acclaim
“Planted in 1988, this cool, northeast-facing vineyard (benefiting from being in a rain shadow) was bought in a spur of the moment decision by cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith MW (of Shaw & Smith in the Adelaide Hills) in 2011. This is fermented and matured in oak barrels, about 30% new, using a proportion of whole bunch fruit. Anne Krebiehl MW: Darker fruit, peony petal, Ceylon tea. Translucent and peppery, crunchy, fine tannin: a beautifully marginal Pinot. Justin Knock MW: Beguiling nose, maritime notes, fragrant spices, cumin, red fruits, layers of flavour. Everything is here and in balance. Wonderful. Dirceu Vianna Junior MW: Generous, expressive, ripe red and dark fruits and a hint of leafiness and spice. Elegant and combines lots of ripe juicy fruit with savoury complexity.” — Decanter, Dec 2023
“Tolpuddle has firmly cemented its position at the pointy end of the Tasmanian pinot noir pyramid, consistently producing knockout wines that have become a benchmark for the region. Nothing changes with the 2022 release, which shows wonderful fruit intensity and oodles of pinosity in a graceful package. Lovely pure dark cherry and wild strawberry fruits, cut with exotic spice, charcuterie, roasting game, shiitake broth, amaro herbs, purple floral tones and complex forest floor notes. Textural and elegant yet with an undercurrent of latent power and intensity, a tight tannin frame and a long finish that shows balance and poise. Just wonderful stuff.” — James Halliday, Sep 2023
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Tolpuddle Vineyard
Vineyard size
50 acres
Soil composition
Light Silica over Sandstone
Training method
Guyot VSP
Elevation:
132 - 198 feet
Vines/acre:
1,110 - 1,515
Yield/acre:
2.4 tons
Exposure:
Northeastern
Year vineyard planted:
1988
Harvest time:
March - April
First vintage of this wine:
2012
Bottles produced of this wine:
14,000
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Winemaking & Aging
Maceration length:
15 - 30
Varietal composition:
100% Pinot Noir
Fermentation container:
Open-Top Stainless Steel Tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
10 days
Fermentation temperature:
up to 90 °F
Maceration technique:
Cold Soak Maceration and Punchdown
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Size of aging container:
228L - 500L
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
11 months
Age of Aging Container:
New to 3 years
Length of bottle aging:
8 months
Total SO2
69
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.6
Acidity:
5.4 g/L
Alcohol:
13.5 %
Total SO2
69
Residual sugar:
<0.3 g/L
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Wine Production

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.

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About the Vineyard

Tolpuddle Vineyard is an outstanding site within the Coal River Valley region. Planted in 1988 solely to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the vineyard takes its name from the Tolpuddle Martyrs, whose “reward” for starting England’s first agrarian union was to be transportedto Tasmania as convicts.

The vineyard is on a gentle slope, north-east facing. The soil is light silica sands over sandstone, and of moderate vigour, ensuring well-balanced vines.