We can think of few offers we send in a calendar year that can surpass the customer anticipation and number of queries that the annual release from Tolpuddle brings! The beloved Chardonnay and Pinot Noir pair from esteemed winemaking duo Martin Shaw and Michael Hill-Smith MW (of Shaw + Smith), who have have owned this special, once dilapidated site in Tasmania's Coal River Valley since 2011; a purchase which at the time raised a few eyebrows. Not to be swayed, they set to work in regenerating the land which they believed was capable of producing the country's finest examples of these two noble grapes. Such foresight has paid off in spades; working with Adam Wadewitz and David Lemire (also making up the team at MMAD Vineyard) has only brought further expertise and perspective, and they have resisted any temptation to move into other varietals in an effort to sharpen their focus. Looking at the 2024 releases, their laser-focus on these two grapes materalises into one welcome epiphany. The Chardonnay this year feels a touch more restrained and texturally-detailed than the 2023, which tended towards more power. There's a delicious combination of stone fruit and creaminess woven into the wine's core, supported by a backbone of saline minerality, nuttiness and soft spice. It's a fantastic expression, so too is the Pinot Noir, which brings a little more grip and dark fruit savouriness compared to the '23, surging with aspects of that Campari-esque chinotto flavour, forest floor, almond and wild strawberries. After these bottles go, they won't return until next year's release, so fans should jump in quick!
"Following on from a dry winter we experienced regular, well-timed rainfall throughout spring and summer. This rainfall, along with mild and sunny conditions for the remainder of the ripening season promoted strong vine growth, good flowering and bunch development. Fruit ripened slowly but evenly resulting in moderate yields with plenty of flavour. One of our best seasons on record." - The Tolpuddle team on their 2024 season
Even more exciting is our tasting this weekend (Saturday 4th October), where we'll not only be pouring both the Tolpuddle wines, but a smattering of great benchmark Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as a fun comparison point! Presented will be the M3 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Shaw + Smith (to see different expressions from the very same wine minds), Ten Minutes by Tractor's 10Xduo, a 2015 museum release pair from Dog Point, and the brand new 2023's from Yarra Yering. Some great names indeed; we can't wait to crack them all and see everybody's thoughts!
Tolpuddle + Other Great Benchmark Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Tasting - Saturday 4th October
12 to 2pm
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Tolpuddle Chardonnay 2024 -
Available for $110
(Limited availability)
"Ooh-boy the Tolpuddle Chardonnay is in a good place. I guess you could call this vintage a 'classic' . A little more restraint and line than the '23; a little more filigree and nuance, those flinty/struck-match tones a little further back in the mix and woven through the wine in an intricate pattern. White peach, lemon, grapefruit and nectarine fruits are high fidelity and beautifully poised, suffused with soft spice, clover and grapefruit blossom, crushed stone, cinnamon, a murmur of vanillin oak and spiced poached pear, grilled hazelnuts, crème fraîche and a whisper of onshore breeze. Everything is in sharp relief, with the purest of fruit. It's all detail and tension, with a textural glaze of grapefruit pith and a sapid, mineral line that builds like a crescendo before releasing, finishing long and true. It's a stunner." - 98 Points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
"A smattering of quartzite, white apple flesh, and lemon aspen. Chalk dust and fennel seed. Nutmeg grated into white sauce, ground ginger, and the luxuriousness of triple-cream brie. The acidity dances with light, agile feet across the palate, while new oak is so artfully integrated you find yourself searching for the seams it’ s been woven into. This is perhaps the most dialled-back expression of oak on the nose—not from lesser use, but from the way it has been entirely absorbed by the fruit and the wine's palpable energy. Buoyant and spritely, its mealy mid-palate creaminess is swiftly chased by almond skin and a flicker of sea-flake salinity. A triumphant vintage of chardonnay, and a testament to the vineyard’ s impeccable quality—one that many fortunate visitors can now witness firsthand." - 98 Points, Shanteh Wale, Wine Pilot
Tolpuddle Pinot Noir 2024 -
Available for $110
(Limited availability)
"A wonderfully perfumed and composed wine that comes across as a little finer in aromatic detail than the excellent '23 release. It's an amalgam of clones – 777, 667, Abel, Pommard, MV6 and some that winemaker Adam Wadewitz snaffled from Best's Great Western – all playing their part in the final blend. Vibrant dark cherry, red berry and raspberry fruit tones mesh with hints of exotic spice, a whiff of negroni, juniper, wild strawberry, almond paste, integrated vanillin oak, meadow flowers and crushed stone. Everything plays at concert pitch, with complex whole bunch (50%) notes, the gentle tension of ground-riverstone tannins and a fine, mineral line as the wine slowly trails away. A cracking release that smells and tastes of a special place." - 97 Points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
"Medium colour. Intense pure dark cherry, chinotto, hint ginger touch bush garrigue aromas. Generously concentrated, sinuous and textured palate with dark cherry, strawberry pastille, chinotto flavours, fine slinky, hint grippy/ leafy tannins, and underlying ginger, roasted almond notes. Finishes minerally and long. Lovely purity, layered richness and vinosity." - 97 Points, Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal
Plus these additional greats on special & tasting
Ten Minutes by Tractor 10X Chardonnay 2025 -
$36 on special this week; $40 RRP
"The 2025 vintage was magnificent. Moderate warm days, cool nights and dry conditions throughout the summer and autumn provided ideal ripening conditions. Healthy and balanced canopies across all sites produced wonderful flavours and acidity and excellent fruit quality. Bright citrus, white nectarine, and perfumed floral notes bring a lovely freshness and vitality to this wine. As the palate glides through, there is a creamy mouthfeel, light and soft, key lime and biscuit crumb edges giving texture and grip. Delightful." - Winemaker Notes
Ten Minutes by Tractor 10X Pinot Noir 2025 -
$38 on special this week; $43 RRP
"Ruby red shades, earthy undertones and spice are beautifully intertwined with bursts of sweet perfume, providing a wonderful welcome to this wine. On the palate, it begins with raspberry and leathery notes that gracefully move towards a darker spectrum of black cherry as the wine glides and lingers. Tannins are fine and resolved, giving structure and depth, but it is the intense fruit profile that champions this wine, delivering on all levels from start to finish." - Winemaker Notes
Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay 2024 -
$53 on special this week; $59 RRP
"The 2024 M3 Chardonnay is creamy and nutty, with a sophisticated mid-palate that oozes custard apples, pastry, cashews, lemon pith and spring flowers. The texture is seamless and the length very good. This is a class act, and it's looking so good through the lens of the 2024 season." - 93 Points, Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Shaw + Smith Pinot Noir 2023 -
$53 on special this week; $59 RRP
"Medium red-purple colour, bright and youthful. Sweet raspberry, red cherry and floral aromatics, good intensity and a solid backing of firm but measured tannins supplying backbone and adding to length. A pretty serious pinot noir, with impact and persistence, that would reward a little extra time in bottle." - 94 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Dog Point Chardonnay 2015 Museum Release -
$70 on special this week; $79 RRP
"The 2015 Chardonnay is a smoky, toasty, medium to full-bodied effort marked by a terrific acid line. That grapefruit note provides the backbone over which riper notions of white peach, toasted hazelnut and pineapple rest. Zesty and refreshing, with a long, mouthwatering finish, this is a compelling example of Marlborough Chardonnay." - 93 Points, Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Dog Point Pinot Noir 2015 Museum Release -
$70 on special this week; $79 RRP
"Rich, concentrated pinot noir with ripe plum, black cherry, liquorice, spice, anise and nutty oak flavours. A powerful wine that's a pleasure to taste now but has the potential to develop well in bottle." - 97 Points, Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review
Yarra Yering Chardonnay 2023 -
$127 on special this week; $145 RRP
"Bright light to mid yellow colour; there are youthful apple, pear and steely mineral aromas, the palate is taut and refined, tensioned and properly dry, with an appetising finish and aftertaste. Tight but concentrated. An impressive wine: lovely flavour, freshness, focus and persistence. Beautiful now and will reward cellaring." - 98 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Yarra Yering Pinot Noir 2023 -
$127 on special this week; $145 RRP
"Some whole bunches, a gentle hand plunging twice a day and 10 months in barriques (30% new). A fabulous crimson purple. Gently brooding with its aromas of dark cherry and raspberries together with scents of roses in full bloom and a little sous bois. Medium bodied and very persistent on the beautifully structured and intense palate. This will need some time, but your patience will be fully rewarded." - 97 Points, Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion
If you wish to buy any of these wines, please use the links above
Alternatively, email us at sales@thewineemporium.com.au, or contact us on (07)32521117 if you have any questions.
// Special prices valid until Thursday the 9th of October