2012 Tolpuddle Chardonnay

The first release of the Tolpuddle Chardonnay was in 2012, after the purchase of the vineyard in July 2011. The wine hit the market with great acclaim and impact, and I remember clearly being able to tell the story of Tolpuddle as I sold bottles of it hand over fist. Here, in 2022 as a 10-year-old wine, the 2012 Chardonnay is layered with almond meal and oat, white peach and Golden Delicious apples. The great Tassie acidity holds everything in good stead, briny and searing as it is in the mouth. The wine has a linen/cloth/loose weave/natural character through the finish, showing its softening over the years. Complex, soft and lingering. A beautiful wine and the start of a beautiful journey.

Very good year (= good flowering) with reasonable yields. They took the grapes to the Bay of Fires for pressing, and brought the juice to Adelaide for vinification. 'Every time it moved we were essentially racking the wine without wanting to' … so they lost some lees. Malolactic conversion was problematic. It was so 'traumatised' it remained tart. Super-fresh, ‘green’ nose, and on the palate just a bit too tart for comfort. Will it ever come round?! A little astringent too. Points the way to the new era of Oz Chardonnay but not a great pleasure to drink. (JR)

Light, fresh, green and with good appetising fruit. Buying this vineyard was possibly the cleverest thing that Shaw + Smith ever did. Great precision and excitement. Great Puligny? (JR)