The 2024 vintage at Tolpuddle is being hailed as one of the estate’s best seasons on record. Following a dry winter, well-timed spring and summer rains combined with mild, sunny conditions to promote even fruit set, healthy vine growth, and balanced ripening. The result: moderate yields of fruit that ripened slowly and evenly, producing Pinot Noir of great intensity and elegance. All fruit was hand-picked and fermented as a combination of whole berries and 50% whole bunches in open wooden and stainless fermenters. Gentle plunging extracted colour and tannin delicately. The wine was then matured for 10 months in French oak barriques (one-third new), adding subtle structure while preserving fruit vibrancy. Tasting NoteDark, brooding fruit aromas mingle with aniseed and pepper. The palate is both concentrated and elegant, framed by fine tannins and seamless acidity. Complex savoury spice balances its sense of opulence, carrying the wine through a long, lingering finish. Small-Batch Detail Region: Coal River Valley, Tasmania Vineyard: Tolpuddle, established 1988 Clones: 777, 667, Abel, Pommard, MV6, and Best’s Great Western selections Fermentation: Whole berries + 50% whole bunches, open wooden & stainless fermenters Oak Maturation: 10 months in French oak (33% new) Alcohol: ~13.5% Cellaring: 2025–2035 Expert Reviews⭐ 97 Points – Halliday Wine Companion “A wonderfully perfumed and composed wine… vibrant dark cherry, raspberry, wild strawberry, exotic spice, almond paste, and crushed stone. Complex whole bunch character, ground-riverstone tannins, and a fine mineral line. A cracking release that smells and tastes of a special place.” ⭐ 97 Points – The Vintage Journal “Medium colour. Pure dark cherry, chinotto and garrigue aromas. Concentrated, textured palate with dark cherry, strawberry pastille and chinotto, layered with ginger and roasted almond. Long, minerally finish with vinosity and layered richness.” ⭐ 96 Points – The Real Review “Deep translucent purple with aromas of plum and black cherry, lifted by subtle smoky oak. Richly concentrated with ripe pinot fruit and superbly balanced oak. Powdery tannins and a cleansing, elegant finish. Less stemmy than some vintages—built to age.” Fine Pinot NoteThe 2024 Tolpuddle Pinot Noir is a superb release—dark-fruited, mineral, and intricately perfumed. A wine of power and poise, with both immediate allure and decades of potential. Tasmania, Australia (Image source : Tolpuddle Vineyard) Tasmania is Australia’s southernmost wine region. Its commercial vineyards date back to 1823, when Bartholomew Broughton planted the first vines. Incidentally, the very first vines in Victoria and South Australia also originated from Tasmania. The Tasmanian wine industry then lay dormant for nearly 100 years due to the gold rush, with commercial winemaking only resuming in the 1950s. After 70 years of development, Tasmania has become synonymous with premium wines, especially Pinot Noir. The island is divided into several sub‑regions—Tamar Valley, Pipers River, Derwent Valley, Coal River Valley, Huon Valley, and the East Coast. Among these, Coal River Valley is the most sought‑after: the winner of the 2024 Australian Pinot Noir Challenge hails from there, as does the highly coveted Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir. For a Pinot Noir enthusiast, Tasmania Pinot Noir is a not to be overlooked.
