98 Point (JS) Aussie Chardonnay!

TANTALIZING TASMANIAN CHARDONNAY

"We now have the otherworldly 98 point 2019 Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay from Coal River Valley Tasmania. I know what you are thinking, ‘there are great wines from the better known AVAs in Australia and now you throw Tasmania into the mix!’ However, Tolpuddle is the Tasmanian vineyard owned by Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith MW, the dynamic duo behind the outstanding Shaw + Smith label from Australia’s Adelaide Hills, who launched this venture in 2013. Stellar 97 and 98 point scores from critics show how outstanding Chardonnay is now being grown all over the world and this one is on par with the best! James Suckling describes it as ‘elegance, poise and whip-cracking freshness.’ and James Halliday calls it a ‘strikingly beautiful chardonnay.’ If you love great Chardonnay, or white wine in general, you won't want to miss this one. This wine is showing beautifully now, and will continue to evolve over the next decade. Buy a few bottles - try something different tonight, and save some for later!" – Glen Knight, The Wine House

IMPORTANT UPDATE!

Due to a Wine House staff member testing positive for COVID-19, we are closing the store temporarily. However, our website is not sick, and emails can still send. These are tough times, and we are a family owned and run retail store that relies on the patronage of our customers, whose support has been unbelievable over the past 10 months. So, to keep the lights on and staff employed, we will continue to send out our unique wine emails. We are grateful for your understanding and continued support.

While the store is closed, we will process some orders; however, we will not be staffed to ship or to handle curbside pickup. Orders will be available for curbside pickup when we reopen the store, which we expect to be Saturday, January 30. That said, please check our website before coming to the store! Thank you, stay healthy and, as always, drink well!

CHAT! If you see a chat bubble in the lower right corner on our website, a Wine House employee who is working remotely is ready to answer your questions. Please note that chat is only available between 11AM and 6PM, and the bubble only displays when an employee is available.

98 Points: "This has power and complexity and the right grade of reductive flair, overlaid on fresh yellow grapefruit and peach with flint and wet chalk, as well as attractive oak in the background. The palate has mouthwatering white-peach and lemon flavors with a deep draw of acidity that drives the finish in really deep, precise and fresh. Lip-smacking resolve here. Elegance, poise and whip-cracking freshness. Drink over the next six years. Screw cap." – James Suckling (December 2020)

98 Points: "A strikingly beautiful chardonnay with its flowery bouquet bearing witness to the sheer purity of the incredibly long palate, the full palette of chardonnay flavors on display. Nectarine, white peach and grapefruit zest are sewn together by an invisible silver thread of acidity. Alcohol 13%. Drink By: 2033." James Halliday, Wine Companion (November 2020)"

97 Points: "The filigree structure is a study in delicate balance between pure varietal character, site differentiation and winemaker vision. Lean and bony, its fruit is bound in a taut frame of citrus-tinged acidity, yet the finely drawn flavors show unusual intensity and persistence. Keep looking beyond the pastel sketch of white peach and lemon, and deep down there’s struck flint, a hint of seasoned oak, a lick of wet granite – nothing overt, nothing that doesn’t add to the sum of the parts. Drinking Window 2020 – 2030" – David Sly, Decanter (August 2020)

FROM THE IMPORTER

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 transported to Tasmania as convicts.

Since acquiring the vineyard in 2011, Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith have invested heavily in improving all aspects of the vineyard and they are fully committed to seeing it recognised as one of Australia’s great single vineyard sites.

Wine Production
The grapes were all hand picked, whole bunch pressed, and fermented in French oak. The wine spent nine months in barrel with gentle stirring as required, then rested in tank on lees.

Tasting Notes
This wine is true to the Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay style: fine and precise with firm acidity, and a combination of lightness of texture and intensity of flavor.

The 2019 vintage has succulence and power, with great purity, aromas of white flowers, and flavors of mandarin and white peach, with a dash of sea-spray.

Food Pairing
This refined cool climate Chardonnay suits many different plates, but we find it to be a perfect match with pan-fried sea scallops.