This could possibly be the most intriguing Pinot Noir that I have tasted from a New World vineyard.  This wine is from Tasmania, the southernmost growing region in Australia.  For many of us it is likely to fall into the "I bet you haven't had a wine from here" category. In true Aussie fashion, Tolpuddle is an odd name.  You will see more of the oddness in the subsequent wines below. Tolpuddle is not the producer, but rather the name of the vineyard site from which the wine is produced.  There is a lot to unpack here.

After the first sniff and sip, I literally had to stop for a minute to process what I was tasting. My first impression was that this wine was different than any Pinot Noir that I had tasted - in a good way.  It is absolutely the most expansive Pinot Noir that I have tasted in recent memory.  The expansive palate is something my assistant, who is just starting her wine journey, noticed immediately, without prompting.  If you are a Pinot Nerd, you have to try this wine. 

Winemaker Notes

A very strong year for Pinot Noir at Tolpuddle. There is complexity and power, balanced by pure fruit notes and cool season spice. It shows powerful fruit, with ripe red cherry, smoked meat, and olive notes, framed by fine but firm tannins. Great length of flavor. An exciting vintage.

96 Australian Wine Companion

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.

96 Decanter

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.