Tolpuddle is a vineyard-driven estate on Tasmania’s Coal River Valley, known for producing some of the Southern Hemisphere’s most finely etched expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Established in 1988 and acquired in 2011 by Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith MW of Shaw + Smith, Tolpuddle reflects a clear, focused ambition: to capture the quiet intensity of one exceptional site through wines that are precise, layered, and luminously cool-climate.

The vineyard sits on north-east facing slopes just outside Richmond, with a combination of light silica-over-sandstone soils, a long growing season, and consistently cool temperatures shaped by Tasmania’s maritime influence. The site is dry-farmed and cultivated with minimal intervention, relying on low yields and vine balance to achieve both concentration and purity. Every decision in the vineyard is guided by a philosophy of less but better — fewer inputs, more attention, and absolute trust in site.

In the winery, the approach is gentle and restrained. Chardonnay is whole-bunch pressed and fermented in French oak (about one-third new), with full malolactic fermentation and regular bâtonnage. Pinot Noir is fermented with partial whole bunch, native yeasts, and minimal extraction, then aged in a mix of new and seasoned French oak. Elevage is slow and silent — designed to preserve energy, build tension, and allow texture to emerge without embellishment.

The wines are linear, textural, and deeply expressive. Chardonnay is taut and flinty, with citrus blossom, almond skin, white peach, and saline drive. Pinot Noir is aromatic and poised — red cherry, blood orange, spice, and subtle herbal lift — with fine tannins and a long, mineral finish. Both wines walk the line between austerity and generosity, restraint and resonance. They are built not for immediacy, but for grace and longevity.

What defines Tolpuddle is its calm precision — a philosophy rooted not in ambition, but in fidelity to one vineyard and the quiet power of place.

These are wines that don’t command attention, but hold it — composed, elemental, and carried by the long breath of southern light.