Om Tolpuddle Chardonnay

Shaw + Smith købte i 2011 den enestående Tolpuddle Vineyard på Tasmanien. Vinene herfra har siden udviklet sig til nogle af de mest levende, overraskende og eftertragtede i den oversøiske vinverden - ja tag bare denne Chardonnay, der i årgang 2021 blev kåret til WHITE WINE OF THE YEAR ved det velrenommerede britiske vinmagasin Decanter's World Wine Awards og hvert år er en sprængfarlig duellant i mødet med de største Bourgogner.

Tolpuddles succes skyldes et sammenfald af mange faktorer: For det første er vejret på Tasmanien både køligere, mere blæsende og mere ekstremt end på det australske fastland. Med sin placering ud til det kolde Sydhav er den årlige gennemsnitstemperatur på Tolpuddle Vinyard sågar lavere end i Bourgogne, hvilket imidlertid opvejes af mange flere solskinstimer og et lige så unikt terroir, som Martin Shaw og Michael Hill Smith med deres holistiske tilgang og kompromisløse sans for kvalitet formår at få det allerbedste ud af.

Under disse barske forhold sikres Chardonnay en meget sen men vellykket modning, og med den følger en helt særlig elegance og struktur i form af en ofte vibrerende friskhed og syre til at understøtte en frisk og ekstremt kompleks aromaprofil.

Vinificering

I vinhuset presses kun de perfekte hele drueklasser til most, som gæres på det naturlige gær i franske barriques. Derefter følger ca. 10 måneder - også på fad (ca. 30% nye) - og vinen aftappes ufiltreret.

Aroma og smag

Resultatet er en en slank, præcis og mineralsk vin, der i stil læner sig mere op af Chablis Grand Cru end af klassisk Bourgogne. Fra glasset svæver associationerne således mod saftige, hvide stenfrugter, citroner i frisk såvel som i syltet form og derudover grape, grønne æbler, popcorn, flint, friskplukkede hasselnødder og kalk.

Sammenligningen understreges desuden af en mundrensende, prikkende og perfekt integreret syre, hvormed vinens store kompleksitet holdes i et stramt greb.

Serveringsforslag

Tolpuddle Chardonnay er en suverænt stilren vin allerede nu, men det er også en vin, der erbygget til den lange bane - gerne 20 år fra høst og formentlig også mere. Nydes den alligevel i sin ungdom, anbefaler vi derfor at dekantere den i en time, inden du serverer den, så de forsigtige aromaer får anledning til at folde sig ud.

Pas på ikke at overmatche den på middagsbordet: Servér til grillede skaldyr, dampet hvid fisk med citron, moules marinières eller evt. salater med frisk mozzarella eller feta samt til lyse kødretter.

Anmeldelser og point

98 point - James Suckling, juli 2025

"Wow. This sits on the edge of reduction, expressing both power and minerality with aromas of struck match, lemon confit, crushed stones, sweet spices, grapefruit and apple blossoms. The palate is highly strung with striking acidity, balanced by a generous, rounded yet restrained mouthfeel. You could easily be in one of the great Climats of Burgundy. Truly excellent from one of Australia’s most celebrated producers. Drink or hold."

98 point - Winepilot, september 2025

"A smattering of quartzite, white apple flesh, and lemon aspen. Chalk dust and fennel seed. Nutmeg grated into white sauce, ground ginger, and the luxuriousness of triple-cream brie. The acidity dances with light, agile feet across the palate, while new oak is so artfully integrated you find yourself searching for the seams it’s been woven into. This is perhaps the most dialled-back expression of oak on the nose—not from lesser use, but from the way it has been entirely absorbed by the fruit and the wine’s palpable energy. Buoyant and spritely, its mealy mid-palate creaminess is swiftly chased by almond skin and a flicker of sea-flake salinity. A triumphant vintage of Chardonnay, and a testament to the vineyard’s impeccable quality—one that many fortunate visitors can now witness firsthand. This is as exciting as the 2023 but in a way that is more classic Chanel than Alexander McQueen. Drink with roast snapper collars and a squeeze of lemon. Drink now or will cellar for 6-10 years further."

International Wine Challenge (IWC), juni 2025

• Best International Chardonnay

• Best Australian White

• Best Australian Chardonnay

• Best Tasmanian Chardonnay

Anmeldt i tidligere årgange:

97 point - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (årg. 2022)

"The Tolpuddle Chardonnay is routinely a class act, polished and piercing in every vintage iteration, and somehow delivers a deeply satisfying, comforting flow of flavor atop the more intellectual framing that it is known for. Here, the 2022 Chardonnay leads with white peach and flowers, layers of green apple, saltbush, ocean spray, gently leafy herbs and tobacco to close. In the mouth, the tannins expand to fill the space, creating a capacious feeling—a cavern, almost. Suffice it to say, this is a wonderful wine, again. Gently grippy through the finish, it's totally composed. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap."

99 point og kåret til WHITE WINE OF THE YEAR i Decanter World Wine Awards 2022 (årg. 2021)

“Owned since 2011 by Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw of Shaw & Smith Wines in the Adelaide Hills, the 20 ha northeastfacing Tolpuddle Vineyard occupies a prime position in Tasmania’s Coal River Valley.

The pair saw the vineyard’s potential immediately, and have been producing exceptional single vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ever since. There was a particularly wet start to 2021 – one of the coolest on record – resulting in much smaller but more concentrated grapes. Harvested by hand, the grapes are whole-bunch pressed then aged in French oak for nine months.”

• Vincenzo Arnese (99 p)
  "The nose is fresh and ripe with incredible structure, showing quince, candied lemon peel, grapefruit juice and subtle oak. A lingering acidity completes the frame of this outstanding wine."

• Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW (99 p)
  "A wonder of lightness and precision; a hedonistic mix of immediate restrained pleasure and long-term intellectual provocation. An amazingly subtle and complex finish. I adore this wine."

• Amanda Barnes (99p)
  Aromas of gunflint, lavender, lemon peel and wet stones lead into a mouthfilling yet svelte wine with mouthwatering acidity and a long, savoury finish. Will cellar well for more than a decade.

Drink: 2023-2050