Tolpuddle Chardonnay Tasmania 2020 (750ML)

99 JS / 97+ WA
#7 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of Australia 2021

This really asserts itself at the top echelon of chardonnay, in a context that extends far beyond the shores of the tiny island state of Tasmania. Already in such a great place, with aromas of white peach, lemon, lemon curd and very precisely curated sulphides adding interest. There’s wet chalk, lemon peel and gentle hazelnutty oak in play as well. The palate has seamless, layered and fresh citrus and peach flavors, as well as a stream of pithy grapefruit and peach on offer. Acidity holds the finish long and true. This is one of the most elegant vintages of this wine, reminiscent of the 2014. Oak chimes in so subtly on the finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.–James Suckling

This 2020 Chardonnay doesn't have the unbridled rawness of the 2018 or 2019, but it does retain the pure core of fruit and acidity. Each component of this wine is interwoven with the others, resulting in a natural glide across the tongue. The phenolics of this wine are most attractive to me—a return to the glorious open weave texture of the sublime 2013 vintage, which allows you to sort of sink your teeth in and move the wine around in the mouth after it's gone. Pronounced curry leaf and brine characters are here, along with preserved lemon and salinity. I love this painful little wine—it is salty and moreish, and it stings... almost. Pleasurable to the max. Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate