Mike Bennie

The Wine Front 92 Points

It feels very sinewy, tart and firm. Smoky spice overlaid on cedar and clove, dusty spice cupboard, fresh asphalt notes, dark cherry to sniff on. The palate is overtly drying, somewhat bitter and firm, rhubarb meets tart cherry, rose hip tea and granitic, minerally characters. It’s smoky to taste too. It does some justice to pinosity, but misses some more of the more vibrant drinkability of the concept at this stage, firm, tight, chalky, gummy-tannin bitter things to discuss. Smoke and flint edifice is the conversation here… at some point one may have to say that winemaking input has gone beyond a threshold. In that, perhaps the future more interesting.

Shanteh Wale

Wine Pilot 96 Points

An unearthing of black cherries, ancho chillis, and tonka bean. A backdrop of thicket and foliage is carefully threaded with raspberries and wild hawthorn. Ceylon tea leaf, sandalwood, and coffee grounds follow. The tannins are crafty working their way across the palate, sidling in, and revealing their potential only once you’re already reaching for another sip. This vintage has captured impressive ripeness and a maturity of tannins, with an uproar of Christmas-cherry fruit standing loud and proud. It feels complete and utterly enticing, speaking of the Coal River Valley with impeccable clarity, finesse of detail, and beautifully layered texture. There is a long life ahead of this wine and one that will demonstrate Tolpuddle’s ability for long term cellaring. Drink now with torched Nasu Dengaku or pop in the back of your cellar for another 6-8 years. More if you have ideal cellar conditions.

Dave Brookes

Halliday Wine Companion 97 Points

A wonderfully perfumed and composed wine that comes across as a little finer in aromatic detail than the excellent '23 release. It's an amalgam of clones – 777, 667, Abel, Pommard, MV6 and some that winemaker Adam Wadewitz snaffled from Best's Great Western – all playing their part in the final blend. Vibrant dark cherry, red berry and raspberry fruit tones mesh with hints of exotic spice, a whiff of negroni, juniper, wild strawberry, almond paste, integrated vanillin oak, meadow flowers and crushed stone. Everything plays at concert pitch, with complex whole bunch (50%) notes, the gentle tension of ground-riverstone tannins and a fine, mineral line as the wine slowly trails away. A cracking release that smells and tastes of a special place.

Andrew Caillard MW

The Vintage Journal 97 Points

Medium colour. Intense pure dark cherry, chinotto, hint ginger touch bush garrigue aromas. Generously concentrated, sinuous and textured palate with dark cherry, strawberry pastille, chinotto flavours, fine slinky, hint grippy/ leafy tannins, and underlying ginger, roasted almond notes. Finishes minerally and long. Lovely
purity, layered richness and vinosity.

Huon Hooke

The Real Review 97 Points

Deep and translucent purple colour, impressive for a young pinot, the bouquet fresh and bright and primal with a touch of smoky barrel/reduction overlying sweet plum and black cherry aromas. It's concentrated and rich, with superbly ripe pinot fruit and seamlessly handled oak, fine powdery tannins running the length of the palate and cleansing the finish beautifully. A less stemmy/whole-bunch influenced Tolpuddle pinot noir. It will take some age profitably. 06 Aug 2025