Pokolbin Hills Vineyard Semillon
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2030
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Freshly shucked oysters, grilled white fish with lemon, or salt and pepper squid
✨ Technical Specifications
Tyrrell's Pokolbin Hills Vineyard Semillon is a distinctive single-vineyard expression that showcases a unique terroir within the Hunter Valley. Planted in 1970 on the contoured slopes of the Pokolbin Hills, this vineyard departs from the traditional sandy creek-bed soils of the region, featuring instead a soil profile of red clay over limestone. This unique geological makeup imparts a distinct mineral drive, structural tension, and a slightly more generous fruit profile in its youth compared to its sandy-soil siblings. Hand-harvested and gently basket-pressed, the juice undergoes cool fermentation in stainless steel without any oak contact, preserving the pristine, laser-like purity of the fruit. Over time, this wine undergoes a magical transformation, shedding its austere, lemony youth to develop complex layers of toasted brioche, beeswax, and lemongrass, a testament to the legendary aging potential of Hunter Valley Semillon.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1858 by English immigrant Edward Tyrrell, Tyrrell's is one of Australia's founding wine dynasties and a cornerstone member of Australia's First Families of Wine. Nestled beneath the Brokenback Range in the Pokolbin subdistrict of the Hunter Valley, the estate oversees some of the world's rarest own-rooted heritage vineyards, notably the Sacred Sites planted as early as 1867 and 1879. Viticulture focuses on sustainable stewardship over ancient alluvial flats and weathered clay loams under a warm, maritime-influenced sub-tropical microclimate. The winemaking philosophy balances traditional techniques, neutral oak, and minimal intervention to preserve purity, vitality, and sense of place. Tyrrell's benchmark portfolio is internationally celebrated for Vat 1 Hunter Semillon—an austere, unwooded white renowned for its transformative longevity—alongside Vat 47 Chardonnay, widely credited with pioneering commercial Australian Chardonnay, and the singular, medium-bodied Old Patch and Vat 9 Shirazes.
🍇 Grapes
Semillon
🍷 ABV
11% - 11.5%