Vat 1 Semillon
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2035
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Fresh oysters, pan-seared white fish, sashimi
✨ Technical Specifications
First released in 1963 from fruit grown on Tyrrell's historic Short Flat vineyard, Vat 1 Semillon has become the definitive benchmark for Australian Semillon. The vines thrive in the sandy, free-draining alluvial soils of the Hunter Valley floor, producing fruit of extraordinary purity. The winemaking philosophy is deceptively simple: early hand-harvesting to preserve high natural acidity and low sugar, followed by cool fermentation in stainless steel and immediate bottling without any oak contact. In its youth, Vat 1 is tight, austere, and driven by intense citrus and mineral notes. However, it possesses a legendary, almost magical capacity for bottle age. Over a decade or more in the cellar, it undergoes a dramatic metamorphosis, developing a deep golden hue and a complex, luxurious profile of toasted brioche, beeswax, lemongrass, and honey, all while retaining its vibrant, refreshing spine of acidity.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1858 by Edward Tyrrell, Tyrrell's is one of Australia's oldest and most prestigious family-owned wineries, nestled against the Brokenback Range in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. Spanning five generations of family stewardship, the estate played a seminal role in shaping modern Australian viticulture, including pioneering the country's first commercial Chardonnay with the legendary Vat 47 in 1971. The winery remains dedicated to traditional, minimal-intervention winemaking and the preservation of historic, own-rooted old-vine parcels that yield exceptional regional character. Tyrrell's is internationally acclaimed for its benchmark Vat 1 Semillon, celebrated for its extraordinary longevity, as well as distinguished, elegant Hunter Valley Shiraz and sparkling wines.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Semillon
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
11% - 11.5%