Vat 47 Chardonnay
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 3 to 10 years from the vintage, though exceptional years can cellar beautifully for up to 15 years.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted chicken with tarragon, pan-seared scallops, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Tyrrell's Vat 47 Chardonnay is widely revered as the pioneer of modern Australian Chardonnay. Its story began in the late 1960s when Murray Tyrrell, convinced of the Hunter Valley's potential for the variety, famously 'borrowed' Chardonnay cuttings from a neighbor's vineyard under the cover of darkness. First released in 1971, Vat 47 established a benchmark for the nation. Sourced from the historic Short Flat vineyard's dry-grown vines planted in 1968, this wine is basket-pressed, fermented in French oak barriques, and aged on its fine lees. The result is a masterclass in restraint and complexity, balancing vibrant citrus and white peach fruit with a delicate, textured creaminess and a distinct mineral drive characteristic of the Hunter Valley's alluvial soils.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Established in 1858 by English immigrant Edward Tyrrell, Tyrrell's is one of Australia's oldest and most prestigious family-owned wineries, located in the historic Pokolbin sub-region of the Hunter Valley, New South Wales. Today, under the guidance of fourth-generation family member Bruce Tyrrell, the estate continues to champion its rich heritage while managing some of the region's oldest dry-grown vineyards. Tyrrell's is globally celebrated for its benchmark Hunter Valley Semillon, particularly the iconic Vat 1 Semillon, which showcases extraordinary longevity and complexity without oak contact. The winery is also a pioneer of Australian Chardonnay, exemplified by the historic Vat 47, alongside exceptional, elegant Shiraz expressions such as Vat 9, cementing its status as an icon of Australian viticulture.