Tyrell's Hunter Valley Chardonnay

The Tyrrell family’s association with the grape began with Edward Tyrrell in 1858. Today his legacy lives on through the fourth and fifth generation of the family who collectively manage one of Australia’s oldest and most highly regarded wineries. Tyrrell’s has grown over a century and a half to become one of Australia’s most prestigious winemakers.

Today the company is managed by fourth generation owner Bruce Tyrrell and his children, John, Chris and Jane. Over the years the family have been instrumental in changing the face of the Australian wine industry. The family’s many successes include introducing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to the Australian wine category, and their ‘Vat 47’ was Australia’s first commercial Chardonnay. They were also one of the first wineries to expand out of the Hunter Valley, setting up vineyards 160kms north of Sydney and 100kms north of Melbourne. Innovation and leadership are two of the key attributes of the family, and have been instrumental in securing Tyrrell’s position as one of Australia’s leading producers. Today the family are also producers of Australia’s most awarded white wine, the ‘Vat 1 Hunter Valley Semillon’, which has won an astounding 5,475 medals and 332 trophies.

Chardonnay,

Hunter Valley Chardonnay is sourced from a mixture of sites across the Pokolbin area. All of these sites have slightly different microclimates, and each component brings its unique personality to the blend.

This was an exceptional vintage in the Hunter Valley for whites. Favourable conditions throughout the early parts of harvest, coupled with abundant rain ahead of the growing season meant crops levels were high, as was the quality of fruit.

Individual Chardonnay blocks were picked and fermented separately in a combination of stainless steel tanks and French oak barriques. No malolactic fermentation, instead, the wine was held on yeast lees to gain complexity and mouthfeel until blending prior to bottling.

Textbook modern, medium-bodied Hunter Valley Chardonnay to be enjoyed with a variety of cuisines. The nose shows a great mixture of citrus, white stone fruit, some oak spice as well as just a hint of solids complexity. The palate is robust with great fruit intensity and texture through the mid-palate, with a soft acid finish.

Versatile for food but this really shines with fried chicken or sea food.