2022 Tyrrell's Belford Semillon, Hunter Valley

So vibrant and energetic with electric acidity with sliced mangoes and apples. It’s full-bodied with searing acidity and saltiness. Lime, too. Wild stuff. Extremely tasty. Drink or hold. Four or five years will make it even better.

95 points James Suckling, October 2022

This Semillon comes from the Belford vineyard located between Pokolbin and Singleton which Tyrrell’s manages under a long lease contract. First planted in 1933, it features deep alluvial soils that time has reduced to an almost powdery consistency.

This is in most years the last of Tyrrell’s Semillons to be picked, with the 2022 harvest taking place mid-February. The fruit was lightly pressed on arrival to the winery and the free-run juice fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel before allowed to rest on fine lees for six weeks ahead of the mid-July bottling.

The 2022 shows rich citrus and white stone fruit aromatics and a dense, robust flavours. It is an excellent candidate for extended bottled age. If you keep your hands off it for a couple of years, it will pair nicely with poached Hainanese chicken with ginger-scallion oil or a slow-braised pork knuckle with pickled apples.

About this producer

Tyrrell's has been part of the Hunter Valley's winemaking story since 1858, making it one of Australia's oldest family-owned wineries. Five generations of the Tyrrell family have built an extraordinary reputation for producing wines of authenticity, longevity and regional character, with Chris Tyrrell continuing to champion the estate's historic vineyards and traditional approach.