Region: Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Variety: Semillon
Vintage: 2005
Country: Australia
The Wine
Tyrrell’s, established in 1858, is one of Australia’s most historic and revered wine families. Vat 1 is their flagship white wine — and arguably Australia’s most iconic age-worthy Semillon.
Sourced from low-yielding, dry-grown vineyards planted on sandy alluvial soils in the Hunter Valley, Vat 1 is crafted with remarkable restraint. The fruit is picked early to preserve natural acidity and low alcohol, fermented in stainless steel, and bottled without new oak influence. This deliberate minimalism allows the vineyard and the slow arc of bottle age to define the wine.
The 2005 vintage is widely regarded as one of the great modern releases of Vat 1. A warm, even growing season produced pristine fruit with exceptional concentration and balance. Over time, the wine has evolved from pure citrus and herbaceous notes into its now-classic tertiary spectrum — toast, lanolin, lemon curd and beeswax — while retaining remarkable tension and drive.
The 2005 release was later awarded the inaugural NSW Governor’s Trophy for Best in Show at the NSW Wine Awards, a rare honour recognising its provenance and longevity.
Cellared Says
Mature Hunter Semillon at its most compelling. Lemon curd, chamomile, toast and wet stone glide across a palate that remains taut and saline. The 2005 sits in that beautiful window where evolution and freshness coexist.
A benchmark Australian white — intellectual, textural and built for serious cellars.
Wine Reviews
97 Points – Halliday Wine Companion
NSW Governor’s Trophy for Best in Show – NSW Wine Awards
Region: Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Variety: Semillon
Vintage: 2005
Country: Australia
The Wine
Tyrrell’s, established in 1858, is one of Australia’s most historic and revered wine families. Vat 1 is their flagship white wine — and arguably Australia’s most iconic age-worthy Semillon.
Sourced from low-yielding, dry-grown vineyards planted on sandy alluvial soils in the Hunter Valley, Vat 1 is crafted with remarkable restraint. The fruit is picked early to preserve natural acidity and low alcohol, fermented in stainless steel, and bottled without new oak influence. This deliberate minimalism allows the vineyard and the slow arc of bottle age to define the wine.
The 2005 vintage is widely regarded as one of the great modern releases of Vat 1. A warm, even growing season produced pristine fruit with exceptional concentration and balance. Over time, the wine has evolved from pure citrus and herbaceous notes into its now-classic tertiary spectrum — toast, lanolin, lemon curd and beeswax — while retaining remarkable tension and drive.
The 2005 release was later awarded the inaugural NSW Governor’s Trophy for Best in Show at the NSW Wine Awards, a rare honour recognising its provenance and longevity.
Cellared Says
Mature Hunter Semillon at its most compelling. Lemon curd, chamomile, toast and wet stone glide across a palate that remains taut and saline. The 2005 sits in that beautiful window where evolution and freshness coexist.
A benchmark Australian white — intellectual, textural and built for serious cellars.
Wine Reviews
97 Points – Halliday Wine Companion
NSW Governor’s Trophy for Best in Show – NSW Wine Awards
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