Hunter Valley in New South Wales is one of the most famous wine regions in Australia, and also one of the oldest, with some of the first plantings dating back to the late 18th century. It has also been recognised as a trailblazer for quality from very early on, with the region bringing home numerous awards from the 1855 Paris Exhibition – a show that was notable in vinous history for the official unveiling of the Bordeaux classification system. Today, the easterly region is famed in particular for its Semillon. While it’s not the most widely planted of the white varieties (international superstar Chardonnay wins that prize), Hunter Valley Semillon has its place on the international wall of fame for its complex and age-worthy qualities, thanks to the sandy alluvial soils and dried up riverbeds that it thrives in.
The region’s top four grape varieties by planting area are predominantly white (Chardonnay, Semillon and Verdelho), but Shiraz also plays a pivotal role. Breaking away from the rich, spicy flavours typically associated with Australian Shiraz, Hunter Valley Shiraz, usually picked a little earlier than the norm, is elegant, poised and primed for some serious cellar time. Winemakers are also experimenting with slightly less mainstream varieties in Australia. In this session, as well as discussing Hunter Valley Semillon and Shiraz, we’ll also look at Barbera.
Meet Hunter Valley winemaking legends Bruce Tyrrell (Tyrrell’s), Stuart Hordern (Brokenwood Wines) and Andrew Margan (Margan Wines) and explore the region’s unique and unconventional wine styles.
The winemakers will be discussing these wines:
- Margan Wines White Label Fordwich Hill Semillon 2021
- Tyrrell's Wines HVD Single Vineyard Semillon 2015
- Brokenwood Wines ILR Semillon 2015
- Margan Wines White Label Ceres Hill Barbera 2019
- Tyrrell's Wines Vat 8 Shiraz Cabernet 2018
- Brokenwood Wines Shiraz 2018
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Featured Presenters
Bert Blaize
Bert Blaize is an independent sommelier previously of the Clove Club - UK’s top-ranked restaurant in ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ for three years running and 26th best restaurant in the world. In 2019 Bert won the UK’s Top Young Sommelier competition sponsored by Flint wines. He was nominated by GQ Magazine and Imbibe Magazine as ‘Sommelier of the year’ and was named among the top 50 most influential people in the wine industry by Drinks Business. In 2020 he published his first book with Penguin, ‘Which Wine When’. It was shortlisted for Drinks book of the year.
Bruce Tyrrell AM
The Tyrrell family has been producing outstanding wines in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales since 1858 and now shares the position of being the second oldest continuously owned and operated family winery in Australia. Handed down through four generations, the company is now managed by Bruce Tyrrell.
Bruce Tyrrell graduated from the University of New England in 1973 with a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics. He has had a broad range of involvement in the wine industry, including Director of the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association and the Hunter Valley Research Foundation.
In 2006, Bruce Tyrrell was recognised with an Order of Australia medal for his contribution to the Australian wine industry; improving grape quality, research, tourism and export opportunities. In 2009, he was named a Hunter Valley Living Legend at the Hunter Valley Wine Industry Awards. That same year, Tyrrell’s Wines was also named Australian Red Winery of the Year by Gary Walsh and Campbell Mattinson and Australian Winery of the Year by James Halliday in his 2010 Australian Wine Companion.
In 2016 Bruce was awarded the Graham Gregory Award for his service to the NSW Wine Industry, and in 2017 Bruce was recognised, by his peers within Industry, for his significant contribution to the Hunter Valley Wine Industry and received the ‘Hunter Valley - Award for Excellence’.
In 2012, Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon and Vat 9 Shiraz were the inaugural winners of the Wines of Provenance award at the Hunter Valley Wine Show.
Under Bruce Tyrrell’s management Tyrrell’s Wines will remain family owned and continue with the simple philosophy of striving to be one of Australia’s pre-eminent family owned wine companies, producing the highest quality wines possible at all levels.
Bruce Tyrrell’s children Jane, John and Christopher all currently work in the business.
Stuart Hordern
A local boy and proud advocate of the Hunter Valley, Stuart has winemaking in his blood, and has been working on the family vineyard since he was old enough to drive a tractor.
Stuart encapsulates the new breed of young winemakers, dedicated to the region and striving to produce the best wines possible. After finishing his degree at Adelaide University, Stuart spent time overseas working vintages in France and the USA. Prior to Brokenwood, he worked for Tyrrell’s for several years where he was able to focus on the classic Hunter Valley varieties of Semillon and Shiraz. Stuart is currently President of the Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association.
International vintages:
- Domaine Berthoumieu, France -1 vintage
- Clos Lapeyre, France - 1 vintage
- Domaine Astruc, France - 1 vintage
- Williams Selwyn, Sonoma California - 1 vintage
- Paul Jaboulet Aine, Hermitage Rhone Valley, France - 1 vintage
Andrew Margan
Growing up with my parents vineyard and jumping the fence to hang around Tyrrells (our neighbors at the time) I developed a love for being in wineries. From the age of 9 all I ever wanted to be was a winemaker in the Hunter Valley. And here I am living that dream every day (some days a lot more than others!!).
Over 40 vintages I have developed my own unique style of winemaking that allows the wines I make to reflect my experiences from making wine around the world. I am determined to always make wine that I want to drink. Wines of structure, balance, elegance and texture. Wines that speak of the variety they come from and the soil they are grown in with their own sense of place. There can be no doubt that the connection between growing your own grapes and making your own wine from those grapes is a strong one. I have strong views on how to grow fantastic fruit here in the specific climate of the Hunter Valley and that is why Margan wines can be so different and special.
When Lisa and I started Margan we were lucky to find ourselves in Broke. The Broke Fordwich sub-region of the Hunter Valley has a unique area of ancient volcanic soil, called the Fordwich Sill. This soil grows special grapes that speak of their terroir whilst reflecting the unique climate we work with in the Hunter Valley. The volcanic soil of the Fordwich Sill gives my grapes another degree of ripeness whilst holding their acidity, It also allows for strong varietal definition in each of the varieties we grow on It. This allows us to grow varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvedre and make Interesting alternative Hunter Valley wines.
By focusing on small but significant differences In soil composition, slope aspect and picking times I have developed 3 different ranges of Margan Wines. Our Originals are selected from the Fordwich Sill vineyards where we attain ripeness of fruit and softness of the finished wines. Our White Label and Aged Release wines are selected blocks which are viticulturally managed, picked and vinified to focus on the specific style of the White Label or Aged Release wine we are producing.