Tyrrell's Vat 1 has a long history and up until 1990, Vat 1 was labelled as "Hunter River Riesling" as was the practice in the Hunter at the time.

Since its inception in 1963, it has been consistently sourced from virtually the same vineyard blocks – primarily from the Short Flat vineyard as well as the Debeyers and Johnno’s blocks, from semillon grapes planted between 1920 and 1965.
 
In his book Classic Wines of Australia, James Halliday mentions that the “Short Flat contains 4% of old roussanne vines – perhaps a secret ingredient in the wine.”  This has been confirmed by Bruce Tyrrell who advised that: “The old vines on the flat do contain about that amount of roussanne which must have been mixed with the original semillon cuttings.  Most of the older vineyards I have seen anywhere have odd varieties mixed in with them.”

In Winewise April 2007, I wrote:

“Like Grange, Vat 1 is uniquely Australian with a proven record of longevity, consistency and acclaim. Its Show record alone demonstrates it has no peer amongst Australian white wines and there is the added virtue that the wine truly reflects its variety and region of origin. While it can be described as Australia’s White Grange, there is really no need for such a description as the wine can stand on its own merits – Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Semillon is simply Australia’s greatest white wine.”

These wines, which were all from my cellar, were tasted on 9 March 2009 in the following order: 2008, 2007-2005, 2004-2002, 2001-1999. So how are the various vintages travelling? As I also wrote in that article, Vat 1’s achilles heel has been the cork seal which, thankfully, was replaced by the screwcap from the 2004 vintage. And this tasting proved to be no exception. The first bottle of the 1999 exhibited gross TCA while both the 2003 and 2000 were clearly affected by some random oxidation. The 2000 was also atypical in that it was completely different to all the other wines. The 2000 vintage was the one of the coldest the Hunter has experienced, accordingly producing a Margaret River style.

Not unexpectedly, the 1999 proved to be the top wine closely followed by the 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008. While the 2007 was in good condition, it was going through that expected but inexplicable dumb phase typical of Hunter semillons. The tasting demonstrated the staying power of Vat 1 and the exceptional wines it produces. The transition from simple, zesty youngster to vanillin/toasty maturity begins around 4/5 years of age as the 2005 illustrated. The other distinguishing features were the brilliant colours and freshness of the wines, regardless of age. That’s the magic of Hunter semillon.

2008 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Semillon Fresh vibrant nose, limey/lemony, very good depth of undeveloped fruit, surprisingly flavoursome for its age, long crisp finish.

2007 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Semillon This wine exhibited clean, fresh aromas and flavours which were a little subdued. The evident acidity and long palate point to its future. Taste again in 3/4 years time.

2006 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Semillon In Winewise October 2006, in the context of a review of 2006 Hunter semillons where Vat 1 topped the tasting, we wrote: “It’s quite backward, crisp and racy but still carries a significant volume of fruit into which the acidity merges perfectly.” Guess what, the wine doesn’t seem to have aged at all and that’s still an appropriate description. This is a wine for the long haul 10+years.

2005 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Semillon Hot on the heels of winning the Best White Wine of Show Trophy at the 2009 Royal Sydney Wine Show, this wine lived up to its trophy status. The wine has begun its maturing phase with very attractive vanilla aromas and great fruit weight on the middle palate. Then the crisp, lemony acidity bites and carries the flavours to a long, persistent finish. Yes, its drinking beautifully now but it will certainly keep well for another 3/4 years at least.

2004 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Semillon This is another crackerjack wine. You will recall I recently recommended the 2004 Tyrrell's Stevens Semillon (see Discoveries); well, the Vat 1 is the older sibling with just that bit extra. The wine is fresh and vibrant, with intense lemony aromas and lipsmacking flavours which are still developing. There is a pleasing and refreshing acid backbone that keeps the wine together and will ensure further cellaring. If you must try this now, make sure you leave some in the cellar.

2003 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Semillon Unfortunately, this bottle was flat, reflective of its cork closure, as a second bottle opened a few days later proved. The second bottle showed that this wine is at an in-between stage; while still fresh and crisp, the flavours are yet to peak so wait for a few more years.

2002 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Semillon This is the wine I will be drinking over the next 2/3 years as I think it’s close to its peak. The aromas are rich and vibrant with lemon and honey characters which are reflected in the highly flavoured palate, balanced by lovely refreshing acidity. Partner with chicken and pork!

2001 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Semillon This is drinking beautifully now but it has many years ahead of it. Intense aromas with hints of vanilla and honey, very fresh, lead to a lively palate full of lingering, delicate flavours. The wine has that typical lemony acidity which persists right through to the finish. Keep cellaring if you can.

2000 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Semillon This is a wine you would not readily identify as a Hunter semillon. I have seen a number of bottles of this over the last couple of years and, while the best have bright aromas and flavours, they are in the green pea/grassy spectrum. This bottle was a little more developed than other bottles tasted (yes the cork strikes again) and looked out of place in this lineup.

1999 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Semillon Is this wine really 10 years old? From the superb colour to the vibrant lemon/ vanillin aromas, this wine exhibits long, lingering complex flavours which are not yet fully developed. The finish is clean, crisp and lipsmacking. I’m going to keep my remaining bottles for at least another 5 years!

Len Sorbello

See also: Tyrrell's Vat 9 Shiraz Vertical