Tyrrell’s Vat 63 Chardonnay Semillon 2023

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Lemon, pear and white nectarine fruits sit fresh and pure to start, with notes of gentle toasty cedar, green apple, kumquat and cinnamon spice in support. It’s a 55% and 45% blend with Chardonnay in dominance, and both varieties shine here in excellent balance. There’s a nice mix of texture and nervy tension to the palate, which is packed with flavour — tangy lemon, pear, cinnamon and green apple make up the core with only subtle hints of oak in the background. There’s excellent firm and bright acidity here, loaded with lemony tanginess as it draws to a decidedly citrus-drenched finish of good length. This is refreshing in a sense, while still holding the stuffing and concentration of a good-quality wine. Both varieties play their parts well here. Very nice.

Tom Kline
Wine Critic at Winepilot

Tom Kline is a wine writer, reviewer, presenter, and educator based in Victoria, Australia. He is the Australian correspondent for the internationally respected publications Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy and Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux, where he highlights the top tier of Australian wine for a global audience. Tom also writes for leading outlets including Decanter (UK), Wine Spectator (US), and Halliday Magazine, among others. An experienced wine show judge and WSET educator, he has authored several consumer-focused wine courses aimed at making wine more accessible and engaging. In 2023, Tom was awarded Best Published Feature Article or Wine Column at the prestigious Wine Communicator Awards, presented by Wine Communicators of Australia.

Wine tasting and writing
Pilot
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