Travel & Living Magazine

CELLAR DOOR TYRRELL'S Founded in 1858 by English migrant Edward Tyrrell, this Hunter Valley winery has grown hugely over the past 40 years and now makes over half a million cases of wine a year. The focus since 2003, when Tyrell's sold the Long Flat brand, has been on quality. Fourth-generation family member and managing director Bruce Tyrrell, son of the legendary Murray Tyrrell, heads the company. His children, the fifth generation of the Tyrrell family, are involved in the family business and his son, Chris, is one of the winemaking team. The Tyrrell family owns some of the oldest vines in Australia – many over 100 years old and some dating back to the 1860s. Tyrrell's 2009 Vat 47 Chardonnay $45 The Hunter Valley is well known for the quality of its semillon and shiraz but less recognised for its chardonnays, some of which – like this benchmark – are of exemplary quality. Matured in a combination of new and old French-oak barriques, this is a focused, fruit-driven wine that has spent six months on lees to add complexity. Beautifully balanced, it has great length on the palate, terrific acid on the finish and will cellar well over the next five years. Drink with pork chops. Tyrrell's 2005 Vat 1 Semillon $70 The Tyrrell and McWilliam families vie for the rights to be known as the Hunter's most successful semillon producers; both making unwooded wines that are sexy and lively in their youth, but develop beautifully in the bottle. This is a wonderfully developed wine, a regular show trophy winner, from a small, dry vintage that produced outstanding fruit. Drink with raw oysters. 24 www.travelandliving.com.au BROWN BROTHERS One of Australia's most famous family wineries, Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard, was founded in 1885 by John Francis Brown on the edge of the tiny northeast Victorian hamlet of Milawa. More than 125 years on, it continues to be owned and operated by his direct descendants on the original property. In 2003, Brown Brothers marked a significant new chapter in its history with the release of a new flagship range of wines, named Patricia in honour of the late family matriarch. Today, Brown Brothers produces one of the largest ranges of grape varieties and wine styles in Australia. Brown Brothers NV Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & Pinot Meunier $25 Brown Brothers' top-of-the-range bubbly is their bottle-aged 2005 Patricia, but this has to be a serious contender for the rank of Australia's best-value sparkling wine. A blend of the three classic Champagne grapes, it's a superb wine for the price and as good as many domestic sparkling wines which cost twice as much. It has delightful citrus and Granny Smith aromas and a refreshing, zesty palate with just a hint of creaminess. Drink with hors d'oeuvres. Brown Brothers 2009 Tempranillo $20 Brown Brothers has one of the most complete ranges of wines in Australia and is constantly looking at new varieties. It has enjoyed success with its early releases of wines made from this Spanish grape, which has sour cherry/dark berry flavours, sweetish spice influences and soft, integrated oak. This is a savoury, medium- bodied red that is probably best enjoyed with Mediterranean dishes but is also delightful drinking on its own. Drink with a tapas plate. HENSCHKE Members of the Henschke family, whose origins lie in Silesia, have been growing grapes for over 140 years. Their motto is: "You can only produce exceptional wines from outstanding vineyards," and their portfolio includes two of Australia's most revered red wines: Hill of Grace Shiraz and Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon. The first members of the family to arrive in Australia came from Jutschlau in Brandenburg, now part of Poland. They settled in the Barossa Valley and the family also has extensive vineyard holdings in the Adelaide Hills. The three children of current winemaker Steve and his viticulturist wife, Prue, are all actively involved in the family business. Henschke 2009 Henry's Seven $35 An outstanding – and affordable – blend of shiraz, grenache, viognier and mourvedre from an iconic label. Eminently quaffable this has ripe raspberry and plum flavours leading the charge on the palate, aided and abetted by a range of white pepper and spice characters. There's plenty going on here – and the tannin structure suggests it will only improve over the next few years. Drink with rabbit casserole. Henschke 2007 Tappa Pass Shiraz $80 Wines like the Tappa Pass Shiraz offer the Henschke magic to those of us without platinum credit cards. This is a big wine by Henschke standards with ripe, ultra- concentrated fruit along with complexity, density and extremely soft tannins. It's a wine of depth; black, lush, chocolatey and inky, with glorious sweet fruit and layer upon layer of flavour. And it's under the trendy Vino-Lok glass stopper. Drink with venison stew. PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE

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