2019 Tyrrell's Stevens Semillon

95 pts
Iconic single vineyard Semillon from the Hunter Valley. Approachable now but a long life ahead.

Price:
Sale price$40.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
Rendering loop-subscriptions

Description

The Stevens vineyard fruit has been made by the Tyrrell family since the 1993 vintage.

The vineyard sits on Marrowbone Road in Pokolbin - the family’s southernmost Semillon site - with vines dating back to 1911. It was this patch of red and sandy loam that inspired Bruce Tyrrell to launch the Single Vineyard program in the early 1990s, a move that changed the course of the winery’s history.

Hand-picked in the cool of late January 2019, the fruit was lightly pressed and fermented in stainless steel, made in the same pared-back style as Vat 1. What you get is classic Hunter Semillon DNA with a touch of vintage warmth: lemon pith, grilled citrus, and a fine thread of chalky minerality. The 2019 shows a little more weight and generosity than usual, but the acid line and precision remain spot on.

Stevens has always been a wine of balance - racy in youth, but built to evolve in the cellar for decades. It’s one of the Hunter’s great expressions of place and, vintage after vintage, still one of Australia’s best-value fine wines.

95 points
"This is a complex and chameleonic wine... The palate offers enviable harmony, with no edgy acidity, allowing the flavours to flow seamlessly."
- Toni Paterson MW (Halliday Wine Companion)

98 points - "Sourced from the oldest and best blocks, dry grown vines dating back to 1923. The 2019 continues the harmonious vintage streak with superb fruit intensity showing zested limes, calamansi pip and wet river stone. Some apple blossoms and fresh linen billowing on the hills hoist. Its time in bottle has allowed the wine to snuggle into itself and drinks with the same magnitude of flavour as the nose promises, scratch that, it actually doubles down in its fruit power. Shouting from the rooftops with lime margaritas, Mirabelle plums and pistachio nougatine. A mealy cashew mid palate and a long echoing, juicy acidity and persistent length. Simply put, it’s everything you hoped it would be and drinking like an Aussie bushland dream. Its purity and complexity is and always is utterly astounding. This is the best money you can spend on an Australian wine icon. Drink now with oysters (obvs) maybe with a white wine mignonette and some sea succulent. Or put your faith in Semillon and lay down for further 10 years, 20 or 30 years plus." - Shanteh Wale (Wine Pilot)

95 points - "This is a complex and chameleonic wine. Initially quiet on pouring, it evolves in the glass to reveal a wildly characterful wine with many layers. Buttery notes and honeyed lime intertwine with greengages, flint and lemon thyme. The palate offers enviable harmony, with no edgy acidity, allowing the flavours to flow seamlessly. Serve it with food and it takes on yet another dimension." - Toni Paterson (Halliday Wine Companion)

94 points - "Pretty lemon verbena and lemon balm, juicy citrus, tight and fine chalky texture, sizzles with sherbetty length, clean and fresh with a smattering of green herb. It’s a beauty in 2019." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews

Based on 5 reviews
80%
(4)
20%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
A
Ash G.
wonderful drop

Loved it

J
James W.
Soft, approachable semillon

Drinking very well now with a roundness and softness despite its relative youth.

s
stan z.
Classic Hunter Semillon

Drinking beautifully right now - fresh lemon acidity, white florals along with hints of bottle age characters like toast and burnt butter.

M
Michael S.
Unmistakably Tyrrell’s !

Excellent drop already, but will no doubt improve further with age.

D
David W.
Ready to drink Semillon

This wine is ready to drink now but still has many years left ahead of it. The acidity has softened sightly and the palate is now more rounded with plenty of zing and citrus fruit coming through. It is perfect with shellfish right now.

Stevens Semillon comes from the Tyrrell family-owned Stevens Vineyard on Marrowbone Road, Pokolbin, our southernmost Semillon vineyard. It features a combination of light, sandy loams and darker, heavier transitional soils with the oldest plantings being from 1911.

The 2019 vintage in the Hunter Valley was another high-quality year across all varieties and was a stellar follow up to 2018. Continued dry conditions meant cropping levels were slightly lower than normal however all the fruit was in perfect condition.

Stevens was one of the first Semillon blocks that we picked in 2019, taking place in the early hours of the morning on 26 and 27 January. The grapes were then lightly pressed, and the free-run juice was fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel tanks. The wine stayed in these tanks until bottling in early July 2019.

A richer, fuller expression of Stevens Semillon with the warmer 2019 vintage characters at the fore. The hallmark racy acid profile of this wine still shines with notes grilled lemon, honey, and lime pith. The palate is tightly bound yet generous and elegant with its characteristic sherbet-like finish.

Price Bracket $41 to $50
Type White
Body Light Bodied
Variety Semillon
Country Australia
Region Hunter Valley
Australian State NSW
Size 750ml
Vintage 2019
Closure Screw Cap

Tyrrell's

Established in 1858, Tyrrell's, an esteemed family-owned winery, holds a prominent place in Australia's viticultural history. Renowned for exemplary Shiraz, Semillon, and Chardonnay releases, the Tyrrell family safeguards the Hunter Valley's finest and oldest vineyards, upholding a legacy of quality winemaking. Chris Tyrrell, continuing the family tradition, ensures Tyrrell's remains a crucial pillar in the realm of Australian wine.

Embedded in the Hunter Valley's fabric, Tyrrell's, guided by founder Edward Tyrrell, pioneered Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, influencing the iconic Semillon style. Notably, their Vat 1 Semillon, Australia's most-awarded white wine, holds almost 5,500 medals and 330 trophies.

While honoring their heritage, the Tyrrells embrace innovation, staying at the forefront of the dynamic Hunter Valley. Fifth-generation winemaker Chris Tyrrell finds humility in working with his forefathers' vineyards. The family's commitment extends to future generations, evidenced by their participation in Australia's First Families of Wine. Guided by Edward Tyrrell's motto, "Nothing is great unless it is good," the Tyrrell legacy persists, passing the business to successive generations, balancing reverence for the past with a forward-looking perspective.

The Tyrrell family Tyrrell's

Others also liked

Recently viewed

Common Questions

Delivery is free on orders of $199 or more.

For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.

We will dispatch your order the same or next business day.

Estimated delivery transit time varies depending on your location. Please review this page for specific estimates.

No sorry we do not have a store front and pickup is not available.

Yes, no problem. When placing your order select ‘Store at Different Drop and Delivery Later’ as your shipping method or reply to the order confirmation email after placing your order with additional instructions.

We stock three different sized gift boxes (single, three bottle and six), all are available for purchase for a flat rate of $8. They look great and make an awesome impression.

To add a gift box to your order, simply add at checkout. The special requests box is your friend, please give us as many details of what you are looking for and we will try our best, or get in contact to discuss it with you. 

If you want to bulk order gifts or if you have any trouble please email hello@differentdrop.com or call and we can try and help.

 

Our warehouse is automated so unless you tell us otherwise, we will ship your order. If you would like us to hold your order please reply to the order confirmation email after placing your order and we are happy to store your order for up to 6 months at no charge. You can review our heat policy here.

Yes, of course. We want Different Drop customers to always be getting the best price. You can see our price match policy here.

No, feel free to mix it up! There is no minimum requirement. You can order wines in any quantity or combination, 1 or 50+ bottles.

No, all prices are set at the full discounted dozen rate already.

Most wine retailers list at a single-bottle price and then discount 10–15% when you buy six or twelve. We've taken the opposite approach. Since the overwhelming majority of our orders are already 6 bottles or more, our list price is set for the case buyer from the start. There's no inflated single-bottle price to discount down from.

What that means for you:

- One price, same for everyone — no minimum to hit to unlock the best rate
- No mixed-six gymnastics to qualify for a discount
- Our single-bottle price is typically at or below a traditional retailer's by-the-dozen rate

Put simply: the box discount is already baked into the price.

**And if you find it cheaper elsewhere?** Let us know. If the same wine is available at a lower price at another retailer (including at their mixed-six or by-the-dozen rate) we're happy to match it.

If you can't add more wine to your cart it means we are low on stock of that wine. For example, if you are only able to 3 bottles and no more that means we only have 3 bottles left of that wine. If it's a must have, please contact us and we may be able to order more in for you.

Regular Enquiries

Urgent Enquiries

02 8376 8775