Product Information: Back my popular demand. The inaugural release of Vat 32 Semillon Chardonnay was so well received they made another. For those of you who have loved and bought Tyrrell’s Vat 63 Chardonnay Semillon over the years, this wine is also for you... Alright it's the Semillon for Chardonnay lovers, but fear not the oak has folded nicely into the wine and now provides just some beautiful background complexity. Sumptuous. Pronounced with ripe peach, and fresh citrus fruits alongside, hints of buttered baguette and grilled nuts. The palate is full with layers of ripe lemon, stone fruits, pear and golden apple, with nougat and sourdough toast in the finish. A unique Hunter Valley blend with refreshing yet soft acidity. The blend is 68% Semillon and 32% Chardonnay. All hand selected fruit and hand-picked then fermented as a batch in four brand new French oak hogsheads. The wine spends four months in barrel before blending with a parcel of Semillon from their own Braemore vineyard. Maker: Given Andrew's family background, it seemed fated he would work in wine. Early inspiration came from my father, Wayne Thomas who had a distinguished career making wine where Andrew was raised in McLaren Vale. During Andrew's formative winemaking years, despite being groomed for a possible winemaking career in South Australia, he developed a deep passion for finesse, and the more subtle and savoury structured wines of the Hunter Valley . After graduating with a degree in Oenology at Roseworthy Agricultural College, Andrew set off on his winemaking journey at Tyrrell’s Vineyards. During 13 years of guidance under the legendary Murray Tyrrell at Tyrrells Wines, he gained a great respect for, and understanding of the two signature varieties of the Hunter Valley – you guessed it, semillon and shiraz. The thirst for more knowledge and winemaking experience was quenched with vintages in Sonoma, Tuscany, Piedmont and Provence; but the desire to make world class wines under his own label could no longer be denied, with realisation it was time for Andrew Thomas to pave his own path. Thomas Wines was established in 1997, with a clear and focused objective to specialise in single vineyard Hunter Valley Semillon and Shiraz. Over the years Andrew has formed close and collaborative alliances with an impressive folio of local growers. These growers own and operate arguably some of the Hunter Valley’s most distinguished sites, producing world class, uniquely regional styles. Each wine is destined to showcase its unique vineyard signature and express a real sense of place. Philosophy: Whilst Andrew has always applied a no compromise, attention to detail approach to my winemaking, he truly believes that 90% of the quality lies in the vineyard. Andrew says "The key to great wine is ‘keeping it simple’ to preserve that potential quality from the vine through to the bottle." As you would expect with a vineyard that was planted way back in 1969, some gaps and missing vines have appeared over the years in the Braemore vineyard. At some stage over the last 50 years, these gaps were replanted with whatever vines were available at the time, and it’s now apparent that some of these gaps were filled in with Chardonnay cuttings. The team at Thomas Wines are in the process of marking and removing/replacing these ‘rogue’ vines, but during the 2023 vintage they went through the whole vineyard and hand-picked these marked vines separately and fermented them as a batch in four brand new French oak hogsheads. The wine spent four months in barrel before blending with a parcel of Semillon from our Braemore vineyard. The blend is 68% Semillon and 32% Chardonnay. Initially, the oak was quite punchy/overt in the blend, but with time prior to and post bottling, that oak has folded nicely into the wine and now provides just some beautiful background complexity. Nose - Ripe Peach, Nectarine, Buttered Baguette Nectarine, and fresh citrus fruits alongside, hints of buttered baguette, vanilla bean, and nuts. Palate - Pure Fruited, Golden Apple, Silky Flavoursome with a seductive and full silkiness and layers of ripe lemon, white peach, pear and golden apple, alongside hints of chamomile tea, French nougat and sourdough toast. Finish - French Nougat, Chamomile Tea, Cleansing Acidity Long, cleansing and gorgeous, and the high quality of the fruit shines through.

Located in the heart of Western Australia’s renowned Margaret River wine region, the Pierro locality, owned and managed by Dr Mike Peterkin, has a viticultural pedigree second to none. Besides making award-winning Chardonnay of distinctive character, Mike also produced the first Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blend in Australia. The Pierro reds are now among the very best in the region. Each parcel is hand-picked, chilled, hand-sorted and whole bunch pressed. There are multiple picks for this wine. With the first batches being picked for aromatic complexity and acidity, and the latter being picked for flavour and texture. Each batch is kept separate and inoculated with different yeasts depending on the variety and date picked. During this time a quarter of the wine is fermented in French oak barriques for 2-3 months for mouthfeel and texture. These different elements combine as a whole to provide an incredible amount of complexity to the final wine. The separate batches are then combined and left on fermentation lees for 3-4 months prior to bottling. A light dry wine, delicious when young but has the capacity and backbone to mature and develop in the bottle. Flavours of citrus, pear, green apple, melon and tropical fruit. Fresh, crisp and dry with both complexity and elegance. An ideal accompaniment to seafood and white meat dishes.

In the glass: Pale lemon with a green hue. On the nose: Gooseberry, grapefruit and smokey oak aromas. On the palate: Layered and complex with lingering flavour persistence, lovely savoury layers of citrus fruit and faint tropicals, refreshing acidity and obvious yet good quality oak. A deluxe, complex style - one for the oak lovers.

This is a wonderfully concentrated wine. Complex on the nose with aromas of lemon, green apple and fig the palate shows lively flavours of citrus and melon and a beautifully textured crisp and long finish.

Rockford Wines is a renowned wine producer located in the iconic Barossa Valley of Australia. Established in the early 1980s by Robert O'Callaghan, it has gained recognition as one of the most distinguished wineries in Australia, producing premium Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. O'Callaghan commenced his career as a trainee winemaker in 1965 at Seppelt in Rutherglen, Victoria. In 1971, he relocated to the Barossa and acquired two hectares (five acres) of land beneath the Barossa ranges, where he planted vines and built a winery in the style of the 1850s stone cottage. Rockford's first vintage was released in 1984. Rockford's commitment to producing exceptional wines involves working in partnership with several independent wine growers around the Barossa region. Many of the vines are planted on their own rootstocks and are up to 130 years old, resulting in intense, concentrated grapes and wines with the same attributes. The winemaking process at Rockford is largely traditional, utilizing basket presses, open-topped slate fermenters and a 1880s petrol-driven Bagshaw destemmer/crusher. Semillon has a rich history in the Barossa Valley and it is home to the oldest vineyards of this variety in the world. The first settlers planted Semillon as one of the early white wine grape varieties around 160 years ago and it has been a natural fit for the region ever since. Thanks to the Mediterranean climate and careful farming practices, the Barossa has a legacy of old, low-yielding Semillon vineyards. The legacy of old, low-yielding Semillon vineyards in the Barossa has played a crucial role in shaping the unique and exceptional characteristics of Barossa Semillon. As a result, it has become a highly sought-after varietal, cherished by wine enthusiasts around the world. Rockford Local Growers Semillon 2021 undergoes a meticulous maturation process after fermentation, spending time in a combination of large, seasoned oak casks and hogshead barrels, as well as a separate unwooded component on light yeast lees. Once blended and bottled, this wine is aged for approximately two years before its release, showcasing dedication to traditional Australian winemaking and continuing the legacy of rich, dry, full-bodied Barossa Semillon. Rockford Local Growers Semillon 2021 is a wine that embodies the classic Barossa Semillon style, with its weight and richness of flavour. Its taste profile is a delightful blend of ripe lime, honey, flowers, green melon and a hint of cinnamon. The wine has a grainy/waxy texture, balanced acidity and a slight green herb undertone, culminating in a fairly rich finish. One of the unique features of this wine is its ability to age gracefully. While it is already a delicious wine, it has the potential to develop even more complexity and depth over time. Rockford Local Growers Semillon 2021 is a versatile wine that pairs well with a variety of dishes. It is best served slightly chilled and is a perfect accompaniment to grilled seafood, fresh garden salads, or a roast Barossa chicken. Whether you are enjoying it now or saving it for later, Rockford Local Growers Semillon 2021 is a wine that is sure to impress.