Pokolbin
Pokolbin, NSW
| Area Under Vine | 304 acres |
|---|---|
| Grape Varieties |
Shiraz (41%) Chardonnay (29%) Semillon (24%) Pinot Noir (5%) Trebbiano (1%) |
| Average Yield | 1.5 to 3.1 tonnes/acre |
| Soil Type | Sandy alluvial loams (primarily white varieties). Volcanic podsolic (red varieties) |
| Climate | Warm, maritime, dry/hot summers, temperate spring. |
| Yearly Rainfall | 750 mm |
| Irrigation | Dry grown vines, dependent entirely on rainfall. No drip irrigation. |
| Primary Brands | Winemaker's Selection, Single Vineyard, Moon Mountain, Brokenback and some Old Winery. |
The best of the Tyrrell’s Hunter wines are produced from these vineyards in the heart of the Lower Hunter Valley, near the winery. These are all non-irrigated, ‘dry-grown’ vineyards, dependant entirely on the 750mm of rainfall a year. Yields are very low from these vines, but the fruit is of the highest possible quality.
Vines are characteristically short, (often less than one metre tall) and gnarled. This clever design by mother nature together with experienced vineyard management has ensured that over the generations the vines have grown to efficiently distribute the precious and rare moisture to the grape bunches. The Lower Hunter has extensive subterranean water pockets, but due to the proximity to the coast and ocean, this water is too high in salinity to be used on vines.
Edward Tyrrell received a land grant in 1858 for apparently poor pastureland in the lee of the Hunter Valley’s Brokenback ranges. With the first plantings in 1879, this land remains the home of Tyrrell’s Vineyards and has become recognised as some of the Hunter Valley’s finest vineyard land and the basis for development of our premium wines.