Belford Vineyard paradoxically produces the bigger yet softer of all Tyrrell's premium Semillon wines. Belford is the Hunter Valley archetype, showing a tightly structured palate with considerable length and breadth of citrus honey flavours. Unequivocally a sublime drink with a fully engaging nose and palate, already displaying toasty bottle aged complexity. Since 1982, Belford has claimed an extraordinary list of significant wine show trophies and copious gold medals.
From fruit grown to the Belford property, owned and operated by the Elliotts, just fifteen kilometres northwest of the Tyrrell wineworks. Edward Tyrrell planted his first vines in 1858 after receiving a grant over poor pasture land in the lee of Brokenback Range. Tyrrell can lay claim to being one of the only companies in the world to have inaugurated a distinctive genre of wine, Hunter Valley Semillon. At just over four hectares and completely dry grown, Belford was established 1933 to very fine sandy loams, almost talcum powder in consistency. Grapes are all hand picked, lightly crushed and coolly fermented, after a term on gross lees, Belford is racked and treated to an unoaked maturation before bottling. Alcohol 11.0%
Straw coloured. A classic Hunter Semillon showing a tightly structured palate with considerable length and breadth of citrus honey flavours. Belford develops honey characters but maintains its natural fresh acid. The last of the Semillon picked, characterized by the fuller palate of Belford vineyard, a Semillon of great fruit intensity and a high, clean acid finish.
