A Trip To Tulloch Wines

By Alex Russell on December 24, 2014 in Food

Tulloch started when John Younie Tulloch obtained some land in Pokolbin as settlement of a debt. The land contained some old neglected Shiraz vines and the first wines were made from these in 1895. John built the company up and passed it to his son, Hector, in 1940.

Shortly after Hector died in 1965, the company was sold outside of the family and, eventually, ended up with Southcorp. During most of this period, the company was still managed by a Tulloch – Hector’s son, Jay.

In 2001, Jay had the opportunity to buy the company back and did so. Now, the next generation has joined the company. It’s always great to see a family business going strong and, judging by the latest wines, the future looks bright.

Here are a few of the top drops coming out of Tulloch right now…

2014 Hunter Valley Semillon Sauvignon Blanc (RRP $16)
It’s unusual to see much Sauv Blanc in the Hunter. The nose is typical of the classic blend, with vibrant grapefruit dominating. Sometimes SSBs have a piercing acidity, but not so much in this case, which is a nice point of difference. It’s user friendly and priced just right.

2014 Vineyard Selection Verdelho (RRP $18)
This Verdelho has a fresh nose with a hint of grass, but not in a bad way, white peaches on the nose and a very clean palate. It will go with just about any food.

2014 Hunter River White Semillon (RRP $25)
There’s some zingy, fresh acid on this – it almost makes your mouth water. This is why I write about Hunter Semillon a lot – great value and great wines. This drop has the typical lemon/lime nose, almost sorbet-like. Have it with a prawn sanga. All of these whites are very smashable over summer.

2013 Pokolbin Dry Red Shiraz (RRP $25)
You can’t miss that this is a Shiraz. It has a pretty spicy nose, loads of plum and it’s nicely balanced with not too much oak, so the fruit really shines through. It’s very approachable now, so drink it young, and at $25 it’s bloody good value. This label was initially started by Hector Tulloch.

2013 Pokolbin Dry Red Shiraz Private Bin John (Jay) Younie Tulloch Commemorative Release (RRP $50)
The private bin version of the Pokolbin Dry Red has been around for a while, winning awards dating back to the 1950s. This is a more oak-driven style, but it’s lovely oak, with a great cigar box nose – seriously classy. It also has that lovely spicy nose, but it’s nice and soft on the palate. This’ll make a great Christmas present and will cellar for a decade.

2013 JYT Selection Shiraz from Orange (RRP $40)
The JYT Selection Red is a really high quality wine, but it’s a bit unusual in that they don’t go into making this wine with any preconceived notion of which type of grape they should use or where it should come from – a fascinating idea. This year, it’s made from Shiraz from Orange. It’s a serious wine – heavier than the Pokolbin Dry Red Shirazes – so get this if that is more your style. It’s big on dark berries, a bit of spice and tannins that are approachable but will settle in a few years.

Note: All wines are available from the Tulloch website. Prices were provided by the winery and may vary.