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HISTORY
A rock star (see the Rock that inspired the name of the vineyard to the right!)¡. Poole's Rock Vineyard was founded in 1988 in the Broke Fordwich district of the Hunter Valley by Australian businessman David Clarke.
The original 32 hectare property is named after the monolith on its southern boundary, which in turn takes its name from a prominent local character who lived in the area over 100 years ago.
Since inception, Poole's Rock Wines has pursued:
- An unstinting commitment to quality and integrity;
- The creation of a portfolio of outstanding premium contemporary wines
REGION
The original vineyard is 30 kilometers west of Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley. The Hunter Valley is Australia's oldest wine region and the closest major region to Sydney. All of the wines are Estate Grown in the Hunter Valley.
Early in 2001 Poole's Rock Wines acquired the neighboring Wollombi Brook Vineyard (developed in the seventies) which was planted to Semillon and Chardonnay. The site, which has similar soils and microclimate, effectively doubled the total vineyard area. Today there is a total of fourteen hectares under vine on this vineyard.
RANGE
Three wines: Poole's Rock Chardonnay, Poole's Rock Shiraz, and Poole's Rock Semillon. In 2009, Poole's Rock was awarded the top white wine in Australia at the National Wine Show -- the wine that received the award, the 2009 Poole's Rock Semillon, will not be released for a couple of years ...but the anticipation of its release is almost as exciting as the award itself!
VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING
Small production with only 4,000 cases made in total across the range. Winemaker, Usher Tinkler, was the Young Australian Wine Maker of the Year in 2007. Usher also worked the 2008 vintage at Domaine Etienne Sauzet , one of the famed Grand Cru producers of Puligny-Montrachet in Burgundy.
Four prime hectares were planted solely to chardonnay vines, an endeavour described by legendary Australian winemaker, Murray Tyrrell, as ¡®the viticultural showpiece of the Hunter Valley.' David spent two years in search of this ideal site, one that would provide a suitable micro-climate and alluvial soils conducive to the production of premium chardonnay. He then engaged viticultural consultant Di Davidson to assist with the vineyard's design, and the development and planting commenced in spring 1988.
The first vintage was released in 1990, with subsequent high quality releases securing Poole's Rock Chardonnay's iconic reputation. Following the success of the Chardonnay, came the award winning Shiraz and Semillon.
¡®We took meticulous care in establishing the vineyard and the effort is reaping ongoing tangible benefits, ¡®explains David Clarke. ¡®The vines are now more than twenty years old and are producing remarkable quality fruit
The wines available in the United States are:
