i. Biography
Hunter Valley sets the terms of Xanthe Hatcher’s work: Semillon as the reference point, Chardonnay handled in a single barrel, and a cellar practice shaped by the move from Sydney to the region. Since 2019, she has been Chief Winemaker at Pooles Rock in Hunter Valley, Australia, where the work reads in the usual grammar of vineyard, fruit, barrel, and restraint. The result is a style rooted in place, with the Hunter Valley acting less as backdrop than as the frame around which the wines are built.
The Path
Training at University of Western Sydney gave Xanthe Hatcher the formal base before the cellar work at Agnew Wines in Hunter Valley, where she worked as winemaker from 2013–2019. Those years were spent in the repeated tasks that define regional winemaking: vineyard decisions, cellar work, and the steady discipline of production.
The Work Today
Since 2019, Hatcher has served as Chief Winemaker at Pooles Rock, the role that now frames her public work. She also held the Chief Winemaker title at Agnew Wines in 2019, keeping her leadership tied to the Hunter Valley rather than spread across unrelated places. That continuity matters in a profile built on focus rather than flourish: the wines are presented as outcomes of site, season, and judgment. Her specialty is Hunter Valley Semillon, the grape that gives the work its regional center and its measure of precision. Alongside it sits Pooles Rock Single Barrel Chardonnay 2023, the most cited recent bottle and the one that scored 98 points in the 2025 Halliday Australian Wine Companion. Read together, those two markers — Semillon as specialty, Chardonnay as a high-scoring release — point to a winemaker whose range is deliberate rather than broad, and whose attention stays on what the vineyard gives and what the barrel permits.
Signature
Xanthe's signature wines include Pooles Rock Single Barrel Chardonnay 2023.
In Their Words “My name is Xanthe Hatcher and I am the Chief Winemaker for Pooles Rock.” “Xanthe’s winemaking philosophy is to let the vineyard speak for itself.”
Acclaim
Xanthe's honors include Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year, Finalist (2022).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Xanthe
What is Xanthe Hatcher's current role?
As of 2026, Xanthe Hatcher is Chief Winemaker.
Where did Xanthe Hatcher train or study?
Xanthe Hatcher trained at University of Western Sydney.
What recognition has Xanthe Hatcher received?
Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year, Finalist (2022).
