Our Hunter Valley Shiraz was made from grapes grown on some of the top blocks on the Tyrrell’s estate and surrounding area, which have an average vine age of 40 years and are mostly dry grown. The 2019 vintage was the third great vintage in a row for the Hunter Valley, the product of another hot, dry summer. The drought continued through the growing season, but on New Year’s Eve and 7 January, we had good storms that provided the vines with enough moisture to retain their leaves and fill out and ripen the fruit. While the berries were a little smaller than normal, the overall crop was at the level we expected. Our Hunter Valley Shiraz is made to the same high standards that our flagship Vat 9 Shiraz receives. The fruit was destemmed, but not crushed, to ensure as many whole berries as possible made it to the fermenter. The wine was then matured in older, large format French oak casks. These 2,700L casks highlight the fruit purity whilst making sure that oak isn’t the dominant character.
Vibrant purple colour, with a lifted nose showing bright red fruits and confectionary spice. The palate is medium bodied with good depth of flavour yet still lively and fresh. Soft, savoury tannins and a crunchy acidity adds to the wines complexity. A wonderful example of the modern, medium bodied Hunter Valley Shiraz.
– Notes from Tyrrell’s Wines
