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★ ★ ★ ★ ★ R E D 5 S TA R W I N E R Y

J A M E S H A L L I D AY ’ S 2 0 1 5 A U S T R A L I A N W I N E C O M PA N I O N

Private Bin Club2 0 1 4 R E D R E L E A S E

2. 2014 PRIVATE BIN RED RELEASE

To quote Richard Earnshaw, who has worked in Cellar Door for almost 40 years.

”This is the best line up of Private Bin reds I have seen in all of my time at Tyrrell’s.”There has been much talk about the great quality of the 2014 vintage. When I tasted all the wines together in early March, I immediately thought “this is the best Hunter red vintage since 1965”. However, stylistically, the wines are probably more like 1959, which had better fruit softness and balance.

The weather gave us almost perfect growing conditions for the entire season. We had a relatively dry winter, spring and early summer. This was followed by good rain in November and a mere 12mm during picking, which was just enough to give the vines the moisture they needed to ripen the fruit and deliver near perfect balance of flavour, tannin and acid. The vintage period was relatively cool with no days over 40 degrees and the coldest night got down to just over six degrees. The red vintage started with Vat 6 Pinot Noir on January 15 and then we moved to Shiraz in earnest on January 31. All of the Hunter Shiraz was finished by February 19.

This was one of the easiest vintages I can remember as at no stage did the weather conditions force us to make picking decisions. There was time to wait and pick only when the fruit quality was optimum. The biggest problem was impatience and not picking too early. Our Red Winemaker, Mark Richardson, has normally chewed off his fingernails before the end of January but this year they survived in tact.

With such a great year a number of blocks have shone out above other years and we have bottled separately Shiraz off the 1921 planted NVC Vineyard and the Old Hut Vineyard, which is the block planted just in front of the winery. The three Sacred Sites reds; 4 Acres Shiraz, Old Patch Shiraz and


Private Bin CLUB 2014 red reLease by M. Bruce Tyrrell, AM

CELEBRATINg 5,687 TROPHIES AND MEDALS SINCE 1971.

Email: [email protected] Phone: 1800 045 501 Fax: 02 4998 7723 3.

Johnno’s Shiraz, are all being released from 2014 as well. This is the first time in quite a number of years that all three have been available. The 4 Acres is already totally allocated on standing orders and the other two also have very little stock remaining.

My brief notes on the 2014 reds are as follows:

vat 9 shiraz – Deep colour. Has everything that Hunter Valley Shiraz can offer, with fantastic savoury fruit, perfect acidity and fine tannins on the finish. It will live for a long time.

vat 8 shiraz CaBernet – Totally different to all the rest of the 2014 reds with an intense, solid palate and extra complexity from the Cabernet and maturation in small French oak. A very intense and complex wine.

vat 6 Pinot noir – Just a bit fuller than last year’s, with rich long flavours and an intense, lingering finish.

4 aCres shiraz – A distinctive nose with a linear, tight, complex palate and fruit that lingers wonderfully on the finish. This wine will live longer than me.

oLd PatCh shiraz – Medium to deep in colour, with an intense nose that speaks clearly of the vineyard. Has a different flavour profile to the other two Sacred Sites, reds with strong tannins and a great balance of acidity on the finish.

Johnno’s shiraz – Light to medium colour with a soft, rich nose and a fine, elegant and intense palate.

stevens shiraz – With more of a subdued nose, this is a real old ‘Hunter Burgundy’ style. It is soft and pristinely clean with savoury, lingering flavours.

nvC shiraz – Vat 5 customers of the past will love this wine. It has a nose of clean, wet earth, with earthiness that flows through onto the palate and real richness on the finish.

oLd hUt shiraz – Deep in colour, with an almost identical nose to the 4 Acres and just a touch of oak on the palate, this is the wine to buy if you miss out on 4 Acres.

In summary, these truly are a wonderful range of wines; all of which have their own special personality and show an amazing sense of place, with each different vineyard block stamping its identity on them. This is a year that I recommend you add a bit more to your cellar than usual as they only come around, of this quality, three or four times in a lifetime.

M. Bruce tyrrell, aM


This year, we are excited to be adding two new wines to our Single Vineyard range. One is something brand new from one of our younger blocks, while the other sees the return of an old favourite under a new name. Both of them, however, are fantastic examples of premium Hunter Valley Shiraz, each showcasing the unique and distinct characters of their respective vineyard sites. These two wines are the Old Hut Single Vineyard Shiraz and NVC Single Vineyard Shiraz.

the oLd hUt vineyardThis vineyard is one of our newer plantings and was established in 2002. The 1.26 hectare block is all planted from cuttings taken off the 1879 stock on the 4 Acres vineyard. In fact, it is actually planted right next to 4 Acres, on the western side of the ridge in front of the winery, so the soil type is identical as well.

According to family legend, this was originally planted to Malbec and Verdelho; both of which were pulled out around the time of the great depression. It was then used as a horse paddock for Bonny, Jane, Clyde and Major, who were the Clydesdales that we used for all our vineyard work before we had tractors.

After realizing the potential of the site, we eventually planted it out with the intention of the fruit eventually going into Vat 9. In 2014 however, the fruit was so good and had enough of its own character that we kept it aside and ended up bottling it separately. After 10 vintages, the vines have matured enough to really start hitting their stride and are producing top quality fruit. It’s almost shaping up as something of a little brother to the 4 Acres Shiraz.

oLd hUt and nvC by M. Bruce Tyrrell, AM


the nvC vineyardLike the Old Hut vineyard, NVC was also planted with cuttings off 4 Acres. However, it is at the other end of the timeline, with the two original blocks being planted in 1921. This means that these vines are second generation cuttings from the Hill of Hermitage in the Rhone Valley and have their origins in the vast collection that James Busby brought back to Australia in 1835.

NVC stands for New Vineyard Cuttings, which is somewhat ironic considering that the vines are now 94 years old. Funnily enough, even the “young vines” planted adjacent to the two original blocks are now 45 years old. The total area of the original planting is 1.34 hectares, which on average, produce volumes equivalent to around 400-500 dozen. The vineyard is also sometimes referred to as ‘Mother’s’ after my grandmother, Dorothy Tyrrell. My grandparents’ house is just adjacent to this vineyard and my grandfather, Avery, would have been in charge of planting and establishing it. Close to the house there is half a row of the best table grapes on the property that I am sure my grandfather planted for himself and his family.

This wine, for many years, was presented as Vat 5 and has always had its own quite distinctive style. It’s typically light to medium bodied with a real character of hot, wet earth that is unique to this piece of soil. We stopped making Vat 5 some years ago as the vineyard was knocked about badly two years out of three by hail and a lightning strike.

In the past few years we have re-trellised it and have been going through the program of rebuilding the mulch in the soil and thankfully, it has now returned to making the quality this vineyard was famous for – particularly through the 60s and 70s. The 1975 Vat 5 was the first non-South Australian red to ever win the Best Red of Show trophy at the Adelaide Show. It is a great thrill to have this wonderful old vineyard back at its best.



vat 9 shiraz 2014

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Vat 9 Shiraz is sourced from the oldest and best blocks on the Ashmans property, with the oldest vines dating back to 1892. Weinkeller, 8 Acres and the Contour block on the Short Flat make up this impressive Vat 9 blend. All of these vineyards feature ideal soils for super premium Shiraz.

All of the blocks were hand-picked and sorted in the vineyard, and fermented separately in open topped concrete vats. The individual wines were then matured in a combination of new and one year old French oak casks (2700 L) until the final Vat 9 blend was assembled in December 2014. The blend was then matured for a further five months before bottling.

The wine is bright purple in colour, with fresh savoury spice and lifted red berries on the nose, along with a subtle oak lift. The palate is medium bodied, showing soft sweet fruits, subtle oak and a fine, clean acid structure. This is a powerful Vat 9, yet it maintains the hallmark elegance and structure this wine has built its reputation on.

Alcohol: 13.9% | Cellaring: 2040+

vat 8 shiraz CaBernet 2014

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Vat 8 Shiraz Cabernet is a blend of some of the best parcels of Shiraz from vineyards on the Ashmans property and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on Pokolbin Hills Estate.

The fruit was hand-picked and sorted, and following fermentation in the traditional open top concrete vats, both parcels were matured separately before blending in December 2014. The wine then spent a further five months in French oak barriques before being bottled in May 2015.

This is a modern style of Australian red, which also respects the tradition of varietal blending to make a more rounded wine. It shows intense plum fruit sweetness, dark berry and chocolate characters from the Shiraz, while the Cabernet component really enhances the length and fullness of the palate.

Alcohol: 14.0% | Cellaring: 2030


vat 6 Pinot noir 2014

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Vat 6 Pinot Noir comes from our original Pinot Noir blocks, which sit just below the winery and were planted in the 1970’s. The three blocks are hand picked and sorted before being fermented and matured separately. The blend comes from a barrel selection of these three blocks, with only the very best barrels making the blend.

Fermentation was started with natural yeast and took place in the traditional open topped concrete vats, with 30% whole bunches underneath the de-stemmed fruit. The wine was then matured in mostly older French oak barriques before bottling in January 2015. Light in colour, it has a strawberry lift on the nose enhanced by the stalk character from the whole bunch ferment.

This is a delicate wine with long, persistent flavours. The palate is light to medium bodied, with bright berry fruit characters leading into a fine tannin structure and elegant finish. 500 dozen produced.


4 aCres shiraz 2014

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4 Acres is the oldest block of Shiraz on the Ashmans property and was planted in 1879. It sits just on the right hand side of the driveway that leads up to the winery. This vineyard produces fruit which is very unique in style and structure and is only ever produced in outstanding vintages. This is the first release since 2011 and could easily be the best we have ever made.

The fruit was handpicked and sorted in the vineyard before natural fermentation in our open topped concrete vats. After fermentation the wine was matured in a single, four year old French oak cask (2700 L) for fifteen months.

It has an exotic nose of red fruit with hints of confectionary and spice. The palate explodes with cherries and raspberries and has an amazing concentration of flavour, which only comes from old vines. The tannin structure is fine and long. This is one of the wines of the vintage which is to be enjoyed over many decades. 290 dozen produced.

Alcohol: 14.0% | Cellaring: 2040+PLEASE NOTE: This wine is fully allocated on existing standing orders and is therefore SOLD OUT.


oLd PatCh shiraz 2014

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The Old Patch Shiraz is sourced from the Stevens family’s Old Hillside vineyard on Marrowbone road, which is now leased and managed by Tyrrell’s. The ‘Old Patch’ is a small block in the middle of the vineyard that was planted in 1867, making it the oldest vineyard in NSW and one of the oldest in the world. A steep, Eastern facing site which sits right underneath the mountain range with great protection; the block features slightly darker, richer soils than those at our Ashmans property.

Hand-picked and sorted in the vineyard before being fermented in our open topped concrete vats. The wine was then matured in a single, one year old French oak cask (2700 L) for fifteen months.

It is incredibly vibrant purple in colour, with bright lifted berry aromas and savoury spice complexity rounded off by the subtle influence of the large format French oak. A wine of great depth and character in the mould of the greatest Hunter Valley reds. 290 dozen produced.

Alcohol: 13.9% | Cellaring: 2040+

Johnno’s shiraz 2014

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The Shiraz on Johnno’s was planted in 1908 on sandy alluvial soils, in contrast to the 4 Acres and Weinkeller vineyards which are on deep red volcanic clay. Not only is the soil different to our other super premium blocks, but the style of this wine is quite different to the other reds in the stable as well.

Hand picked and sorted in the vineyard before fermentation in our open topped concrete vats with only natural yeast, the wine was then matured in a single, new French oak cask (2700 L) for fifteen months.

The result is a classic 1960’s ‘Hunter River Burgundy’ style. The wine is light to medium bodied, delicate and spicy, with great palate length and impeccable acid structure. 290 dozen produced.



stevens shiraz 2014

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This wine is sourced from the Stevens family’s Old Hillside vineyard on Marrowbone road, which is now leased and managed by Tyrrell’s. It comes from the younger vines on the block, which have an average age of around 50 years old. A steep, site which sits right underneath the mountain range with great protection; the block features slightly darker, richer soils than those at our Ashmans property.

All of the fruit was hand-picked and sorted in the vineyard before being fermented in open topped vats. After fermentation, the wine was matured in mostly newer French oak casks (2700 L) for fifteen months.

Vivid purple in colour, it has a wonderfully fragrant nose of dark berry fruits and lifted French oak. Black cherry and raspberry flavours combined with bright acidity make this wine a wonderful example of the modern, balanced style of Hunter Valley Shiraz. 1,600 dozen produced.


oLd hUt shiraz 2014

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The Old Hut Shiraz is, in many ways, a baby brother to our 4 Acres Shiraz. The vineyard was planted in 2002 with cuttings off 4 Acres and is situated right next to it. For the past ten years we have generally blended the fruit into Brokenback and similar wines. But now the vineyard has reached maturity and the fruit is of such quality that it warrants being made and released as a single vineyard wine.

The fruit was fermented in open topped vats before being matured in mostly older French oak casks (2700 L) for fifteen months.

The wine has an enticing nose of red berry fruits and lifted spice. The palate is quite similar in style to the 4 Acres Shiraz in the sense that it is medium bodied, fruit driven, with fine tannin and a soft acid structure. 600 dozen produced.


nvC shiraz 2014

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NVC Shiraz was planted in 1921 and traditionally had always been the home of Vat 5 Shiraz – a stalwart in our red offerings for many years. We are delighted to once again be releasing wine from this great old vineyard.

After fermentation in the traditional open topped vats, the wine was transferred into a single, one year old French oak cask (2700 L) and matured for fifteen months prior to bottling.

A modern take on a traditional style, the NVC Shiraz shows the rich characters typical from the 2014 vintage but maintains a beautiful balance between red fruit flavours and clean savoury spice. The soft tannins and bright acidity add to the wine’s complexity, resulting in a long, seamless palate. 290 dozen produced.



2015 vintage rePort

by M. Bruce Tyrrell, AM

The 2015 vintage is now complete and it was certainly a bit more challenging in the Hunter Valley than 2014 was. The rain came at us hard in the first two weeks of vintage but as is always the case here the whites came through with flying colours.

The Chardonnay fruit was all as clean as a whistle and ripe at between 12.5% and 13.0% alcohol which is where we like it. There’s plenty of flavour and structure, with balanced acid. The Semillon required a bit of hand sorting in the vineyard but with only clean fruit going through the crusher they are also all up to our usual standard.

The reds were a bit tougher, with upwards of 40% of the Pinot Noir and Shiraz fruit being left behind on the ground by the pickers. The good news is that by being quite strict about what we did and didn’t pick, it means there will be some very good reds from 2015, just not a lot of them.

Meet the Makers tastingsYou are invited to join the Tyrrell family, meet our talented winemakers and experience some of the very best wines that Australia produces, well in advance of their commercial release. This year, we will once again be returning to the popular structured “sit down” masterclass format, where the full 2015 white release will be laid out across the one tasting mat for your comparative assessment, alongside any 2014 reds which we still have available. Light refreshments will also be served to accompany the wines.

The tasting is free of charge and members are encouraged to bring a guest, but please be aware that due to limited space we can only accommodate one guest per member.

sydney When: Thursday 3 September 6.00pm – 7.30pm

Where: CBD, Venue TBA

Cost: Free (limit of one guest per member)

MeLBoUrne When: Thursday 17 September 6.00pm – 7.30pm

Where: TBA


CanBerra When: Thursday 10 September 6.00pm – 7.30pm

Where: Hellenic Club, Matilda St, WodenCost: Free (limit of one guest per member)

BrisBane When: Thursday 24 September 6.00pm – 7.30pm

Where: Brisbane Tattersalls Club 215 Queen St, Brisbane


For information and bookings please phone us on 1800 045 501 or email [email protected].

Bring a BottLe dinnerFollowing on from the great success of our inaugural ‘Bring a Bottle’ Dinner last year, we’re going to be doing it all again this July. We invite our Private Bin Club members to join us at this unique event, which this year will be held at the fantastic Steersons Steakhouse in Sydney. We will of course be bringing a few gems from our own cellar, but once again, we also encourage YOU to bring along a special bottle or two of Tyrrell’s wine from your cellar to share, discuss and enjoy with everyone. We will replace any wines with the current vintage equivalent for you to take home on the night.

Hosted by Bruce, Chris and Jane Tyrrell, as well as out winemakers, Andrew Spinaze and Mark Richardson, this will be a fun, informal evening of great food and very special wine. We hope you will join us.

Where: Steersons Steakhouse, 17 Lime St, King Street Wharf, Sydney When: 7.00pm, Tuesday 14 July Cost: $130pp

When booking, please advise us which wine/s you plan to bring on the night so we can make sure we have current vintage stock on hand to replace them with.Please note: Tickets to this event are available to Tyrrell’s Private Bin Club members ONLY. We encourage you to bring a guest, but due to the small capacity of the venue please be aware that we can only allow one per member.


MeMBer events 2015

1838 Broke Road, Pokolbin NSW 2320 www.tyrrells.com.au

Note: please use the vintage chart information listed as a guide only. The variability of cork and cellaring conditions along with personal taste make it impossible for Tyrrell’s Vineyards Pty Ltd to guarantee when your wine has reached the peak of its development. Storage conditions will aid in the cellaring of your wine. We recommend a cool, dark, vibration free environment.

tyrreLL’s Wines vintage Chart

hoW to Use this gUide Still young and fresh, will benefit from further ageing.

Semi mature. Drinking well, but will continue to improve.

Fully mature. At its peak now and over the next few years.

Wines under cork. (all successive years under screw cap)

For more downloadable information on previous vintages and their ratings please visit our website www.tyrrells.com.au and click on Our Wines.

WINE 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004

Vat 1 Semillon

Johnno’s Semillon

Stevens Semillon

HVD Semillon

Belford Semillon

Vat 63 Chardonnay Semillon

Vat 47 Chardonnay

HVD Chardonnay

Belford Chardonnay

Vat 6 Pinot Noir

Vat 9 Shiraz

Vat 8 Shiraz and Shiraz Cab

Old Patch Shiraz

4 Acres Shiraz

Johnno’s Shiraz

Stevens Shiraz

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