Tyrrell’s Old Hillside Shiraz – Powerful, rich and opulent Hunter Valley Shiraz from NSW’s oldest surviving Shiraz vineyard.
The Old Hillside vineyard on Marrowbone Road, Pokolbin was purchased by the Tyrrell family in December 2017. This vineyard contains the ‘Old Patch’. The Old Hillside Shiraz comes from the younger vines on the vineyard, which have an average age of 50 years. It is a steep, east-facing block that sits right underneath the Brokenback mountain range, which provides great protection. The block features darker, richer soils than those at our Ashmans property.
Old Hillside was first planted in 1867. These original Shiraz vines still survive and are the oldest in NSW. Realising the potential of the site, the vineyard was expanded in the 1960s using cuttings of these 1867 vines. Old Hillside, as a wine, comes from these 60-year-old ‘young vines.’
There is a lot of depth and power here, especially for a Hunter Valley Shiraz. There is a gorgeous lift of lavender and dark plum, but also a deep core of liquorice, blood plum, sour cherries and dried flowers. With some time in the glass a bit of forest floor and leather starts to appear, along with a bit of rich Black Forest cake. It’s old school Hunter Valley Shiraz, and the closest thing to a ‘big, gutsy red’ you’ll find from the region.
This block features darker, richer soils than those at the Ashmans property. This is a well-balanced, elegant style that shows good balance between vibrant fruit and savoury spice, along with classic Hunter Valley wet earth. The oak is only a minor component and the tannins provide structure and depth on the back palate
The Tyrrell’s estate, nestled in the foothills of the Brokenback Range in the Hunter Valley, is a unique patchwork of vineyards. Thriving in a diverse range of soils, from sandy loams lying on ancient creek beds to heavier red clays over limestone, these vineyards produce some of the most distinctive and refined wines in the world.
The Tyrrell family’s association with the grape began with Edward Tyrrell in 1858. Today his legacy lives on through the fourth and fifth generation of the family who collectively manage one of Australia’s oldest and most highly regarded wineries. Tyrrell’s has grown over a century and a half to become one of Australia’s most prestigious winemakers.
To find out more about the Tyrrell’s winery go to the website
To see our full range of Tyrrell’s product go to our dedicated web page
Tyrrell’s Old Hillside Shiraz
£33.00 a bottle
6 in stock
Tyrrell’s Wines is inextricably linked to the story of wine in Australia. It is a story about pioneers, men and women who transformed the Hunter Valley of NSW, planted grapes there and looked for better ways to make wine.
The Hunter Valley was ideal for the production of premium wines, notably Shiraz in the reds and Semillon in the whites. Both made table wines of power and distinction, with the ability to age beautifully in the bottle. These two varieties provided the basis for the beginning of the Tyrrell’s premium Winemaker’s Selection Range.”
Tyrrell’s is as much a part of the fabric of the Hunter Valley as the Semillon and Shiraz vines we’ve been nurturing since our founder, English-immigrant Edward Tyrrell, first planted them during the mid-19th century.
Having lived and breathed wine growing and winemaking in the Hunter Valley for more than 160 years, we’ve amassed an unrivalled knowledge of what makes the Hunter one of Australia’s, and indeed the world’s, greatest winegrowing regions.
Over those 160-plus years, Tyrrell’s has been a constant in both the Hunter Valley and Australian wine industries. We helped to pioneer what are now two of Australia’s favourite wine varieties – Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – and have been instrumental in establishing Hunter Valley Semillon as one of the world’s iconic wine styles. Our Vat 1 Semillon is Australia’s most awarded white wine, having won almost 5,500 medals and more than 330 trophies.
Tyrrell’s was among the founding members of Australia’s First Families of Wine, an organisation that helps to build awareness of premium Australian wines and their heritage. With a fifth generation now involved in the business, Tyrrell’s will continue to remain family run, with each generation focused on passing the business to the next in better condition than they received it, all the while being guided by Edward Tyrrell’s motto: “Nothing is great unless it is good.”
The Hunter Region is the premium wine region of New South Wales and one of Australia’s most well-known, and historically important wine regions. Distinctive styles of Semillon, Chardonnay and Shiraz are the hallmark of this region. James Busby the man credited with bringing the vine to Australia was associated with the Hunter Valley through his brother-in-law William Kelman. Kelman is thought to be the first to plant vines in the Hunter. George Wyndham planted grapes in 1832. Penfolds bought the property in 1904 naming it Wyndham Estate. Dr Henry Lindeman purchased land around Raymond Terrace in the 1830s. So too did James King whose legacy passed onto Maurice O’Shea who came to the forefront of Hunter Valley winemaking in the 1920s. The area fell into depression for many years, but gradually made a comeback in the early 1960s. Today the region is booming. The climate is regarded as warm to hot. The main wine styles: White – Semillon (regarded as one Australia’s greatest and unique wines, with great aging potential), Chardonnay; Red – Shiraz.
flourish in a range of climates. In the warm to hot climates you can expect extremely intense aromatic, rich, full bodied wines, with hugh fruit (almost sweet) and chocolately tasting. In the more moderate/cooler climates you’re more likely to find structured Shiraz wines with black cherry, pepper and spice characters rather than the chocolate and fruit styles found in warmer climates.
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