Tyrrells Vat 8 Shiraz Cabernet 2019

Headed up by fourth-generation family member Bruce Tyrrell, Tyrrell’s is home to some of Australia’s most awarded wines including the iconic Vat 1 Semillon. Since 1971, Tyrrell’s has been awarded over 5,000 trophies and medals and in 2010 was named “Winery of the Year” in James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion.

Vat 8 Shiraz Cabernet is sourced from Shiraz grown on the Tyrrell Estate ‘Ashmans’ and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the Pokolbin Hills Estate. The blend for the 2019 vintage is 90% Shiraz and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2019 vintage in the Hunter Valley was another high-quality year across all varieties and is a stellar follow-up to 2018. Continued dry conditions meant cropping levels were slightly lower than normal, however, all of the fruit was in perfect condition. After fermentation in stainless steel vats, both parcels matured separately before blending in November 2019. The blended wine then finished its maturation in French oak barriques before being bottled in April 2020.

A modern style of Australian red that also respects the tradition of using varietal blending to create a more rounded wine. It shows intense plum fruit sweetness from the Shiraz, while the Cabernet component adds to the length and fullness, with characters of dark berry and chocolate.