Tyrrell’s Sacred Sites
Hunter Valley, NSW
It’s always a highly anticipated tasting when Jane Tyrrell brings around her family’s most prestigious offering in their ‘Sacred Sites’ release. These are some of the oldest vineyard sites in Australia and indeed the world, dating back to the mid 1850s. It’s incredible. And as we have been saying for a decade now, Tyrrell’s are in an absolute purple patch of form. Their understanding of what their sites can produce means that they are now so comfortable in not forcing anything or not working anything too hard. The Shiraz’ all fit comfortably into the ‘medium bodied’ category with ripe, subtle tannins, moderate alcohols and a tantalising balance of fruit sweetness with that classic Hunter Valley stamp of turned earth that is so appealing and exciting to see in these wines. Aged examples prove that these can outlive all of us if you want them to, but stick your nose in the 8 Acres Shiraz for instance and you’ll find it so immediately seductive that no one will blame you for drinking these from an early age. Ideally, you’d take some for now and some for later. Please read on for some glowing notes on the new releases. – Ches Cook, Five Way Cellars.
Tyrrell’s HVD Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2025
Single Bottle Price: $105 Dozen Bottle Price: $94.50
From 1908 plantings. Incredible. White peach, pear, blanched almonds, a little spice, chamomile perfume, perhaps a little lime rind. Such lovely balance here, and freshness, just runs along with such fine style, citrus and white fruit, hazelnut, a gently powdery texture, with a juicy citrus finish of superb length. Quite complex already, though so obviously young. Such energy and zip. This is nuts good Hunter Chardonnay. Or just nuts good Chardonnay, if you’d rather.
96 pts, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
Tyrrell’s Johnno’s Semillon 2025
Single Bottle Price: $100 Dozen Bottle Price: $90
Ripe lime, spice, a bit exotic, classic style for Johnno’s. My word this is intense, lemon warheads, lemon and lime rind, really firm and the phenolic grip works as a positive, and stamps the personality of the wine. Complex. Very long. Will live forever. No prisoners. Needs quite a lot time. Some aniseed wafts about on the finish. It’s extreme Semillon in a way, and its fans will be all a twitter about the quality on offer here. Just be patient.
95+ pts, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
Tyrrell’s Old Patch Shiraz 2024
Single Bottle Price: $205 Dozen Bottle Price: $184.50
I do think the Hunter Valley produces the best Shiraz in Australia, by some margin. Don’t mind me, though this is my wisdom after tasting Australian wines for over 30 years. My high points with this grape variety have always been Hunter Valley. Dark and spicy, black olive, fresh blackberry, some perfume. Medium-bodied, blue flavour, charcoal tannin, an iodine and hazelnut character, Dutch liquorice, a grainy and savoury finish of excellent length. A lot of wine. Distinctly savoury and saline, some amaro tang to close. Earthy and deep. Not the charm of the 4A or 8A, though something more brooding and different.
94+ pts, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
Single Bottle Price: $205 Dozen Bottle Price: $184.50
Planted in 1892. I tasted this wine from cask maybe a year ago, and more recently a couple of months ago, and as I recall, it was always close to my favourite Tyrrell’s red wine from 2024. Raspberry, strawberry, a rosy perfume and just so very fragrant and charming. It’s smooth, creamy, sports a good amount of flesh and flavour, but still so fine, acidity has a sweet strawberry juiciness and the finish is long and complete. This is a superb wine. My word. Distinctive.. Yes!
96 pts, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front