Tyrrell’s Old Hillside Shiraz Hunter Valley – 2019

“The vines on the Old Hillside Vineyard were planted in the 1950s, and the fermentation and maturation of this wine suggest a sensitivity to extracting the vineyard’s character and bottling it just so. Matured in large format 2,700-liter French oak casks for 14 months, it was bottled in April 2020. This 2019 Old Hillside Vineyard Hunter Valley Shiraz leads with blood plum, cranberry, pomegranate and red licorice backed by a skein of savory tannin that is deftly managed and shaped so as to be at once invisible and supportive. This is a beautiful wine with restraint and elegance in equal measure. Glorious. 13% alcohol.” 96/100pts Wine Advocate

Vineyard
This vineyard contains the highly-respected ‘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 dark, rich soils. 

Vintage Conditions
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.

Winemaker’s Notes
The fruit was handpicked and sorted in the vineyard before fermentation took place in open-top vats. After fermentation, the wine was matured for 14 months in mostly newer 2500L French oak casks.

Tasting Notes
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 STORY OF SINGLE VINEYARD
Our Single Vineyards celebrate the best single blocks that produce wines of distinct character unique to that site and the Hunter Valley. 

Date Picked 14 & 18 February 2019 | Date Bottled 23 April 2020
Alc 13.0% | pH 3.48 | TA 6.32 g/L