Winemaker Notes
Intense purple in color, lifted spice, and a pretty red berry nose with a subtle oak lift. The palate is medium bodied showing soft sweet fruits, subtle oak enhances the mid-palate which is complemented by the fine, clean acid structure, and long tannins. A classic Vat 9 that will have a long life in the cellar.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lots of crushed berries with red earth, terra-cotta and hints of metal and blue fruit. Ferrous. Salt and white pepper. Some oyster shell, too. Full to medium body, bright fruit and lightly chewy yet polished tannins.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: If I polled a group of wine experts, most of them would not think that an Australian Shiraz could be elegant. The 2018 Tyrrell's Vat 9 is stylish, persistent, and beautiful. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows up with a racy grapiness from start to finish. Enjoy its liveliness with roast chicken and crisp romaine. (Tasted: December 2, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Vat 9 Hunter Shiraz leads with a meaty yet fruit-forward nose redolent of raspberries and licorice, roasted meat crust and that silky ferruginous quality that Hunter Shiraz can achieve. The acidity is firm and bright. it has a chunky quality to it. 13.5% alcohol.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Most admired for citrus-driven, mineral-rich and often age-worthy Semillon wines, Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions and was home to its very first commercial vineyards. The region’s warm summer nights coupled with autumn cloud cover and cool sea breezes allow full ripening and healthy acidity levels for Semillon; its diverse soils of volcanic basalt and white alluvial sands promote the development of Semillon’s delicate aromas. Hunter Valley Semillons can certainly be enjoyed in their youth but with 10 to 20 years in the cellar, the best examples develop intriguing notes of honey, browned butter and roasted nuts.
Chardonnay and Shiraz also do well in Hunter Valley.