-
96
/ 100
James Halliday's Wine Companion -
95+
/ 100
Erin Larkin -
95
/ 100
Huon Hooke
Red
Classification
Shiraz
Variety
2021
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
Australia
Country
New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Region
13.5%
Alcohol %
10-15 Years
Cellaring
Scores
96 / 100"Created in 1962 by the late Murray Tyrrell, and I had became well aware of it by the mid-1960s as my weekend trips to the Hunter became more frequent. The fruit for Vat 9 is hand picked from the best parcels off ancient red clay soils over limestone with a minimum age of 50 years. The wine overflows with lively, spicy fruits that dance in the mouth as the oak joins in the savoury core, reflecting the maturation in 'mostly newer' oak for the usual 14 months. There also appears to be some whole bunches involved."
- James Halliday's Wine Companion
95+ / 100
"The 2021 Old Hillside Vineyard Hunter Valley Shiraz was tasted alongside the 2019, and the vintage conditions were very different across the two glasses. They have the same inherent vineyard character of blood plum, pomegranate and a very fine skein of tannins that courses throughout the fruit. However, this 2021 is finer and more mineral (despite being half a degree higher in alcohol) and wears the cool 2021 vintage on its sleeve. It leaves an impression of ice skates scratching the ice; there’s a precise, rapier edge to this wine: cooling, mineral and elegant. I daresay that of the two, this will age somewhat more gracefully. Exceptional wine."
- Erin Larkin
95 / 100
"Deep-ish red with a good tint of purple and a reserved bouquet that showcases dusty/earthy/terracotta and tar aromas, the palate powerful yet soft and fleshy, the tannins svelte and smooth, with good extract and roundness. Sweet fruit core. Easy to enjoy already and will age long and productively."
- Huon Hooke
Tasting Notes
Vat 9 Shiraz is sourced from the best parcels on the Tyrrell Estate ‘Ashmans’. These vines have a minimum age of 50 years, and are grown in red clay soils over limestone. Weinkeller and the Short Flat make up the majority of the Vat 9 blend. The five-hectare Short Flat Vineyard is located directly north of the driveway of the Tyrrell’s Estate. The vineyard is a mosaic of vine ages with two distinctly named Shiraz blocks: the Mathews and Contours vineyards. Grapes from these vineyards, which were both planted in 1968 and are both situated at an elevation of about 115m, form an integral part of the blend in our flagship Vat 9 Shiraz.
The autumn and winter months of 2020 saw the worst drought in a generation be broken with substantial rainfall, we led into an outstanding growing season for the 2021 vintage. A cool summer then gave us even, stress-free ripening with some heat around Australia Day that was perfectly timed at the final stages of ripening. With an early budburst and later than normal harvesting, the fruit had a longer than normal hang time, which meant that all of the fruit had wonderful flavours balanced by a high natural acidity. Handpicked and sorted in the vineyard in the second week of February, the blocks were all kept separate and fermented in the open top vats. The individual wines were then matured in mostly newer French oak casks (2700L) until the Vat 9 blend was assembled in November 2021. The blend was then matured for a further five months before bottling.
Vibrant purple in colour, a regal nose showing lifted spice, dark fruits and subtle hint of oak. The palate ismedium-bodied showing great intensity and the velvety texture that is seen in the best wines from this vintage. The palate structure is effortless with no rough edges showing wonderful balance of fruit, acid, oak and tannin.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity