Tyrrell's Wines

Our History

• Early 1000’s Walter Tyrrell arrives in England with William the Conqueror.
• 1100AD King William (Rufus) II (son of William the Conqueror) allegedly killed by an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrell. Sir Walter flees to England to live in exile in Normandy. He is later pardoned by the new king.
• 1500 The Tyrrell line descends from Robert Tyrrold and his wife, Agnes, of Hagbourne, England. He died in Hagbourne, 1545.
• 1584 Avery Terrold, son of Robert and Agnes, dies.
• 1605 William (The Elder) Tyrrold, son of Avery Terrold and his wife Alis, die. They have a son William Terril.
• 1630 William Terrall, son of William Terril and his wife Elizabeth Witney, is born.
• 1652 William Terril, son of William (The Elder) Tyrrold and his wife Elinor Tirolde die.
• 1667 Timothy Terrell, son of William Terrill and his wife Martha, is born in West Hagbourne.
• 1686 William Terrall dies about 26th January.
• 1692 Timothy Terrell marries Elizabeth West on 18th September.
• 1693 Timothy Tyrrell, son of Timothy Terrell and Elizabeth West is born about 9th November.
• 1754 Timothy Tyrrell marries Elizabeth Tyrell on 15th April in St. Mary, Reading.
• 1755 Timothy, son of Timothy and Elizabeth is born about February 5th. His father dies in 1766 and his mother in 1787. Timothy becomes the Remembrancer of the city of London. His son Edward also becomes the Remembrancer.
• 1789 Timothy Tyrrell marries Elizabeth Dollond at St. Faith London on 24th January. They have 15 children.
• 1793 Frederick Tyrrell - son of Timothy and Elizabeth is born 30th December at the Guildhall, London.
• 1807 William Tyrrell, son of Timothy and Elizabeth, is born 31st January. He later becomes the 1st Bishop of Newcastle in Australia.
• 1816 Frederick has completed his medical studies and is admitted as a member of the College of Surgeons. He goes on to become a Professor of Anatomy and Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons and remains on the staff of the Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital for 26 years until his death.
• 1823 Frederick married Frances (Fanny) Susanna Cooper on 5th June in London, at St. Martin in the Fields. They have 9 children over the next 17 years; Fanny, Frederick, Lovick, Timothy, Walter, Astley, Edward and Mary.
• 1827 Lovick Tyrrell born.
• 1832 Timothy Tyrrell dies 9th July.
• 1835 Elizabeth Tyrrell dies 11th July. Edward Tyrrell is born on 24th October in Broadstairs, Kent, England.
• 1843 Dr. Frederick Tyrrell dies as a result of a fall, 23rd May in London, aged 49.
• 1848 William Tyrrell, Frederick Tyrrell’s younger brother is appointed as first Anglican Bishop of the diocese of Newcastle – so begins the Tyrrell family’s association with the region. On the 26th January he is installed in St. Andrew’s Cathedral and on the 31st at the Newcastle Pro-Cathedral. He lives at Closebourne, renamed Bishopscourt in Morpeth, near Maitland on the Hunter River.
• 1854 Edward and Lovick arrive in Sydney on the 20th July. Frances Tyrrell, the widow of Frederick and mother of Edward and Lovick, remarries 2nd August. Her new husband is Sir Charles George Young (1795 – 1869).
• 1857 Lovick becomes a priest (eventually becoming an Archdeacon) and works closely with his uncle Bishop Tyrrell. Lovick also marries Emma Hungerford. It is her sister, Susan, who marries Edward Tyrrell in 1869.
• 1858 Edward takes up a selection of 320 acres of prime Hunter Valley land (one of the last available properties - basically limestone country abutting the Brokenback Range). He names the property “Ashmans” after his maternal grandmother’s ancestral home “Ashmans Hall” in Beccles, Suffolk. The first residence ‑ iron bark slab hut is built (still standing today).
• 1863 Winery is built.
• 1864 Tyrrell’s first vintage.
• 1869 Edward marries Susan Hungerford on the 7th June in Maitland. They have 10 children. Susan (Molly), Edward (Dan), Amy, Frederick, Robert (Timothy), Elizabeth (Rose), Ellen (May), Daisy, Florence (Flo) and Avery.
• 1870 Emma Hungerford the wife of Lovick Tyrrell dies on Christmas Day. She and Lovick had 8 children. Total of 30 acres of Semillon, Shiraz and Aucerot (the ‘prince of white wine’) established.
• 1871 Edward (known as Dan) George Young Tyrrell is born 9th July at his mother’s parents home “Owlpen” in Maitland.
• 1876 Frances Young – mother of Edward Tyrrell, dies on 21st November 1876 in England.
• 1879 Bishop Tyrrell dies on 24th March at Morpeth, aged 72.
• 1889 ‘Dan’ Tyrrell starts his first vintage.
• 1891 Avery Edal Tyrrell is born 22nd April at Pokolbin.
• 1905 Lovick Tyrrell, brother of Edward, dies in Sydney on 6th June, aged 81.
• 1909 Edward dies on the 6th December in Pokolbin.
• 1916 Avery Tyrrell leaves Australia to fight in World War I, where he is injured. On his return he takes over the responsibility of looking after the family vineyards.
• 1920 Avery marries Dorothy Davey on 19th April. They have three sons, Murray, Astley (1922 – 2005) and Ian (1924).
• 1921 Murray Davey Tyrrell is born 10th February in Cessnock.
• 1929 Susan Tyrrell, the wife of Edward, dies on 20th June, Pokolbin.
• 1941 On 17th November, Murray enlists for service in World War II. His time in the army is spent in Australia and New Guinea. In the same year, his brother Astley enlists with the Australian Air Force, and then later Ian, also with the Air Force.
• 1944 Murray marries Ruth Church on 3rd November in Sydney.
• 1947 Vineyard area was worked entirely by horses; it took seven weeks to plough the vineyards.
• 1948 Ann Tyrrell, daughter of Murray and Ruth is born 15th June in Cessnock. As at 2002, Ann is no longer involved with the company as she and her husband John Ellis own and run the Hanging Rock Winery in Victoria.
• 1951 Murray Bruce Tyrrell (known as Bruce) born on 17th October in Cessnock.
• 1956 Avery Tyrrell dies on 4th June at his home in Pokolbin, aged 64.
• 1959 ‘Dan’ Tyrrell dies on 13th April at Pokolbin, aged 88. He never married. Murray Tyrrell, the 3rd generation takes over as head of the family, aged 38.
• 1961 The “Vat” system is born, reds Vat 5, 7 & 9 released.
• 1963 Vat 1 Hunter Semillon, arguably the world’s finest Semillon is first produced from Semillon grapes grown on the Short Flat Vineyard.
• 1966 The hugely successful Long Flat Red is released.
• 1968 Tyrrell’s first plant Chardonnay vines. Murray Tyrrell co-founds The Rothbury Estate with Len Evans and eight others.
• 1971 Tyrrell’s first release Vat 47 Chardonnay. Sparkling Moselle finally out sells special sweet sherry - Tyrrell’s biggest volume sellers.
• 1972 First export to USA - a container of 1,000 cases.
• 1974 Bruce Tyrrell, son of Murray, is the 4th generation to join the company, aged 23.
• 1977 Bruce marries Pauline Buckley on 22nd October in Pokolbin. Tyrrell’s Vineyards lease the Weinkeller Vineyard in Pokolbin.
• 1979 Ruth Tyrrell, wife of Murray dies on 2nd April in Cessnock. Tyrrell’s win the prestigious Gault-Millau Olympics of Wine in France for the 1976 Vat 6 Pinot Noir – acclaimed as best in the world. The ‘Old Winery’ range is released.
• 1980 Jane Elizabeth Tyrrell, daughter of Bruce and Pauline is born 27th February, the fifth generation. Dorothy ‘Dolly’ Tyrrell, wife of Avery, dies on 9th August in Cessnock.
• 1981 John Murray Edward Tyrrell, son of Bruce and Pauline, is born 17th November.
• 1982 Christopher George Avery Tyrrell, son of Bruce and Pauline, is born 11th December. Tyrrell’s purchase She-oak vineyard.
• 1983 Tyrrell’s purchase the HVD vineyard from Penfolds.
• 1984 Long Flat White is released following request from North American market.
• 1986 Murray Tyrrell is appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). He receives the award on 26th January.
• 1988 Tyrrell’s purchase Glenbawn Estate winery in the Upper Hunter Valley.
• 1979 Approximately 1,500 to 2,000 tonnes is the annual crush. Tyrrell’s Vineyards purchase the Brokenback Vineyard from Rothbury Estate.
• 1993 Famous Lost Block incident (portion of HVD vineyard was lost leading to the development of this well known brand and style). Individual Vineyards range is born.
• 1994 Tyrrell’s McLaren Vale Vineyard is purchased, growing mainly Chardonnay and Cabernet. Heathcote property in Victoria is purchased and first shiraz vines are planted.
• 1995 Share of St. Mary’s Vineyard is purchased in Limestone Coast, South Australia, growing primarily red varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz. Tyrrell’s Vineyards voted Australia’s Best Winery by Tim White, Australian Financial Review.
• 1996 Moon Mountain and Rufus Stone ranges released for the first time.
• 1998 Release of new Long Flat Chardonnay. Tyrrell’s 140th anniversary.
• 2000 Murray Tyrrell dies on 2nd October in Sydney, aged 79.
• 2002 Fifth generation, Jane, John and Christopher all involved and working in the business. One third of all production is exported. Approximately 800 acres under vine.
• 2003 The Long Flat brand is sold to Cheviot Bridge. Bruce Tyrrell named Hunter Valley’s Business Person of the Year on 14th November.
• 2004 Andrew Spinaze, Tyrrell’s chief winemaker, wins both Australian Gourmet Traveller and Winestate magazines “Winemaker of the Year”. Vat 1 wins best wine of Adelaide Show for second year running.
• 2005 Vat 1 wins Best Wine of Sydney Show and Best Show Wine of the Year. Tyrrell’s exports to 30 countries worldwide. Tyrrell’s produces 500,000 cases per year.
• 2006 Bruce Tyrrell appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) on 12th June, for his contribution to the Australian wine industry, improving grape quality, research, tourism and export opportunities.
• 2008 Tyrrell’s celebrates its 150 year anniversary. Tyrrell’s Wines receives 14 trophies at the Hunter Valley Wine Show, from the 19 presented.
• 2009 Vat 1 Semillon 1998 is awarded the Best Semillon at the international Decanter 2009 Wine Awards. James Halliday awards Tyrrell’s Wines as Winery of the Year in his 2010 Wine Companion. Tyrrell’s Wines awarded as Winery of the Year. Red winemaker, Mark Richardson is awarded Winemaker of the Year by Campbell Mattinson and Gary Walsh in The Big Red Wine Book 2009/10.