Brokenback Shiraz
by Gary Walsh - www.winefront.com.au on Tue, June 12th 2012
90 Points - Pepper, some slight green herbal notes… along with bramble and red fruits and a touch of sulphide/earth complexity. It’s light to medium bodied, fresh and tangy, red fruited, almost crisp….but lively, long and good to drink. Time will not be its enemy. Regional and true.
by James Halliday - James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2013 on
89 Points & Recommended - This is a highly spicy and perfumed bouquet, with pepper, redcurrant and cranberry; light-bodied, with zesty acidity and a strong undergrowth bramble element; a fresh and lively young wine, best enjoyed in this manner.
by Tony Love - Advertiser, Adelaide on Wed, December 12th 2012
4/5 Glasses - Regional Hunter shiraz oozes in spades here with leathery, flint and earthy aromatics leading into a deftly medium bodied wine. Subtle char-oak notes are woven into the experience which is about a balance of fruit, oak and sensitivity.
Brookdale Semillon
by Nick Stock - Good Wine Guide 2013 on
93 Points - Bright, fine, juicy nectarine fruit nose here, this has some lovely citrus too, really even and nicely ripened. The palate’s juicy and even, and really lovely acidity works away below gentle, elegant fruit flavour. Lemony acid finish; balanced and ready.
Rufus Stone McLaren Vale Cabernet Malbec
by Kerry Skinner - Illawarra Mercury on
Cabernet and malbec work wonderfully together, especially when it comes from a stellar vintage like this one. Matured in French oak for 16 months this Bordeaux-influenced blend is hearty winter drinking with its layers of black and blueberry fruit, integrated spice, chocolate and supple tannins.
by John Lewis - Newcastle Herald on
Rufus Stone is Tyrrell’s premium brand from beyond its Hunter homeland and this 14 per cent alcohol blend of 77 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 23 per cent malbec has scents of violets and mulberries. The front palate has zesty blackberry flavour, followed up by elements of peppermint, licorice, cloves and cedary oak. Earthy tannins show at the finish
by Jeff Collerson - Daily Telegraph on
Hunter Valley’s Tyrrell’s went to South Australia’s McLaren Vale for this mix of 77 per cent cabernet sauvignon, the rest malbec. Cabernet provides blackcurrant fruit and earthy tannins, malbec and lush plummy characters.
by Huon Hooke - Gourmet Traveller WINE on
92 Points - This must be one of the more enjoyable McLaren Vale cabernets of recent times. Concentrated berry-fruit aromas, blossoming rich and fruit-sweet in the mouth, with density and ample tannins. Wine of symmetry and style.
by John Fordham - Highlife Magazine on
92 Points - Fourteen years ago, the family-owned Hunter Valley winery Tyrrell’s decided it needed to search for other premium regions to source first-rate fruit to power its red wines. They settled in Heathcote in Victoria and McLaren Vale in South Australia. From these areas have come wines under the Rufus Stone label. This 77-23 per cent cabernet sauvignon-malbec blend delivers a magical balance of fruit, the latter providing an exceptional influence of spicy rich flavours to match cabernet sauvignon’s elegance.
Stevens Single Vineyard Shiraz
by Gary Walsh - www.winefront.com.au on
93+Points - Stevens Shiraz tastes distinctly Stevensy. So different to the other vineyard offerings from Tyrrells, and the essence of Stevens is Old Patch, which of course does not taste Patchy. Or old even. Boysenberry, spice, chocolate, pepper, Stevens earthiness – but pretty. It’s even and spicy with soft tannin – almost a little chalky – offering gentle grip on the finish. Fresh and beautifully balanced – a winning style that’s delicious and cellar-worthy. Tops. 93 points now, touch and go for 94 – maybe later.
by James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion 2013 on
90 Points & Highly Recommended - Fine French oak is the dominant feature on the bouquet, with red fruits lurking beneath; the spectre of oak continues unabated on the palate, yet the fruit makes more headway in this regard
by Huon Hooke - huonhooke.com on
96 Points - A rich and expressive young wine for a Hunter: spicy, dark-fruits and subtly complex nose; very fleshy and deep, lovely depth and balance. Medium to full-bodied and succulent, smooth, texturally wonderful and very very long. Great regional Hunter shiraz. More new oak than other Tyrrell reds (one-third) but it doesn’t get in the way at all.
by Tyson Stelzer - Wine Taste Weekly on
94 Points - Bruce Tyrrell reckons this single vineyard may contain the oldest vines still on production in the Hunter. Regardless, this wine is a bargain, and 2010 is one of its great seasons. A pure, primary focus of blackberry, mulberry and plum fruit is textured with fine-grained fruit tannins, wonderfully massaged by the subtle influence of large format oak casks. Calm restraint provides space for the savoury expression of its red earth soils.
by Tony Keys - The Key Review on
95 Points - Beautifully individual wine with all the character of the Hunter and then the individual vineyard layered in.
Stevens Single Vineyard Semillon
by Lisa Perotti-Brown MW - eRobertParker.com on
91 Points…classic notes of slightly evolved Hunter Semillon: toast, lemongrass, fresh hay and lime juice with touches of chalk dust and dried apple slices. Light-bodied, dry and very crisp, it fills the palate with mouth-watering citrus flavors, finishing long and minerally. Approachable now, it should cellar to 2020+
by James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion 2013 on
95 Points & Outstanding - A classic and wonderfully expressive Hunter bouquet, with lemon curd, toast and straw; the palate is very lively, and while at face value this appears forward, the tension on the finish provides length and complexity, pointing to a healthy future.
by Huon Hooke - huonhooke.com on
90 Points - Bright medium yellow colour; some age here, but it’s nice and fresh. Cedary, nutty and toasty developed character with a touch of reduction perhaps. Then a fuller, broader wine with a little fruit-sweetness, and perhaps lacks a little finesse. Some green herbal notes beneath the aged character.
by Kerry Skinner - Illawarra Mercury on
Drinking nicely now but just a baby yet in the semillon stakes and will benefit with a few more years in the bottle. Pristine citrus fruit flavours and a lively acidic backbone.
by Anthony Gismondi - www.gismondiwine.com on
88 Points - Light lemon, lime, cashew, floral, green apple, nutty, nectarine skin and slate aromas. Fresh, delicate, light and juicy with green apple, nectarine, and spicy, floral, lime flavours. Fresh, young and a bit austere, could use a bit more bottle time.
Belford Single Vineyard Semillon
by James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion on
94 Points & Outstanding - Seeing the full personality of Hunter semillon is pure pleasure, and this release is starting to reveal the famous generous toasted notes, ably supported by mouth watering acidity and a savoury backbone of ginger and kaffir lime; lovely poise and precision, and time will not weary them.
by Northern Weekly on
...this five-year-old semillon has a confident green tinge. If this were almost any other white grape, you would expect a deeper hue but semillon is special and it holds on to its youth. The ageing nose of semillon gives an almost coconut, vanilla and hazelnut character. It is delicate and unique. What once was fresh lemon is now more preserved lemon, with its broader shoulders. delivering freshness and refreshment. Both of these wines have years ahead of them. Semillon is not only a wonderful wine to drink while young - in the case of the Brookdale, at only about six months - but it also develops incredible complexity over time.
HVD Single Vineyard Semillon
by James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion 2012 on
95 Points & Outstanding - Deeper green-straw than Belford, but still building; a powerful and complex wine, richer, with honeyed notes just around the corner, but with the spear of acidity to guarantee its future.
by Winestate on
4 1/2 Stars - Aromatic complexity of buttered toast and honey with some limey varietal fruit still evident Rich palate with great flavours, lingering sweetness and soft acidity.
by John Fordham - Sunday Telegraph on
Top run Hunter Valley white with classic aged characters.
by Peter Bourne - the (sydney) magazine on
The HVD vineyard was planted in 1908 in the light, sandy loam soils of an ancient watercourse. Semillon thrives in such free-draining soils, delivering tight, spiced lemon flavours and a refreshing acidity. Five years’ bottle maturation does the rest, over time developing its honey-like complexity with hints of toast and lime marmalade.
by Tyson Stelzer - WBM on
95 Points - The price looks wrong for one of the Hunter’s finest single vineyard Sems, sourced from 100-year-old vines. It’s still an electric green, zapped with crunchy lemons and limes.
by Lisa Perotti-Brown MW - eRobertParker.com on
91 Points - The 2006 Single Vineyard HVD Semillon is evolving splendidly into classic lemon curd, lime leaf, lanolin and lemongrass notes with hints of wood and hay. Light-bodied, crisp and dry with a refreshing backbone of acid, it offers mouth-filling citrus and toasty flavors that linger long into the finish. Delicious now, it should cellar to 2020+.
by Huon Hooke - Gourmet Traveller WINE on
A classic Tyrrell’s semillon with a youthful lemon-juice fragrance that manages to combine delicacy with volumes of fruit on the palate. It dances on the tongue
by John Lewis - Newcastle Herald on
A golden oldie from a great Hunter vineyard – the HVD – which was planted in 1908 by federal cabinet member Greg Combet’s great grandfather, Alex Combet, a French-born vigneron. This 2006 wine is a green-tinged straw and has cumquat scents. The front palate has lovely elegant ruby grapefruit flavour, followed up on the middle palate by sherbet and honey and toast elements. Lemony acid displays at the finish.
by James Suckling - www.jamessuckling.com on
93 Points - Toast, honey suckle and lots of lanolin in the quinessential Hunter style. Looser in the mouth but finely poised between sheer drinkability now and proven ageability. Screwcap. Now to 10 years.
Vat 9 Hunter Shiraz
by Campbell Mattinson & Gary Walsh - The Big Red Wine Book 2010/2011 on
96 Points - Clearly one of the best Vat 9 releases to date. It tastes of ripe berries, a clean earthiness, pepper and choc mint, and has a perfumed violet-like lift that makes it smell beautiful. The flavour has good density despite its medium sized body - there is no heaviness here. There’s also a subtle undercurrent of chocolate, coffee and liquorice-like richness. Fine, silky tannins spread through the mouth, and fresh acidity cleans up afterwards. Outstanding.
by Nick Stock - WBM on
94 Points - An impressive old vine Hunter shiraz that offers plenty of ripe cassis, plum and raspberry, really complex, some sweet earth here too. Impressive and immaculately balanced old vine tannins run even and true. This has the concentration and soulful depth that only time can deliver. A beautiful young wine that will age superbly.
by Winewise on
Outstanding - Shows fresh, appealing red berry aromas. The palate is long, supple and medium weight. Well worth cellaring.
by eRobertParker.com on
93 Points
by Tony Love - www.taste.com.au on
Wow colour from this Hunter-based wine (with a small addition of Hilltops cabernet). Deep and dark, with intense fruit, licorice, bay leaf, chocolate and prune. An extraordinary big red expression.
by James Suckling - www.jamessuckling.com on
A fruity and juicy red with plum and blueberries with hints of tar. Full and fruity with soft tannins and a delicious finish. Such beautiful length and savoury character. All about class! Bright and delicious. Better in 2013 but so good now.
by Jane Faulkner - The Age on
It’s always easy to spot Tyrrell’s Wines - the bottles are usually plastered with gold stickers indicating just how many trophies and medals they have won. Vat 9 is no different, as it is a much-awarded shiraz. The 2009 is exemplary and elegant. It is super bright, crimson hued, very pure, with loads of dark fruits yet very much in the savoury spectrum. It is fragrant, full of earthy spice, liquorice even Redskins lollies with a creamy mid-palate with silky-fine tannins and very restrained. Tyrrell’s Vat 9 is a beautiful, beguiling, medium-bodied shiraz with decades ahead of it.
by John Lewis - Newcastle Herald on
...a superb example of Hunter shiraz with four 2010 Hunter Valley Wine Show trophies to its credit. It has raspberry and potpourri aromas and intense blackcurrant flavour backed up by blood plum, coffee cream chocolate, cinnamon and vanillin oak characters.
by Winestate on
4 Stars - Fragrances of violets mingle with red fruits. Simple varietal flavours fill the mouth and are supported by soft oak and sweet tannins.
by Tony Love - Daily Telegraph on
Stunning Hunter shiraz here, the bottle festooned with trophy stickers to remind you it’s a definite “treat yourself” number. Wine-wise it’s all about fresh, flashy shiraz fruit weighing in at only 13 per cent with plenty of expressive ripe flavours and a tense background while providing a creamy mouthfeel.
by Kerry Skinner - Illawarra Mercury on
Wow! Hunter shiraz at its best - sumptuous, soft and sophisticated, sweetish berry fruit flavours, pepper, spice and all things nice, choc-mint characters, poise and balance, silky tannins and loads of cellaring potential.
by James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion 2012 on
97 Points & Outstanding - Clear, inviting crimson; like all the top Tyrrell’s Shirazes, open-fermented, matured for 15 months in near-new and one-year-old French 2700-l oval casks for 15 months; the X factor is the special purity of fruit flavour coming from ancient vines on red soils. Many will drink the wine (with great enjoyment) long before it reaches its peak.
by Huon Hooke - huonhooke.com on
92 Points - Medium to deep purple/red, very blue colour. Shy, reserved nose; a twist of fresh herbs and trace of lamb fat. Medium-bodied and quite harmonious, although some acidity sticks out slightly. Fine-boned structure and texture. Seems to taper towards finish and lack really good rich shiraz flavour, but it has restraint and balance and elegance. I’d like to see it in a few more years.
by Peter Bourne - Gourmet Traveller WINE on
Tyrrell’s flagship red. Renowned for its rich, savoury characteristics and longevity, Vat 9 has a fresh nose of berries and violets with subtle oak lift. A creamy, soft, textured wine, it is a fantastic example of modern Hunter Shiraz.
by Nick Stock - Good Wine Guide 2013 on
94 Points - I’ve tasted this wine many times over the last year and it’s an absolute classic from a terrific vintage. This amalgam of old-vine shiraz is a bottle of liquid Hunter Valley red treasure, with a deep robe of ripe cassis, plum and raspberry fruits, some cherries - very pure and complex - some dark spices, and some sweet, earthy notes too. The palate’s built on lithe, noble tannins that don’t betray the elegance for a second. Well balanced and even.
Vat 8 Hunter Shiraz Cabernet
by Kerry Skinner - Illawarra Mercury on
A blend of Hunter shiraz and Hilltops cabernet sauvignon that melds perfectly with the French and American oak, layers of plum and berry fruit, chocolate characters, supple tannins.
by eRobertParker.com on
92 Points
by Mike Bennie - WBM on
94 Points - A mix of Hilltops and Hunter fruit here give the expected body and savoury complexity of the classic cab shiraz blend, but delivered by a sleek, medium frame with fine, integrated oak. Lovely.
by Winestate on
3 Stars - Raspberries on the nose and soft, gentle red fruits.
by Tyson Stelzer - WBM on
95 Points - Hunter Shiraz infuses its core of brilliant, bright acidity, sheer vibrancy and primary plum and black cherry glory here, tweaked with a touch of Hilltops Cabernet. One of the great Vat 8s.
by Drinks Trade on
Savoury spices with a strong sense of fruit; savoury oak with a great middle palate and good depth of flavour; good long tannins; complex; very smooth and fresh, but also soft and pleasant with layers of flavour; mouth-watering. Rich, round and structured; bright long and textured; lots of concentrated berry and plum aromas with a smoky undertone, a powerful wine.
by James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion 2012 on
95 Points & Outstanding - Strong purple-crimson, the wine has substantial red and black berry fruits, the impact of French oak obvious but will undoubtably settle down with a few years in bottle.
by John Lewis - Newcastle Herald on
5 1/2 Glasses - What a terrific red this is – well worth the 57 points awarded by the 2012 Hunter Valley Wine Show judges! It’s 13.5 per cent alcohol and is made from Hunter shiraz with a tiny 4 per cent infusion of cabernet sauvignon from the Hilltops area around Young. It glows deep purple, sends scents of violets and cassis coursing up the nostrils and brings profound blackcurrant flavour to the front of the palate. Plum, peppermint and dark chocolate fruit characters integrate with restrained savoury oak on the middle palate and silky earthy tannins come through at the finish.
by Huon Hooke - huonhooke.com on
95 Points - Deep purple/red colour with very blue tints. Restrained, clean and subtle berry aromas, a lick of spice plus some earth and dried herb nuances. Marvellous intensity and refined focus of sweetly ripe fruit and gentle, fine-grained tannins, gentle but intense and penetrating. Delicious wine. Long finish, heaps of charisma and style. A touch of regional (Hunter) leathery/smoky/spiciness. Love to see how this ages.
Vat 6 Hunter Pinot Noir
by John Lewis - Newcastle Herald on
4 1/2 Glasses - Their Pokolbin grapes are definitely not cool-climate, but Tyrrell’s Vat 6s have a long and distinguished track record. This 2009 is ruby red, has rose petal and leaf litter scents and brings juicy raspberry flavour to the front palate. Spearmint, cherry and gentle spicy oak combine on the middle palate and pepperminty tannins come in at the finish.
by Australian Wine Selector on
Ruby to red in colour with brick tinges. Deep, rich fruit on the nose with some spicy, savoury, gamey and dried herb characters. Rich, ripe and generous palate with assertive acid. Good length and structure.
by James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion 2012 on
90 Points & Highly Recommended - Estate-grown on three blocks; hand-picked and open-fermented with one-third whole bunches; 10% matured in new French barriques, the remainder in one-year-old barriques ex Vat 47; the red cherry fruit is light, the whole bunch and oak inputs correspondingly strong/ The 500-case production sells out every year.
by Huon Hooke - huonhooke.com on
91 Points - Light red colour, brick-red edge. Shy nose: lacks aromas. Some red fruits. Fairly developed. Light and soft in the mouth, with some powdery tannins adding structure, but forward-developed and showing some secondary earthy/leathery complexities. Deep and powerful, but gentle, with good intensity, good balance and very appealing drinkability. A touch of mystery to it…which I like.
by Huon Hooke - Gourmet Traveller WINE on
91 Points - …The palate is medium-light and soft, with developed flavour arid powdery tannins. Deep and surprisingly powerful with savoury, leathery complexities. A good alternative to cool-climate pinots.