Fresh red berries, perhaps some blackberry, dusting of pepper, floral perfume, subtle dried herb and earth. Light to medium bodied, bright and fresh with a cranberry crunch, fresh picked red fruits, again the gentle earthiness and perfume, with a light drag of fine-grained tannin, drawing out to a playful rasp on a long cool finish. I feel it’s a wine for much later than now, and where the ripe vintages give from the get go, this will evolve and develop into a beautiful fine expression of Hunter ‘Burgundy’. It’s a lovely thing, for sure. Gary Walsh The Wine Front
Tyrrell’s Wines, established in 1858, is one of Australia’s most historic and respected family-owned wineries. The 4 Acres Shiraz is sourced from the oldest vineyard on the Tyrrell’s estate—planted in 1879—making it one of the oldest continuously producing Shiraz blocks in the Hunter Valley. This wine stands as a living piece of Australian viticultural history, crafted with minimal intervention to highlight the purity and elegance of the site.
Vineyard
The 4 Acres vineyard lies in Pokolbin on red volcanic loam over limestone soils, a hallmark of the Hunter Valley’s finest terroirs. These dry-grown vines, now well over 130 years old, yield tiny quantities of intensely flavoured fruit. The wine is open-fermented with traditional techniques and matured in a small portion of new French oak, allowing the vineyard’s natural character to shine through.
Vintage
2016 was a warm and dry growing season in the Hunter Valley, producing small berries with exceptional ripeness and concentration. The 4 Acres Shiraz from this year displays outstanding balance between fruit power and savoury complexity, earning praise as one of the most complete modern vintages from this heritage vineyard.
Tasting Notes
The 2016 Tyrrell’s 4 Acres Shiraz shows deep crimson colour with a bright edge. The nose is perfumed and elegant, with aromas of red cherry, plum, violets, and subtle earthy spice. The palate is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, offering a seamless interplay of red fruits, fine tannins, and gentle oak. Layers of spice, graphite, and savoury game nuances build toward a long, graceful finish. It’s a quintessential Hunter Valley Shiraz—refined, complex, and built for longevity.
