Tyrrell Family Snaps Up A Slice of Hunter Valley History

[Matt@5453]

The Tyrrell family has bought the Old Hillside Vineyard at Pokolbin from Neil and Bernadette Stevens.

The block covers 13.52 hectares on Marrowbone Road, of which 6.11 hectares are planted solely to Shiraz.

“Included in this block is 1.1 hectares that we believe is the oldest producing vineyard in NSW,” Bruce Tyrrell said.

“Planted in 1867, these vines would almost certainly have been planted from first generation cuttings from the Busby collection. The balance of the vineyard was planted in 1968, and this vineyard is currently the source of our Old Patch and Stevens Shiraz.”

The Tyrrell’s and Stevens’ have worked together since the 1993 vintage to produce individually distinctive Semillon and Shiraz. It was these grapes that formed the catalyst for the development of the Tyrrell’s Single Vineyard range.

“This purchase ensures that ownership of this iconic vineyard remains among the original families of the Hunter,” Brude said.

“The Hunter Valley has 11 blocks of vineyard over 100 years old on their own roots, and this now gives the Tyrrell family seven of those blocks.”

The sale was settled today for an undisclosed sum.

[tarija]

Good news.

If it was Mount Pleasant that had Old Patch then the wine would probably be double the price. Go Tyrrells!