The Auswine Forum

Was wondering if anyone who is a member in the Sydney area can add on to their order for the red release coming up?

My original source is in between jobs so we cancelled that membership and I would prefer not to order 12 at this point..

You can order just 6 (twice yearly - 6 reds, 6 whites) direct from them ... thats what I do (I would add you to my order, but they are being shipped to Adelaide now)

sjw_11 wrote:You can order just 6 (twice yearly - 6 reds, 6 whites) direct from them ... thats what I do (I would add you to my order, but they are being shipped to Adelaide now)

Yup I normally only order a six pack. I haven't received my mailer yet???

I'd be happy to add your order onto mine if I eventually do get my mailer polymer. Only problem is I'm in vic.

Thanks guys...I might have to take you up on that LGW...

Although if anyone in Sydney actually wants to go in with me..maybe split 12 up 2-3 ways?

Apparently the reds are coming out in a week or so?

Chris Tyrrell told me on Instagram last night that the mailer is being sent this week. No clues as to what exactly is being made this year, except for a facebook post a few weeks ago showing the 'Old Patch' 2013 using the retro labels 4 Acres uses. Expecting with 2013 being a decent year to see V6, V8, V9, 4 Acres, Old Patch, Johnno's.

Dan, I think your list is pretty much spot on, with one sad omission...I understand there will be no 4Acres. Apparently the single barrel wasn't up to scratch, so it has been blended into Old Winery. And, yes, lots more bottles with the old style label...which I think is a good thing!

Simon

simon1980 wrote:Dan, I think your list is pretty much spot on, with one sad omission...I understand there will be no 4Acres. Apparently the single barrel wasn't up to scratch, so it has been blended into Old Winery. And, yes, lots more bottles with the old style label...which I think is a good thing!

Simon

4 Acres blended into Old Winery??? Surely not? If it wasn't quite up to scratch, surely they could make Brokenback better?

I think last time 4 Acres wasn't made they added it to Brokenback...

Chris said it was going into old winery. I was rather hoping for some pretty exciting cleanskins!

Simon

simon1980 wrote:Chris said it was going into old winery. I was rather hoping for some pretty exciting cleanskins!

Simon

Bloody hell! Fair enough I suppose, but going from a $70 bottle to be blended into a $10 bottle is a fair jump. Yeah, I'm sure if they just made a plain 'Tyrrell's Pokolbin Shiraz' and told members it was declassified 4 Acres (same way the HVD & The Hill Pinot was declassified Vat 6), it'd sell for $20 a bottle comfortably, and sell out too.

Oh well, one less to buy I suppose - Johnno's doesn't rock my world, so a mixed doz with 3 x each of the others, and I'll probably buy another 6-12 from the winery when I visit June long weekend based on what I love from the rest. Will probably end up with 7 each of V8, V9 and Old Patch, and 3 V6. The 7 is so I can crack a bottle of each early and lay down 6.

dan_smee wrote:

simon1980 wrote:Chris said it was going into old winery. I was rather hoping for some pretty exciting cleanskins!

Simon

Bloody hell! Fair enough I suppose, but going from a $70 bottle to be blended into a $10 bottle is a fair jump. Yeah, I'm sure if they just made a plain 'Tyrrell's Pokolbin Shiraz' and told members it was declassified 4 Acres (same way the HVD & The Hill Pinot was declassified Vat 6), it'd sell for $20 a bottle comfortably, and sell out too.

Maybe when he said it was not up to scratch it was really REALLY below scratch!

Or perhaps they were doing the opposite of other labels and building from the base by putting quality fruit into the "lesser" labels, rather than taking all the good fruit that used to go into them for a new mid-level label.

Sounds strange I know...

Cheers

Michael

dan_smee wrote: Will probably end up with 7 each of V8, V9 and Old Patch, and 3 V6. The 7 is so I can crack a bottle of each early and lay down 6.

What about the Vat 11 'Baulkam Shiraz' - is that not made anymore?

Mahmoud

http://www.tyrrells.com.au/assets/priva ... r_Form.pdf

Order form on line.

I just called and amended my standing order to get 3 each of Vat 6, 8, 9 and Old Patch. Will taste Johnno's when I go in June.

Get in early on the Old Patch, if the hype can be believed it will be pretty special. love the retro labels too.

http://www.tyrrells.com.au/assets/priva ... r_Form.pdf

Order form on line.

I just called and amended my standing order to get 3 each of Vat 6, 8, 9 and Old Patch. Will taste Johnno's when I go in June.

Get in early on the Old Patch, if the hype can be believed it will be pretty special. love the retro labels too.

Well, according to the Tyrrell's order form there aren't any Vat 11s - it appears that it has been phased out. Does anybody have any idea what fruit went into it, whether any of the 'single vineyard' fruit was part of the blend.

The reason I ask is because a number of years ago at cellar door my partner thought the '00 Vat 11 to be the best Hunter Shiraz on offer while I preferred the '00 Vat 9 - though overall I thought the '98 Vat 8 was superior - and if I recall correctly the Cabernet for the Vat 8 came from Coonawarra.

Cheers.............................Mahmoud.

Mahmoud Ali wrote:Well, according to the Tyrrell's order form there aren't any Vat 11s - it appears that it has been phased out. Does anybody have any idea what fruit went into it, whether any of the 'single vineyard' fruit was part of the blend.

The reason I ask is because a number of years ago at cellar door my partner thought the '00 Vat 11 to be the best Hunter Shiraz on offer while I preferred the '00 Vat 9 - though overall I thought the '98 Vat 8 was superior - and if I recall correctly the Cabernet for the Vat 8 came from Coonawarra.

Cheers.............................Mahmoud.

Vat 11 hasn't been made for a long time. It definitely hasn't been part of the regular line-up for a good 6-7 years. They bring back sporadic Vats occasionally, but I get the impression the either don't manage those vineyards anymore, or it is blended into Vat 8/9.

Vat 8 Cab has been sourced from Coonawarra, Mudgee, Hilltops etc in the past, but CT told me that the Cab in 11, and 13 is Hunter fruit. The grafted Lake's Folly cuttings a while ago, and they are now mature enough to use in the blend. I imagine it will be 100% Hunter from now on.

Dan,

I do know that back in 2001 I was told that the Vat 11 was only sold at cellar door so it probably wasn't well known except to Sydney-siders who visited the Hunter.

Cheers.............................Mahmoud.

Mahmoud Ali wrote:Dan,

I do know that back in 2001 I was told that the Vat 11 was only sold at cellar door so it probably wasn't well known except to Sydney-siders who visited the Hunter.

Cheers.............................Mahmoud.

I'm from Newcastle originally, and visit the cellar door at least 3 times a year. I've never seen it in the last 6 years - a lot of the more regular Vats are no longer made, Vat 5 and was also reasonably frequent up until 2004 (I believe the vineyard it came from was damaged?). Last reference to Vat 11 I can find on the interwebs is 2003. Coincidentally, 2004 is the first year we see 4 Acres, although I think that vineyard's designation was Vat 12. All single vineyards used to have a Vat number, but they made a conscious decision a while ago to concentrate on the best Vats (1, 6, 8, 9, 47), and they are no longer single vineyard wines.

For a long time I've tried to make sense of the Vat system, and from what I can gather:

- All single vineyards were given a low Vat number.
- Blends of multiple sites or multiple grapes were given a high Vat number (Vat 47 pinot chardonnay, Vat 94 SGM).
- All Vats were open to the public (and later only members) to taste direct form the Vats to purchase prior to release.
- Once the decision was made to concentrate on the premium Vats, and they were no longer single vineyard wines, the Vat names dropped off the Individual Vineyard and Sacred Sites range. (Belford Semillon Vat 18, 4 Acres Shiraz Vat 12, NVC Shiraz Vat 5, I think all of the current Indiv and Sacres wines had Vat numbers at one point.

What about the drink while you wait wines? Vat 7 is low. Seems they have expanded the range in recent years as well. Used to just be the vat 7 shiraz and the vat 15 semillon. Has anyone tried them?

griff wrote:What about the drink while you wait wines? Vat 7 is low. Seems they have expanded the range in recent years as well. Used to just be the vat 7 shiraz and the vat 15 semillon. Has anyone tried them?

Never tried them - I will in June and report back if they have them open. I think that theory of mine is based on historical practices, and the drink now Vats are ways of separating the wines for members from the old winery and lost block ranges by name.

G'Day fellow wine lovers. "First time poster............" you know how it goes.
The discussion on Tyrrells Vat 11 piqued my interest. I was a Private Bin Member back in the 1970's and 80's (kids got in the way, but I've happily been a member again for a few years now). The Vat 11 used to be made in a more old-fashioned "Ultra-Hunter" style from memory - a very enjoyable wine with food, although my standing order has always been Vat 9.
For those that may be interested, and in deference to Dan Smee who appears to well informed when it comes to Tyrrells, I have located an old 1979 Private Bin Dry Red Mailer (having just received the 2013 today by coincidence) which in light of the discussion in this thread makes interesting reading in terms of Vineyard sources for particular Vats -
Vat 5 - Hermitage (not Shiraz in those days) from the N.V.C. Vineyard
Vat 6 - Hermitage from the Bimbadgen Vineyard - yes Vat 6 was indeed originally a Shiraz !
Vat 7 - Hermitage from the Long Flat Vineyard.
Vat 8 - Hermitage from the Ashman's Vineyard.
Vat 9 - Hermitage from the 4 Acre Vineyard.
Vat 10 - Hermitage from the Baulkham Vineyard.
Vat 11 - Hermitage from the 8 Acre Vineyard.
Vat 12 - Hermitage from the Short Flat Vineyard.
Vat 12A - Cabernet Shiraz (interestingly called Shiraz, not Hemitage) - Cabernet and Shiraz from the Weinkeller Vineyard.
Vat 70 Cabernet - Cabernet from the Weinkeller and the Bimbadgen Vineyards.
Vat 94 Cabernet Shiraz Malbec - Cabernet and Shiraz from the Bimbadgen Vineyard and Malbec from the Oakvale Vineyard.
Carbonic Masceration Cabernet - Cabernet from the Weinkeller Vineyard.
Pinot Hermitage - 50/50 Pinot Noir and Hermitage blend from "Our Own Vineyard"
Pinot Noir (not yet called Vat 6) - from the Short Flat Vineyard.

And to think Murray Flanagan happily poured you samples of each of the above as he kept up supplies of cheese and biscuits to accompany. No wonder my dear wife and I would "stagger" back to the car with an extra case or 2 !

Mick 1955 wrote:G'Day fellow wine lovers. "First time poster............" you know how it goes.
The discussion on Tyrrells Vat 11 piqued my interest. I was a Private Bin Member back in the 1970's and 80's (kids got in the way, but I've happily been a member again for a few years now). The Vat 11 used to be made in a more old-fashioned "Ultra-Hunter" style from memory - a very enjoyable wine with food, although my standing order has always been Vat 9.
For those that may be interested, and in deference to Dan Smee who appears to well informed when it comes to Tyrrells, I have located an old 1979 Private Bin Dry Red Mailer (having just received the 2013 today by coincidence) which in light of the discussion in this thread makes interesting reading in terms of Vineyard sources for particular Vats -
Vat 5 - Hermitage (not Shiraz in those days) from the N.V.C. Vineyard
Vat 6 - Hermitage from the Bimbadgen Vineyard - yes Vat 6 was indeed originally a Shiraz !
Vat 7 - Hermitage from the Long Flat Vineyard.
Vat 8 - Hermitage from the Ashman's Vineyard.
Vat 9 - Hermitage from the 4 Acre Vineyard.
Vat 10 - Hermitage from the Baulkham Vineyard.
Vat 11 - Hermitage from the 8 Acre Vineyard.
Vat 12 - Hermitage from the Short Flat Vineyard.
Vat 12A - Cabernet Shiraz (interestingly called Shiraz, not Hemitage) - Cabernet and Shiraz from the Weinkeller Vineyard.
Vat 70 Cabernet - Cabernet from the Weinkeller and the Bimbadgen Vineyards.
Vat 94 Cabernet Shiraz Malbec - Cabernet and Shiraz from the Bimbadgen Vineyard and Malbec from the Oakvale Vineyard.
Carbonic Masceration Cabernet - Cabernet from the Weinkeller Vineyard.
Pinot Hermitage - 50/50 Pinot Noir and Hermitage blend from "Our Own Vineyard"
Pinot Noir (not yet called Vat 6) - from the Short Flat Vineyard.

And to think Murray Flanagan happily poured you samples of each of the above as he kept up supplies of cheese and biscuits to accompany. No wonder my dear wife and I would "stagger" back to the car with an extra case or 2 !

Really interesting Mick! Thanks for that.

Strange how some have fallen away, and others have taken on new forms. Would love to see the current Tyrrell's red winemakers have a crack at a Shiraz Pinot blend a-la Mount Pleasant, Meerea Park etc. in a nod to Maurice O'Shea. Interesting to see they made one way back when. Shame the style died out, because the recent examples have been fantastic. Hunter pinot fruit is severely underrated.

Thanks Dan.
I agree regarding the Shiraz/Pinot blends - considering the emergence of the HVD & The Hill Pinot Noir, you would think there would be enough pinot material. But alas, fashion tends to dictate.
The other interesting ones in that list are the Vat 9 being from the 4 Acre Vineyard and the Vat 12A Cabernet Shiraz - I seem to recall the Cabernet component in that blend being variously from Coonawarra and at another time being Barossa material from Peter Lehman.

Mick 1955 wrote:........I have located an old 1979 Private Bin Dry Red Mailer (having just received the 2013 today by coincidence) which in light of the discussion in this thread makes interesting reading in terms of Vineyard sources for particular Vats -
Vat 5 - Hermitage (not Shiraz in those days) from the N.V.C. Vineyard
Vat 6 - Hermitage from the Bimbadgen Vineyard - yes Vat 6 was indeed originally a Shiraz !
Vat 7 - Hermitage from the Long Flat Vineyard.
Vat 8 - Hermitage from the Ashman's Vineyard.
Vat 9 - Hermitage from the 4 Acre Vineyard.
Vat 10 - Hermitage from the Baulkham Vineyard.
Vat 11 - Hermitage from the 8 Acre Vineyard.
Vat 12 - Hermitage from the Short Flat Vineyard.
Vat 12A - Cabernet Shiraz (interestingly called Shiraz, not Hemitage) - Cabernet and Shiraz from the Weinkeller Vineyard.
Vat 70 Cabernet - Cabernet from the Weinkeller and the Bimbadgen Vineyards.
Vat 94 Cabernet Shiraz Malbec - Cabernet and Shiraz from the Bimbadgen Vineyard and Malbec from the Oakvale Vineyard.
Carbonic Masceration Cabernet - Cabernet from the Weinkeller Vineyard.
Pinot Hermitage - 50/50 Pinot Noir and Hermitage blend from "Our Own Vineyard"
Pinot Noir (not yet called Vat 6) - from the Short Flat Vineyard.

Mick,

Fascinating read, thanks for reproducing this. One thing that strikes me is that back then the Vat 10 is made from the Baulkham Vineyard while the Vat 11 is from the 8 Acre Vineyard. However, my '00 Vat 11 has on its label 'Baulkham Shiraz' - seems to me there has been a bit of a revolving door thing going on with vineyards, labels, and Vat numbers. Any idea where the Baulkham Vineyard is and what they have done with the fruit? From their website it's clear that the Baulkham is not part of their "Sacred Sites" - the 4 Acres, Johnno's, HVD, and the Stevens which in turn is composed is composed of the Glenoak and Old Hill, the latter with an 'Old Patch' that was planted in 1867 - hence the "Old Patch 1867" Shiraz.

By the way, the '00 Vat 11 has the sme style of yellow retro label that the current Johnno's and Old Patch have. Wine trivia for the geeks but fascinating nonetheless.

Cheers......................Mahmoud.

Not sure about the Baulkham vineyard - a lot of their vineyards are owned by others, and they have handshake agreements to purchase the grapes every year (Neil Stevens vineyard being an example). Many of those vineyards are named after the owners / planters. It is entirely plausible that the Baulkham vineyard was named after an owner / planter, and they are now producing their own wines, or selling to someone else. I'm sure if you posted a question on their facebook page / emailled them, someone would know and get back to you

G'Day Mahmoud,
I noticed your interest in the Baulkham Vineyard, so I have taken Dan's advice and emailed Tyrrells - will post when I get a reply.
And back then (geez I sound old !) they all had the Yellow label.

Mick 1955

Mick 1955 wrote:G'Day fellow wine lovers. "First time poster............" you know how it goes.
The discussion on Tyrrells Vat 11 piqued my interest. I was a Private Bin Member back in the 1970's and 80's (kids got in the way, but I've happily been a member again for a few years now). The Vat 11 used to be made in a more old-fashioned "Ultra-Hunter" style from memory - a very enjoyable wine with food, although my standing order has always been Vat 9.
For those that may be interested, and in deference to Dan Smee who appears to well informed when it comes to Tyrrells, I have located an old 1979 Private Bin Dry Red Mailer (having just received the 2013 today by coincidence) which in light of the discussion in this thread makes interesting reading in terms of Vineyard sources for particular Vats -
Vat 5 - Hermitage (not Shiraz in those days) from the N.V.C. Vineyard
Vat 6 - Hermitage from the Bimbadgen Vineyard - yes Vat 6 was indeed originally a Shiraz !
Vat 7 - Hermitage from the Long Flat Vineyard.
Vat 8 - Hermitage from the Ashman's Vineyard.
Vat 9 - Hermitage from the 4 Acre Vineyard.
Vat 10 - Hermitage from the Baulkham Vineyard.
Vat 11 - Hermitage from the 8 Acre Vineyard.
Vat 12 - Hermitage from the Short Flat Vineyard.
Vat 12A - Cabernet Shiraz (interestingly called Shiraz, not Hemitage) - Cabernet and Shiraz from the Weinkeller Vineyard.
Vat 70 Cabernet - Cabernet from the Weinkeller and the Bimbadgen Vineyards.
Vat 94 Cabernet Shiraz Malbec - Cabernet and Shiraz from the Bimbadgen Vineyard and Malbec from the Oakvale Vineyard.
Carbonic Masceration Cabernet - Cabernet from the Weinkeller Vineyard.
Pinot Hermitage - 50/50 Pinot Noir and Hermitage blend from "Our Own Vineyard"
Pinot Noir (not yet called Vat 6) - from the Short Flat Vineyard.

And to think Murray Flanagan happily poured you samples of each of the above as he kept up supplies of cheese and biscuits to accompany. No wonder my dear wife and I would "stagger" back to the car with an extra case or 2 !

Thanks for the walk down memory lane Mick and welcome aboard! I recall some of these labels from the 80s - some of my earliest experiences with wine.

Thanks for that Mike. The Hunter sure was a different place back then !

Mick 1955