2021 Tyrrell's Vat 8 Shiraz Cabernet, Hunter Valley & McLaren Vale

Very deep, brooding red-purple colour; youthful and bright. Blackberry/cassis aromas allied with darker cherry and thyme. The palate is medium-full bodied and the structure clearly shows the influence of cabernet in the mix. There are spicy/stemmy nuances as well, and the wine is ample and fleshy in the mouth with generous fruit sweetness and softness, in spite of voluminous tannins. A very smart cab-shiraz. Drink to 2036.

95 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, July 2023

The 2021 Vat 8 Shiraz / Cabernet is composed of 60% Shiraz and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon (from McLaren Vale). The varieties were matured separately in smaller format French oak (225 liters), blended in November 2021 and subsequently returned to oak for a further five months. You only need a little Cabernet to see the effects on both flavor and structure, and here, with a 40% inclusion from McLaren Vale, the impact is huge. The wine is sweet, concentrated and detailed, with fine, cooling, mineral characters from the Hunter Valley in the Syrah component (blood plum, pomegranate and a skein of fine savory tannin) and loads of leafy, blackcurrant fruit and firm (ductile) tannins from the McLaren Vale Cabernet component. The two are dovetailed nicely. The lens of the elegant 2021 vintage is right for this blend. It offers more poise and detail than many of the Shiraz Cabernet blends made here in Australia and is all the better for it. Drink to 2041.

94 points Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, February 2023

First created in 1962 by the late Murray Tyrrell, and I vividly remember discussing the wine with Murray and my two other Brokenwood partners. The Hunter Valley shiraz (60%) and the McLaren Vale cabernet sauvignon (40%) were matured separately in newer/new barriques, assembled and returned to oak for a further five months. 2021 was a magnificent vintage in McLaren Vale, and its 40% component is responsible for the deeper colour, higher alcohol and greater tannin structure of a wine that stands apart from the other Tyrrell's top-tier releases, needing time in extended bottle maturation. Drink to 2040.

93 points James Halliday for Halliday Wine Companion, May 2023

A lightly chewy and focused young red with blackcurrant, blackberry and cherry aromas and flavors with some spices. Medium to full body. Creamy texture. Drink or hold.

93 points James Suckling, October 2022