2024 Tyrrell's Vat 8 Shiraz Cabernet, Hunter Valley & McLaren Vale

A blend of 65/35% shiraz/cabernet sauvignon, with the shiraz coming from Tyrrell’s Ashman’s estate and the cabernet from an old vineyard in McLaren Vale. The warm season in both regions produced a highly flavoured, full-bodied Vat 8 brimming with generous, opulent fruit and finishing with a touch of warmth. There's rich blackberry, licorice, dried cherry and clove, with a faint leafiness that adds an element of freshness. It is an undeniably ripe expression of the style and will suit those who like their reds intensely flavoured and generous. Drink to

96 points Toni Paterson MW for Halliday Wine Companion, May 2026 

Savory aromas of red plums, blackcurrants, raspberries, dried herbs, cedar and graphite. The palate is full-bodied with lively acidity and finely grained yet firm tannins, giving flavors of blackberries, mulberries, tobacco and dark spices. Balanced and vibrant, with a bold finish. Drink or hold.

94 points James Suckling, July 2025

From the warm and dry 2024 season, this release of the VAT 8 sees Tyrrell’s return to its historical roots where the wine was as a multiregional blend, with the Shiraz sourced from some of the best parcels on Tyrrell’s Ashmans vineyard in the Hunter Valley, and the Cabernet Sauvignon coming from an old vine McLaren Vale parcel.

The parcels were fermented separately in stainless steel and rested until blending in November, followed by maturation in French oak barriques until the wine was bottled in April 2025.

The 2024 release is a blend of 65% Shiraz and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and is highly enjoyable already on release, especially with a good swing in the decanter. A festive companion for a roasted lamb saddle centre piece.

About this producer

Tyrrell's has been part of the Hunter Valley's winemaking story since 1858, making it one of Australia's oldest family-owned wineries. Five generations of the Tyrrell family have built an extraordinary reputation for producing wines of authenticity, longevity and regional character, with Chris Tyrrell continuing to champion the estate's historic vineyards and traditional approach.