Tyrrell’s 4 Acres and 8 Acres Shiraz

Over the last couple of days I had some protein dinner and given relatively warm, but not hot summer temperatures, I was wondering what to pair this with. South Australian Shiraz would have been too heavy, a different grape variety did not seem right. Why not Hunter Valley Shiraz, a lighter, less alcoholic style, often with velvety tannins. It gave me an opportunity to drink two highly regarded Tyrrell’s wines side by side.

 In Burgundy, it is easy to find maps of all vineyards; not in Australia. It is unfortunate in the case of Tyrrell’s, as it would be instructive to see the location and size of their so called Sacred Sites vineyards. The four Sacred Sites vineyards (an unfortunate name?) have been planted well over 100 years ago. The 4 Acres and 8 Acres vineyards sit right next to each other, both on the same red clay over limestone.

So will the 2019 Tyrrell’s 4Acres Shiraz and the 8 Acres Shiraz taste very similar? There seem to be one major difference: the 8 Acres vineyard is planted North to South, the 4 Acres East to West.

There is already a big colour difference: the 4 Acres has a crimson colour, whereas the 8 Acres is purple. On the palate, the 4 Acres is red fruited, with great energy, edgy even in the mouth. There is a fair amount of acidity and tannins in this wine, but the elements are in balance. The wine is long on the palate, and perhaps more of a challenge, in a good way, than the 8 Acres. This wine will clearly add complexity with age.

Score: 95/++

The 8 Acres is a much softer wine, with a velvety mouthfeel. It is medium bodied with soft tannins. The wine is great on the mid-palate, but loses towards the finish.

Score: 94/++

These two wines are quite different. I don't think the treatment in the winery would have been different. Is it all due to the different vineyard orientation. Could be. Or are picking dates different, for example. Unfortunately, such data is not available. In any case, it shows how decisions over a hundred years ago can still impact the flavour and taste of a wine.