We went to Tyrrell's for the 1:30pm tour, only to find out that we had an old map and the tour was at 10:30am. So we spent a good 2 hours there doing wine tasting as the place was empty. Scott gave us lots of time and information, and lots of wine! We had a horizontal of shiraz. Best though by far was the wonderful 2009 Vat #1 Semillon, but at $80/bottle it was out of our price range. Second best was the wonderful Chardonnay.So the next day we went back for the tour ($5), and I can highly recommend it. Damien gave a great 1+ hour tour, starting in the vineyard and ending with tasting.So we bought the 2014 Vat #1 Semillon, which should turn out to be equally as impressive as the 2009 as 2014 was an excellent year - the best ever apparently - in the Hunter Valley.
We came across Tyrrell's Vineyard by chance without any knowledge of the history. Being a lover of photography I started taking photos of any old hut sitting in the grounds then upon speaking to one of the staff members she started explaining the history of the 'Slab hut' which was where Edward Tyrrell the original Tyrrell who started the Vineyard first lived. He built the one room Ironbark wooden hut and had 10 children under this one roof before moving on to a bigger wooden house he built at a later date.She also walked us through the fermentation rooms and in to another tasting area that had lots of old photos of all the generations of Tyrrell's so we were extremely lucky to get our own personal tour. Great little wine tasting area as well and beautiful outlook from the Cellar Door area over the Vineyard. Well worth a visit (great wines also!)
A beautiful winery full of many wines, some were basic, some were some of the greatest bottles in The Hunter. Staff were extremely helpful and gave us the full range of wines. (This is sometimes lacking in many wineries.) There was a area out the back to watch them making the wine, which just added to the whole visit. Being extremely critical, it was only that it wasn't as charming as many of the wineries In The Hunter. However put it down on the list if you are up there, it's in my top few!
An iconic wine name in Australia and a visit to its cellar door in the Hunter Valley did not disappoint. We particularly liked the rustic look as the building was indeed an old tin-roofed shed with huge, long established trees and fairly ancient machinery surrounding it. It was a lovely change from the ultra-modern and slick operations of most cellar doors. The cellar door staff were very experienced and took the time to discuss the wines being sampled and explain their history. There was no rush to push you through, take some money, and move you on. The wine varieties available were from across the Tyrell range of vineyards and not just the Hunter. It was a most enjoyable experience, and yes, we did buy some excellent Hunter Valley semillon.
We had a very relaxed and educational time looking around the winery. It was very interesting to hear the Tyrrell history while casually wandering around the cellarsAfter the tour you can sample the wines from their excellent range. If you decide you like what you taste you can buy from the cellar door.
I have always enjoyed drinking wines, particularly semillon from the Hunter Valley and Tyrrell's has always been one of my favourites but I have never been to the Hunter Valley to visit the cellar door until today! We have been to quite a few wineries in the Hunter Valley during the last few days and have enjoyed the bulk of the wines on offer and would recommend a visit to all of the cellar doors we have visited but I found this cellar door experience both the most interesting and the most enjoyable.We did the tour which started at 10:30am after I had sampled one or two of the wines and took a little over an hour. The tour cost only $5 per person which is an absolute bargain. Damien was an excellent tour guide and had all the answers for a group that had a lot of questions. It was a very comprehensive tour and during the tour he ran us through the entire process of making wine from the vine to the vat and then the bottle.Scott and all the staff behind the counter were very generous with the tastings and guided me through many of the wines, including some of their more premium range which after signing up to the club I took home with me and will continue to enjoy many years into the future. Their shiraz was delicious and whilst fruit driven wasn't too perfumed which I personally don't like but have found in many of the shiraz's in the Hunter Valley. I particularly liked trying their range of semillons, my favourite white wine. Being able to taste several different semillons grown in different soil types was very interesting and I learned that my favourite semillons are grown on sandy loam soils that contain less nutrients and are slightly less sweet compared to those grown in more clayey soils.There aren't too many good, larger, family owned and run wineries left in this country and a visit to this cellar door is a must do for anyone at all interested in wine. If possible get there at 10:30 for the tour because the tour was excellent.
This is an excellent winery to begin discovering the Hunter Valley region. We went as a group of four to the daily 10:30 vineyard tour and we're not disappointed! No booking was needed on a weekday. The staff were extremely knowledgeable about their product, viniculture in general and in particular about the details of the region whilst throughout also being exceptionally down to earth. Their Semmion and Chardonnay were both worth tasting. 5 stars.
We stopped into Tyrrell's for wine tasting and was welcomed by an older man who was very helpful but not pushy. His service encouraged us to return the next day to do the tour of the winery - the scenery and ambiance of the winery was relaxing and very enjoyable. The tour was interesting and not too long - highly recommend.
Re-visited this terrific winery after a break of over 40 years, and found it to be as fantastic as it was back in our youth. We did the tour - a measly $5 each - and thoroughly enjoyed learning the story of the wine-making journey from the planting of the vines through to bottling. Our guide was super-knowledgeable and happily answered questions. The tasting session afterwards was one of the best we've experienced anywhere around Oz - enjoyed the pairing of similar wines, so we could taste the difference between them, and unlike many other cellar doors, the best wines were not quarantined from the tasting.
Brilliant. The staff are welcoming and knowledgeable. I could have stayed and listened for ages. The quaint original cottage to view before you depart is an eye opener to the heritage of this famous family. Of course, purchased a souvenir to take home!