Hunter Valley Tasting Report: 2014 Shiraz

The 2014 Hunter Shiraz wines are of immense importance. The Tyrrell family is the regional barometer for many things and the late Murray Tyrrell (father to Bruce and grandfather to Chris) was famous for his annual declaration of a great vintage, no matter what quality of season had in fact just played out.

But when Bruce and Chris both rang the bell loudly around the quality of the 2014 vintage of shiraz, they weren’t messing around. Not simply the best in a decade, possibly the best in the last century is their opinion, and certainly as good as the legendary (and now mostly consumed) 1965 vintage, from which I have been lucky enough to taste a few bottles over the years. 

Simply put, 2014 was a warm vintage without heat waves or spikes, it produced complete and even-handed ripeness in shiraz. It didn’t get too hot, it set itself up nicely with smaller berry size and a slightly lower-than-average crop load. It ticked all the boxes from start to finish.  

There was no rush to pick with weather pressure and associated diseases, it was a winemaker’s dream. Vineyards and parcels were harvested at perfect ripeness, a luxury for the Hunter Valley crew, and this idea of selected perfection is translated through to the wines in bottle today. They are distinctive, they are clearly differentiated on the basis of origin and vine age and they are universally high in quality.

The color and concentration of the wines is impressive. Indeed, it is atypical for this region, and a real standout for the vintage. These are also wines that have emerged with additional depth and layers produced in the vineyard. They are multi-dimensional and completely ripe, the alcohols are slightly higher but the balance is faultless. It is an exceptional vintage and one that, under screw cap seal, will deliver legendary cellaring of twenty, thirty, forty years and beyond. 

In particular, the top wines of Tyrrell’s, Brokenwood and Mount Pleasant are as good as they’ve ever been in their considerable combined histories. Go out of your way to find them. I scored one wine a perfect 100 points, the 2014 Tyrrells Old Patch Shiraz.

Photos from top to bottom: Brokenwood vineyards in Hunter Valley; Tyrrell's Wines sign 

- Nick Stock 

Nick is a renowned Australian wine writer, author, presenter and filmmaker who reports on his worldwide wine tasting experiences for JamesSuckling.com.