2023 Tyrrell's Vat 8 Shiraz Cabernet

Vat 8 has long been one of the Hunter’s go-to reds for the cellar - a regional classic that brings Shiraz and Cabernet together in a way that feels distinctly Australian. The 2023 continues that line, with fruit drawn from some of Tyrrell’s best estate vineyards.

Shiraz leads the blend, giving plushness and spice, while Cabernet brings structure and a bit of grip through the finish. It’s aged in small French oak barrels (225L), enough to add polish without smothering the fruit. The result is a fuller, more brooding style than the estate’s flagship Shiraz, but still unmistakably Hunter.

Made to age, but approachable now with a decant, it’s a reliable, smartly built red from one of the country’s most enduring winemaking families. The kind of bottle that holds its own in any cellar line-up, year after year.

98 points
"Powerful and assertive... ripe mulberries, chocolate, fragrant anise, and spice... plentiful, papery tannins, setting the wine up for a long future."
- Toni Paterson (Halliday Wine Companion)