6 Minutes @ Chris Tyrrell

 Chris Tyrrell, the 5th generation of Tyrrell's wines and the future of Tyrrell Winemaking Dynasty alongside with his sister Jane and brother John. Chris is now wearing many hats to up keep the family business and to further the brand name to wider wine enthusiasts especially in the fat east. The 29 years old young and energetic Chris hosted a French-inspired lunch in Cepage by pairing some of the finest wines from Tyrrell's Wines, mylifestylenews met up with Chris in person to find out Chris's passage and his truthful passion in wine making business......

 

Being the 5th generation of the Tyrrell winemaking family business, there are too many hats on me and alongside with my sister Jane and my brother John to reinvent and to upkeep the brand to many of our followers.

 

150 years till to date, Tyrrell's wine is still very much 100% family own and there are still certain style of wines that we made from the single vineyard with very specific criteria and requirement with high quality control. Only 200-300 cases of wines we produce with a limitation to ensure the quality and the specification are met.

 

My first vintage was at age 18 in 2001, which was the first vintage after the passing of Australian winemaking legend of my grandfather, Murray Tyrrell. My apprenticeship begun since to ensuring that my grandfather’s tradition of “a Tyrrell in the winery, making wine” remained unbroken.

From then on I had worked in the family company, in between vintages in the sales and marketing department until the end 2005 when I returned to work full-time in the winery. Since then, I have been an assistant winemaker working with two of the great modern day Hunter Valley winemakers, Chief Winemaker Andrew Spinaze and Red Winemaker Mark Richardson.

I had spent time in and around some of the greatest estates and wine regions in the world including Burgundy, the Rhône, Bordeaux and Spain. In recent years, the rest of the Tyrrell winemaking team and I focus heavily on improving, and in some cases, reinventing Tyrrell’s classic regional styles and single vineyard sites. Specifically, the flagship Semillon and Shiraz wines from some of the world’s oldest vineyards.

With the different roles that I am representing in Tyrrell's wine, being a winemaker is still what I like best. It gives me the opportunity further represent the brand and my present role as a Assistant winemaker now to share further in depth experience and knowledge to the people that I meet while I travel. All these to serve one purpose, to ensure that the family winemaking legend continues for one of the world’s great wine families.

I am still being an active judge in the Australian wine show circuit and runs the Hunter Valley Young Winemakers Group. In 2012, I was named "Rising Star of the Year" at the Hunter Valley Wine Industry Awards and recently accepted into the fifth intake of the Wine Industry Future Leaders Program which focuses on developing the next generation of Australian wine industry leaders.

 

My great great grandfather Edward Tyrrell was an English immigrant and established Tyrell's Wines in 1858 in the lee of the Hunter Valley's Brokenback Range, New South Wales. This land has become recognised as home to some of the Hunter Valley region's first vineyards, and the basis for development of one of Australia's most successful privately owned wine companies.

 

Today, Tyrrell's produce premium vineyards extended from Hunter Valley to other distinguished grape growing regions of Australia including McLaren Vale in South Australia and Heathcote in Victoria.

 

Wine business has some interesting grown in China lately, many people have the willingness to learn and curious about wines. Many refined wineries around the world has its reputation grown even from words of mouth or through 3rd party endorsements. For Tyrrell's Wine, we have at least 25% growth in Hong Kong alone.

 

The difference between old world wines and new worlds are the old world wines has much more strict rules and regulation to up keep the production and the brand names whereas the new world wine like Australia wine are more flexible in terms of wine production. That also allow us to produce some new blend of wines without too much of a restriction.

 

You always ask for recommendation when you come to some wines that are stranger to you. By accepting the comments and experience it yourself to find out what's there other could offer. Same goes for Tyrrell's wines, you need to taste it yourself and give your own judgement and suggestion. The more you do it, the more you will discover what your like or dislike. All these adding to your experience in wine appreciation.

 

 

The 2008 Hunter Valley Moon Mountain Chardonnay that we are drinking now sourced from premium Chardonnay vineyards within the Lower Hunter Valley, the fruit underwent partial fermentation in stainless steel tanks before being transferred to French oak barriques to complete the fermentation.

 

This is skillfully crafted through the amalgamation of fruit and balanced wood handling, this wine has an energy and personality that comes from the dedication of making a perfect example of a Hunter Valley chardonnay.

 

The freshness of this chardonnay makes a perfect combination to seafood, chicken or pasta dishes. Excellent drinking upon release and will also develop bottle age complexity.

 

The Hunter Valley Vat 1 Semillon 2005 is a classic Hunter Valley Semillon showing a tightly structured palate with considerable length and breadth of citrus fruit flavours. The wine is only just beginning to evolve and show a hint of toasty, bottle aged complexity. Moreover, an iconic Australian wine forms what is a classic vintage for Hunter Valley Semillon.

 

It sourced from the Short Flat and Johnno's vineyards, dating back to 1908 dry grown and on their own roots. A dry winter and spring with some rain through mid to late December that filled out the bunches and followed by a dry harvesting period that gave this wine a smaller crop that 2004 but with more concentrated flavours.

 

The grapes were hand picked then lightly crushed before a relatively cool fermentation in stainless steel. After a short period of gross lees, the wine was racked and left to mature in stainless steel for further five months before bottling.

 

This 2005 vintage has been awarded 5 trophies, 22 gold, 6 silver and 6 Bronze medals.



 

The 2009 Johnno's Shiraz had a god rain throughout winter and spring saw us set for a great vintage. Having a classic 1970s style, this Shiraz is light to medium bodied Hunter red, delicate and spicy with great palate length and acid structure.

 

The new oak component acts as a framework to the wine but does not overpower it with the fruit being primary focus to the wine.

 

This vineyard was planted in 1908 is light, sandy soil at the edge of Mary Ann's creek in the southern boundary of the original property. Originally known as the Long Flat vineyard, the name was changed in 2002 to Johnnos after the firth generation family member by my brother John Tyrrell.

 

The 2009 Hunter Valley Vat 9 Shiraz was sourced from Tyrrell's super premium vineyards on the Ashman's property with an average vine age of 50 years. Predominately from the Weinkeller and Short Flat vineyard.
 

The dehydrated berries lifted the sugars and toughened the skins whilst maintaining a great balance of flavours. Bright purple in colour, the wine has a fresh nose of berries and violets with a subtle oak lift.

 

 

The palate is medium weight with the immediate fruit sweetness being the core of the palate structure. The oak fills out the mid palate which is extended with a fine, clean acid structure. A creamy, soft textured wine which is a great example of modern Hunter Shiraz.

 

 

 

"My favorite possession is my old vintage watch and my dog Harvey." Said Chris Tyrrell.

mylifestylenews @ Chris Tyrrell