Guide Dog Label Dozen
Price: $135.00/dz

Cabernet Sauvignon
Ripe Cabernet fruit from a good year was transformed into this wine using modern fermentation techniques. After fermentation the wine matured in a combination of American and French oak, to soften the palate and enhance the flavour complexity prior to final blending and bottling.

Mulberry and plum fruit characters dominate the nose, with intense, varietal characters on the palate. The result is a flavour ripe wine with subtle structured tannin on the finish.

The aromas and colour hint at the intensity of this wine. A full-bodied red, that will make it an ideal accompaniment to casseroles, red meats and aged cheeses.

Shiraz Cabernet
The Guide Dog Shiraz Cabernet displays peppery fruit combined with subtle earthy characters. The palate is soft, yet pleasantly mouthfilling with carefully balanced acid and tannin. Vibrant plum red in colour; the nose is appealing with sweet berry fruit, and hints of earth and spice. Designed for its softness and 'immediate drink­ability', the palate is quite full flavoured, with spicy peppery overtones from the Shiraz, and blackcurrant flavours from the Cabernet. Medium weight tannins balance the acid resulting in a smooth, pleasant finish.

The wine components were fermented separately in stainless steel fermen­tation tanks and hand plunged in open vats. Maturation took place in large oak casks with a small component in 3 to 5-year-old barriques.

An easy-drinking red wine which matches well with beef or roast lamb, whilst also suitable with poultry or game bird dishes.

Chardonnay Semillon
Chardonnay and Semillon are the two main white varieties grown in the Hunter Valley, and Tyrrell's have been blending them for the Private Bin range for many years. The popularity of this blend has inspired an increase in commercial availability in recent years, and this label is the result of that trend.

The Guide Dogs Label Chardonnay Semillon is a blend of 68% Chardonnay and 32% Semillon from the Hunter Valley and these two classic white varieties of the Hunter Valley combine to create a mid palate showing soft, full bodied Chardonnay fruit and finishes with the crisp citrus Semillon characters to balance the wine.

The necessary portions of Chardonnay and Semillon were fermented separately then blended together to give the right balance of peachy Chardonnay fruit with crisp citrus flavoured Semillon. The Chardonnay portion was left with a small amount of residual sugar after fermentation, contributing to the richness and softness of the final blend.

Traminer Riesling
Guide Dogs Label Traminer Riesling is a popular, fruity wine made from our Upper Hunter Valley vineyards. the distinctive flavours of these two grape varieties combine well with a healthy dose of residual sugar, creating a wine that is eminently quaffable by itself or a versatile accompaniment to a wide range of foods.

This Traminer Riesling boasts intense spicy Traminer characters combined with lifted floral tones to produce a fresh, fruity, naturally sweet white wine.

The Traminer (60%) and Riesling (40%) were both cool fermented in stainless steel to retain their inherent aromatic qualities. After fermentation the separate parcels were combined for stabilisation and filtration.

Guide Dog “Reserve” Label Dozen
Price: $175.00/dz

Cabernet Merlot
This wine sources these two noble red grape varieties from their best areas. Each year, Tyrrell's winemakers search for the best parcels of these two noble grape varieties to create a soft, fruit driven wine that is universally popular. 

The Cabernet Merlot is a deep crimson red in colour with a purple rim. Ripe berry fruit and lifted spice are evident on the nose. These characters follow through to the palate where further flavours of rich berry fruit are supported by soft tannins and subtle vanillan oak. This generosity suggests that medium term bottle age will be of benefit.

This wine is ideal for drinking now and will be drinking at its best over the next four years. The versatile nature of this Cabernet Merlot makes it an ideal accompaniment to a variety of dishes – from traditional pastas, red meats and cheeses.

Shiraz
Shiraz is the indisputable great red grape variety of Australia and Tyrrell’s have been producing top quality Shiraz for over 100 years. The Guide Dog Shiraz continues Tyrrell’s tradition of consistently producing wines that over deliver on both quality and value for money. 

The wine is a deep red in colour with a bright purple rim. The nose displays aromas of ripe plums, chocolate and vanilla essence. Sweet Shiraz fruit and spicy white pepper are evident on the palate which is supported by firm tannins, along with good length and complexity. Information Fermentation took place in a combination of hand plunged open vats and larger potter tanks. Malolactic fermentation and maturation took place in 1-3 year old French and American oak barriques and large old oak casks for 8-15 months prior to bottling.

This Shiraz is an ideal accompaniment for traditional pastas, barbequed red meats and cheeses. Drinking well on release and capable of medium term cellaring.

Chardonnay
The grapes for this wine were principally sourced from the Hunter Valley, with a small component (5%) of Tyrrell's McLaren Vale vineyard fruit added for body and weight. After harvesting and pressing, the juice was cool fermented then over 50% of the blend received 5 months maturation in French oak barriques. This Chardonnay is ideal drinking now, however it will improve in the bottle for a further 2 to 3 years.

Guide Dog Chardonnay is a medium bodied wine with aromas of stone fruit and subtle vanillin oak. The palate is generously flavoured, leaning towards a white peach citrus flavour spectrum with hints of spicy oak with a clean, crisp finish.

Tyrrell’s are famous for the pioneering of Chardonnay in Australia, being the first Australian wine company to commercially produce this variety, in 1971. This was the first time Australia had seen a bottled Chardonnay! Tyrrell’s were also one of the first to import small French oak barrels to Australia for this style. The Guide Dog label continues this proud tradition.

Serve slightly chilled. A great food wine which is ideal with chicken, seafood and pasta dishes – or by itself. 

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
While the Reserve Label Semillon Sauvignon Blanc is a new addition to our Guide Dog range, Tyrrell’s first started to blend Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc in 1987. This popular blend sources two of the classic white grape varieties from the South Western corner of Western Australia – an increasingly recognised area for producing delicious Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

The colour is pale with a limey green hue. Lifted aromas of a typical cool climate Sauvignon Blanc - pungent and herbaceous - dominate the nose with the Semillon contributing a lemony overtone. The Semillon’s fuller palate structure has added weight to the wine, which has good length of flavour and ends with a zesty, citrus finish.

After harvest, both the Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc portions were crushed and pressed in Western Australia. The resulting ‘must’ (juice) parcels were chilled and then transported to the Hunter Valley, where they were fermented separately. Following a cool fermentation in stainless steel vessels, using aromatic yeasts to maximise the grapes fragrant qualities, the wine was quickly filtered and blended to retain all the fresh sherbet fruit flavours. Sealed with a screwcap to ensure the freshness of the varieties is preserved.

Serve chilled as an aperitif with antipasto style nibbles. Also great as an alfresco dining accompaniment with seafood, vegetarian and chicken dishes or some comfort food, eg. a rich Seafood Spaghetti Marinara.