Lee Pitofsky

9.3

Delicious pairing with duck. Reminds me of old Ravenswood 👌🏻👌🏻 — 5 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Still fresh showing the classic LB character with red & black fruits, cassis, earth, saddle leather, menthol, sweet spice & cigar box — 7 months ago

carl thornblade

9.0

A little green in flavor (as in unripe), too acidic, but had some elements of tropical fruit, just not full and ripe. Has potential but not the best. — 8 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

See several previous tasting notes for this wine. This was made back in the day when Hunter Valley reds had strayed from their medium bodied, savoury, sweaty saddle origins to being riper and more full bodied like a South Australian Red. This was declared in a speech by Chief Winemaker at the time, Jim Chatto, at a dinner I attended at the winery. Also plenty of oak still evident at 15 years of age. I prefer the original Hunter Valley style which Mount Pleasant has wisely reverted to utilising the wonderful old vine fruit at its disposal. Tasted again 35 weeks later on 26th March 2022. Nothing to add to the note here. A Hunter Valley wine trying to look like a South Australian wine back in 2006 with ripe fruit and oak. Thankfully HV reds have returned to the medium weight savoury long living style that Maurice O’Shea made in the 1950’s. — 4 years ago

Doris Korsman

9.1

Fireplace, wine and dark chocolate, tasting like dark fruit, black cherry with a bit oak. (Year 2018) — 6 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Deep Ruby in colour. Strong earthy stony aromas with deep ripe plum plus red and black fruits. An example of a Hunter Valley wine trying to be like a South Australian Shiraz - too ripe and full bodied. “Clumsy” HH said when it was first released. Thankfully wine makers lately in the Hunter have returned to the old medium weight, savoury, “sweaty saddle “ style. Returning to this 2005, this is more full bodied and rich but the quality of the very old vines planted by Maurice O’Shea pulls it over the line as a high quality wine. The more recent vintages of Maurice O’Shea are of extreme quality (2014 - 99 points), back to what the Hunter does best, and will live for decades. — 8 months ago

David Nicewicz

9.5

Excellent start to fall with 82’ Cos. Perfume of cassis, old library and saddle leather gives way to an unctuous palate - cassis, hoisin, bacon, animal, tobacco and the classic Cos silky tannins. Excellent wine. — 3 years ago

Thomas Clinch

10

Peppery, cherry, cranberries. Rosemary pairs well. Duck, figs, pork chops. — 6 months ago

Andy Stabile

9.2

My last bottle…
A few years back I bought 3 bottles. Now can’t find another 2017 on the inter-webs.

Soft mouth feel with a kick not from tannins, per se, but from a strong peppery finish. Just loved.
36% Grenache, 36% Syrah, 31 mourverdre…
After 2017 they jacked up the Grenache and it hasn’t been the same. Not sure the vineyard is even still around.

Was fun while it lasted…. — 7 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

This was fresh, showing well with red, black fruits, cedar, earth, saddle leather, savory spice & tobacco — 10 months ago