Mount Pleasant Wines
Rosehill Limited Release Hunter Valley Shiraz
Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia
See several previous Delectable notes. Colour is very youthful - no tawny rim - a rich Ruby red. Rich plum, very earthy , ferrous / iron filings. It needed 16 years to show its Hunter Valley origins. In its early years it was more “South Australian “ in its flavour profile. Savoury and stalky and developing a little Hunter Valley “sweaty saddle “. Tasted another bottle 20 weeks later on 10th February 2023. Still more South Australian in flavour than Hunter Valley.
See several previous Delectable notes. Colour is very youthful - no tawny rim - a rich Ruby red. Rich plum, very earthy , ferrous / iron filings. It needed 16 years to show its Hunter Valley origins. In its early years it was more “South Australian “ in its flavour profile. Savoury and stalky and developing a little Hunter Valley “sweaty saddle “. Tasted another bottle 20 weeks later on 10th February 2023. Still more South Australian in flavour than Hunter Valley.
Sep 19th, 2022See 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.
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.
Jul 21st, 2021Dense ripe plum and dried plum notes with an overly healthy dose of oak. Medium to full bodied palate. Not your normal Hunter Valley Shiraz - more like a South Australian Shiraz as I’ve mentioned in a previous note. Still retains the Hunter Valley earthiness but not as medium bodied sweaty saddle that Hunter Valley Shiraz should be and was traditionally. Great that Hunter Valley producers have returned to the old medium bodied savoury styles which shone in 2014 and 2017. Tasted 21 weeks later on 24th January 2021 with similar notes to above. Still dusty oak and earthy sweaty notes. Medium to full bodied - also a note of black plum on the palate.
Dense ripe plum and dried plum notes with an overly healthy dose of oak. Medium to full bodied palate. Not your normal Hunter Valley Shiraz - more like a South Australian Shiraz as I’ve mentioned in a previous note. Still retains the Hunter Valley earthiness but not as medium bodied sweaty saddle that Hunter Valley Shiraz should be and was traditionally. Great that Hunter Valley producers have returned to the old medium bodied savoury styles which shone in 2014 and 2017. Tasted 21 weeks later on 24th January 2021 with similar notes to above. Still dusty oak and earthy sweaty notes. Medium to full bodied - also a note of black plum on the palate.
Aug 28th, 2020I once heard chief winemaker at Mount Pleasant, Jim Chatto, give a speech saying that stylistically Mount Pleasant was copying South Australia in making riper richer Shiraz back around 2000 to 2009. This wine reflects that. These days they have returned to a more traditional medium weight yet still long living style. This wine is much more dense ripe and concentrated but still with traces of Hunter Valley earthiness and sweaty saddle. Even at 14 years this wine has a long future in front of it. Of my 2 remaining bottles I will have the next one in 2025.
I once heard chief winemaker at Mount Pleasant, Jim Chatto, give a speech saying that stylistically Mount Pleasant was copying South Australia in making riper richer Shiraz back around 2000 to 2009. This wine reflects that. These days they have returned to a more traditional medium weight yet still long living style. This wine is much more dense ripe and concentrated but still with traces of Hunter Valley earthiness and sweaty saddle. Even at 14 years this wine has a long future in front of it. Of my 2 remaining bottles I will have the next one in 2025.
May 7th, 2019Still very dark Crimson at 11 years of age. Earthy mineral nose with cherry/berry notes. No Hunter Valley sweaty saddle. A wine with a solid core with still a long future. Highly awarded on the Australian Show Circuit- 3 Trophies etc Tasted again 110 weeks later on 28 May 2018. Not a typical HV nose - a little closed. Made more in the SA Style of blackberry. Chocolate and a bit monolithic. Full bodied with a long future. With air - herbal and stalky notes.
Still very dark Crimson at 11 years of age. Earthy mineral nose with cherry/berry notes. No Hunter Valley sweaty saddle. A wine with a solid core with still a long future. Highly awarded on the Australian Show Circuit- 3 Trophies etc Tasted again 110 weeks later on 28 May 2018. Not a typical HV nose - a little closed. Made more in the SA Style of blackberry. Chocolate and a bit monolithic. Full bodied with a long future. With air - herbal and stalky notes.
Apr 12th, 2016