2017 Mount Pleasant 1965 Vines Rosehill Shiraz, Hunter Valley

Stellar release from a stellar vineyard. It's a wine of flesh, flavour, spread and run. It tastes of plum and mineral, redcurrant and anise mainly, though peppercorn, deli meat and black pepper notes all make contributions. But really, the fruit is the thing; this is just so pure, so pretty and so sure. Drink by 2045

97 points Special Value Campbell Mattinson winecompanion.com.au August 2019

Deep, bright red/purple colour. The bouquet is all about graphite and coal-dusty, earthy characters. The palate is intense and bright, concentrated and powerful, full-bodied and firm, with terrific structure and grip. It's a full-bodied shiraz, and very long in its aftertaste. Long-term potential 09 Jan 2019 Drink 2019–2042

96 points Huon Hooke therealreview.com

Mount Pleasant 1965 Vines Rosehill Shiraz is one of the great heritage wines of the Hunter Valley, drawn from a legendary vineyard planted in 1965 on the gentle slopes of Rosehill near Pokolbin. These old vines are rooted in red and brown loams over clay, soils that naturally limit vigour and deliver Shiraz with savoury depth, earthy nuance and moderate alcohol rather than sheer power. The Hunter Valley’s humid, warm climate combined with frequent cloud cover produces a uniquely Australian expression of Shiraz, medium bodied, spicy and built around structure and acidity rather than fruit weight. Rosehill is one of Mount Pleasant’s most important sites, long recognised for producing wines of character, restraint and exceptional aging ability.

Mount Pleasant’s story is inseparable from Maurice O’Shea, one of Australia’s most influential winemakers, who established the winery in the 1920s and set a benchmark for regional expression and long lived wines. That legacy continues today under the stewardship of Mount Pleasant’s modern winemaking team, who approach Rosehill with deep respect for tradition, careful vineyard management and restrained cellar work. The 1965 Vines Shiraz is handled gently, with modest extraction and sympathetic oak, allowing the old vine fruit and Hunter Valley character to take centre stage. In the glass the wine shows a translucent deep ruby colour, opening with aromas of dark cherry, plum skin, cracked pepper, dried herbs, earth and subtle leather. The palate is medium bodied and finely structured, layering savoury red and dark fruits with gentle spice, fine tannins and a long, dry finish driven by natural acidity. It is superb with roast lamb, duck, pork and mushroom based dishes, and it is built to age gracefully for fifteen to twenty years, developing notes of truffle, forest floor and spice as it matures.