2018 Mount Pleasant Old Paddock & Old Hill Shiraz, Hunter Valley

All things considered this is a bit of a steal. The history, the class in the bottle, the potential longevity, the importance. It's a beautiful medium weight red wine. It tastes of musk, earth, peppercorn and ripe red/black cherries. It has vigour and momentum, yet it feels settled and controlled. It sings through the finish. It doesn't put a foot wrong.

96 points Campbell Mattinson winecompanion.com.au 1 August 2020

3 Gold Medals

First planted by Maurice O'Shea in 1921, the Old Paddock vineyard enjoys an elevated easterly aspect overlooking Mount Pleasant estate and some of the oldest shiraz vines in the world. Fruit from these low-yielding vines is blended with shiraz from the nearby Old Hill vineyard, first planted in 1880, to deliver a complex, brooding wine, rich in character and steeped in heritage. This distinguished partnership between these two highly celebrated vineyard sites, the Old Paddock and Old Hill vineyards deliver a small parcel of just 10 hectares of old gnarly shiraz vines. Planted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these vines have buried their roots deep into the ancient volcanic soil of the site.

Dark purple with violet hues.Red and blue fruits with a hint of spice. Intense pepper from Old Paddock fruit pairs perfectly with the lifted red fruits of the cooler Old Hill vineyard. French oak vanillin balances rich tannin for a supple finish. Drink 2024-2043.