2023 Mount Pleasant 1880 Old Hill Vineyard Shiraz, Hunter Valley

The grapes, sourced from the 1880 plantings (block MP-01), were picked in three passes to ensure perfect ripeness. It is an incredibly intense wine with a definitive dark fruit profile, featuring ripe mulberry, plum conserve and dried fig tones. The palate is generous and expansive and, despite being laden with sweet fruit, it finishes with freshness. The tannins are exceptionally well integrated, making it surprisingly approachable now while simultaneously possessing the strength to age for decades. The sheer intensity of the dark fruit is its hallmark, culminating in an explosive finale of flavour on the close.

97 points Toni Paterson winecompanion.com.au

Mount Pleasant 1880 Old Hill Vineyard Shiraz is one of Australia’s most historically important wines and a profound expression of Hunter Valley Shiraz. The Old Hill Vineyard was planted in 1880, making it one of the oldest continuously producing Shiraz vineyards in the country. These dry grown, own rooted vines sit on gently sloping land with red and brown loams over clay, soils that naturally limit vigour and deliver fruit of depth, savoury detail and longevity. This is Hunter Shiraz in its most authentic, unadorned form.

Mount Pleasant is inseparable from Australian wine history. Established in the 1920s by Maurice O’Shea, the winery helped define what fine Australian wine could be. O’Shea championed vineyard individuality, moderate alcohol, and wines built for ageing long before it was fashionable. The Old Hill Vineyard Shiraz sits at the very top of that legacy, a wine made not for impact but for expression, nuance and time.

Despite its age, the vineyard produces remarkably balanced fruit. Hunter Valley’s warm, humid climate is tempered by cloud cover and early picking, resulting in Shiraz that is medium bodied, savoury and aromatic rather than heavy. Alcohol levels remain moderate, acidity is naturally vibrant, and tannins are fine and structural rather than aggressive. This is a wine of quiet authority, not brute force.

The aromatics are layered and deeply evocative. Red and black cherry, mulberry and plum skin sit alongside classic Hunter characters of earth, dried herbs and subtle spice. With air, more tertiary complexity emerges. Leather, tea leaf, forest floor and a faint ferrous note that speaks to the vineyard’s age and soil. There is often a gentle floral lift too, violets and dried rose petals adding perfume rather than sweetness.

On the palate, the wine is all about shape and balance. The entry is supple and savoury, with red and dark fruits flowing across the tongue rather than sitting heavily. Acidity is bright and structural, giving freshness and length. Tannins are fine grained and persistent, providing a framework that carries the wine effortlessly through a long, composed finish. Oak is always discreet, supporting the wine rather than imprinting flavour. The finish lingers with spice, earth, gentle fruit and that unmistakable Hunter Valley savoury edge.

This is a Shiraz that comes alive with food. Roast lamb, duck, pork, game birds, mushroom dishes or slow cooked meats are natural partners. It can be enjoyed young with decanting, but patience is richly rewarded. Mount Pleasant 1880 Old Hill Vineyard Shiraz is built for long ageing, comfortably evolving over twenty to thirty years. With time, it develops layers of leather, truffle, dried herbs and savoury complexity while retaining freshness and poise.

Mount Pleasant 1880 Old Hill Vineyard Shiraz is not just a great Hunter Valley wine, it is a cornerstone of Australian wine heritage. Rare, cellar worthy and deeply expressive, it stands as a reminder that true greatness often speaks softly and lasts longest.