1998 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz Rosehill

Community Tasting Notes (3) Avg Score: 93 points

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  4/30/2022 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine: 93 Points

  It’s been a sod of a growing season in my orchard/foetid (no, this is not a spelling error, naughty American spellchecker) jungle. Wet and then bone dry by turns, rarely very warm, each psychotic swing of the pendulum has been timed perfectly to arrive at the worst point. You know that it has been a wicked season when even the figs struggle to ripen. My near unremitting gloom was alleviated somewhat today by the surprise discovery that Persimmon and Guava have delivered bumper crops. Like the Persimmon and Guava, this wine lifted the gloom.
  
  I have scored this in line with my near Wilhelmine devotion to orthodoxy - i.e. on the CT scale at the high end of 'Excellent'. A decent argument could be made for an 'Outstanding' rating. Under a crumbling cork, it is a truism that there are no great old wines, only great bottles. This is one such. Not decanted for fear that this aged creature might break up.
  
  The colour is a little turbid, medium depth for an Oz wine, brick and umber.
  
  The nose is where it all starts. I was listening to Andreas Scholl but the nose suggests something like the joyous riot of the Cult, or Black Oak Arkansas. Polished leather, cloves and cinnamon, dark plum, a hint of Hunter volcanic loam. My knees are trembling in a way that is only usually achieved astride a fine Lynehamsas whore. This is what is great about old wine.
  
  The palate is warm and soft, voluptuous like the aforesaid Lynehamsas femme fatale. There is just enough ripe, fine tannin to act as a bodice to keep it from being bigger than fleshy. The finish is long and lingering, like a goodbye said by those arch eyes. Joni Mitchell once wrote of 'Carey' that she could 'drink a case of you' and that sums this wine up.
  
  An interesting debate might be about regionality, or lack thereof; for me the fine, soft tannins speak of only the Hunter, but a case could be made that it is merely soft Barossa. Try it and see what you think.
  
  On a weekend when one might gladly shed this mortal coil, I can't say this would bring one back, but it might make you take one last look.

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  7/28/2019 - chatters wrote:

  Aged Hunter fun (Frank's place in Matraville): Slightly volatile, dried orange, vanilla, cream, black cherry, sweet spice. The volatility translates to the palate, similar flavours to the nose, slightly sour, a little silky tannins, quite dense on the mid palate.

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  4/1/2002 - graemeg wrote:

  NobleRottersSydney - McWilliams & Orlando (Darling Mills, Glebe): This is more like it. I don’t know what problems the McWilliams winemakers are having making shiraz, but the problem has not been allowed to invade the Hunter! A gentle nose of spice and pepper. Warm, yet restrained – wouldn’t really be called rich. Medium bodied, quite elegant almost. Lovely balance and good length.

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