This wine seems much denser than the previous bottle a year or so ago so maybe in a dumber phase at present? But gee the quality is good. Deep dark black scarlet in colour, with a nose of blackberries, spice and toasty oak. Glossy shiraz fruit palate and a kick-in-the-gums furry tannin at the finish. Should be spectacular but leave alone for now….2026?, 18.25<18.5 and quite a bargain.
About as good as Hunter Shiraz gets, at least for me. Long life ahead but the balance part seems to be in order now. Great on release, then in a real flat spot. Now it has come good but still youthful and acid driven.
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Wow. What a few years has done to this. Maybe it’s gone into a dumb phase? It’s showing like a monolithic McLaren Vale or Barossan shiraz right now. The colour is deep and impenetrable. The nose big and boozy and the palate oaky and blowsy. Seems that the bright fruit on release has now receded. Hopefully time will bring it back into balance? Anyone seeing the same?
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Decanted 30 mins then drank over 2 hrs. At its best at 45 mins post decant but both palate and nose dissipates significantly at the end … perhaps signifying it is at its peak
Very nice. Fuller bodied than most Rosehill, this is travelling well. It was great on release and hit a dull spot afterwards. It is now starting to show some real complexity, and day 2 was a treat. I expect it will get better too.
From the first whiff, this vintage did not show the more typically refined nose and palate of a Rosehill wine. It reminded me of the OP&OH brutes of the 2000s. The nose was an amalgam of tar, leather and spice with no evidence of violets found in more typical vintages. A two hour decant did soften the palate somewhat but the drying tannic grip remained very evident. Certainly worth looking at another bottle in eight or so years as the provenance of this vineyard makes the gamble a worthwhile one.
Aged Hunter fun (Frank's place in Matraville): Jubey blackberry, plums, sweet spice, slightly earthy, peppery, very slightly volatile. Juicy, jubey, blackberry, plummy , spicy, drying chalky tannins. Time but yum.
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Outstanding, from the instant the bottle is poured in to the decanter and the aroma bursts forth, to the finish on the final drop. As per my note from 2017. 95 again. Won't touch another one of these for a decade, as have only two left. Happily the Hunter and Mount Pleasant have had some more cracking vintages since 2014, so I can enjoy and stock up on some younger Rosehills.
Hunter Whistlestop 2019 #1 (Hunter Valley): oxidised over pretty black plum and peppery spice, backed by oak. In the mouth it's joined by huge tannic grip. The oxidation has, unfortunately, stripped the fruit. Bottle opened for 3 days so I'll not mark this as flaw...Just opened too long.
This has not moved an inch over the last three years. Lovely lavender and rose nose, loaded with spice, gives way to a most savoury and peppery palate with chewy red earth tannins, cooling liquorice notes and tart red fruit taking the medium framed Shiraz very long. Hold. Drink next bottle in 5 years. 4.5/5 with more to come. Classic mid weight Hunter.
Decanted for 2 hours. Still a young wine but it's really changed since my last tasting 10 months ago. It's smoothed out & softened in 10 months. Nice prunes through the middle. Very complex so i might open another one in a couple of years & see where it is in it's journey.
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If you have gone long and are wondering whether you should have a taste, do yourself a favour and witness these incredible primary flavours while they are still there. No doubt this wine will develop into something incredible, but its fairly incredible right now. So much drive through a medium bodied wine, it really does paint the mouth with some complex fruits and spices. Definitely decant for a minimum of 2 hours. Really showed itself at 3 hours +
On Saturday night I had a few glasses of Mount Pleasant Rosehill Shiraz 2014. It was a truly lovely wine. Dark squid ink in colour with a garnet hue. The tannins were nicely balanced with the black fruit, pepper and star anise. The faint oak gave it a touch of burnt caramel. I have 5 more bottles. Despite being so delicious I am going to given them some time and start drinking the remaining 5 between 2025 and 2030. I'll also have a bottle of the Old Paddock & Old Hill Shiraz 2014 and the 1880s Vines Shiraz 2014 to open in a similar drinking window althought I might give those a bit more time.
Agree with much of the previous commentary on this. And would be my pick of the Mount Pleasant range of ‘14s right now. This is excellent already, with loads of potential to reach loftier heights. Fuller bodied but already paying dividends, give it 10 years and you’ll be laughing. 94+
one of the better Shiraz tasted on this trip. Plenty of tannins and good acidity. Good length and complexity without over-extraction. No heat. Oaks are fairly light too. Delicious.
Dark fruits but they have a lightness and brightness to them. Mixed spices, star anise and a little red fruit on the finish. Finely structured and great length. I have a good feeling about this in 10 or so years.
Hunter Valley - 4 Cellar Doors (Hunter Valley): {screwcap, 14%, $50} Haven’t the years caught up with the price of this label? That said, this has a beautiful savoury nose of blackberries, with an integrated palate of the same basic flavor, tinged with spice. Even palate, medium weight, little oak evident (good to see) and with a medium long finish. Nice wine with some years ahead, almost justifying its price.
Decanted for 2 hours. Still a young wine but wanted to see where it was in it's journey. Very good so far with so much room for development. Could easily go down another 20+ years. The colour was crimson like with forest floor, dust, toast and prune on the nose. Forest floor, light toast, smokey bacon, black pepper, dill and prune overwhelmed the palate in this medium/full bodied shiraz. The wine finished medium. It had a lovely dry finish that i expect will smooth out over time.
Whistestop Hunter tour (Hunter Valley): slightly reductive cherries and plums and plentiful peppery spice over creamier elements with a little plain chocolate here as well on the nose. In the mouth it's juicy, tight but wet, very spicy over the plummy fruit. Finishes warm and dry with flour textured tannins closing things down. Time may help but this feels classic Hunter.
This is a wine that lives up to the hype. Good fruit, balance of acid, tannins and oak, nice length. Approachable as a young wine but best left for another 5 years at least. 93+
Ooooh, lovely nose, I could happily sniff this for days. To taste... balance and medium weight feel so impressive. Roses, cherry, raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, almond, cinnamon, nutmeg. Fine spread of earthy, leathery tannins, wash of acidity, touch of liquorice and strawberry/seeds on the finish. Great now, and well worth sacrificing one. Greater later? Gotta think so.
Ended up somewhat overstocked on these, so decided to crack one from the cracka 2014 vintage. It has a big, fragrant nose of red cherries, raspberries, marzipan and spice. The palate is medium, with grippy tannins, sour cherry notes, and a nice, intriguing finish. Classic Hunter-style Shiraz. Looking forward to see how the 2014 vintage develops.
110% agreed with Wozza notes. Great wine but Just a touch under old hill and old paddock. Medium bodied, youthful, intense, and incredibly flavorful. I like my wines, particularly HV reds, on the slightly youthful side so this should be incredible in 2-4 yrs, with a much longer life ahead.
Another spectacular 2014 Hunter Shiraz from Mount Pleasant. Rosehill was planted by Maurice O'Shea in 1946, and features a higher, undulating North East aspect that's blessed with the renowned Hunter ancient, volcanic soils.
This Shiraz is beautifully made. But for me, a shade under the Old Paddock & Old Hill 2014 at this early stage. But it's more typical of Hunter Shiraz: It's highly aromatic (it's best feature), finely balanced, and intense but med-bodied and silky smooth, with dark cherry, raspberry, cinnamon, mushroom, almond, sea salt and spice. It's very ageworthy, and I would stick my neck out and say, it might just be the better wine in 10 years plus time. We'll see. It's why it gets a Wozza 95.5/100 (4.3/5.0) from me.
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2/8/2024 - Geoff7777 wrote:
This wine seems much denser than the previous bottle a year or so ago so maybe in a dumber phase at present? But gee the quality is good. Deep dark black scarlet in colour, with a nose of blackberries, spice and toasty oak. Glossy shiraz fruit palate and a kick-in-the-gums furry tannin at the finish. Should be spectacular but leave alone for now….2026?, 18.25<18.5 and quite a bargain.
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8/5/2023 - Screwcaps Likes this wine:
Deep, dark. ashen and brooding.
Pretty aromatics have sunk deep in to the wine, this is a bit of a tannic monster right now.
Like is for quality, rather than drinking pleasure.
Its in a bit of a hard going phase right now, but it will live a very long time.
Served this blind, and from memory of the last bottle, this really surprised.
This is excellent, but its currently not open for busines with a wall of charry tannin. So much so that wagyu did not tame it.
Impressive more than enjoyable at this point, almost age ten.
Wait another 3-5 and check back in in the hope that it will drop some tannin and find the elegance this vineyard is known for.
Far out, 2014s are living up to the then hype.
Hold.
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2/25/2023 - GD77 Likes this wine: 95 Points
About as good as Hunter Shiraz gets, at least for me. Long life ahead but the balance part seems to be in order now. Great on release, then in a real flat spot. Now it has come good but still youthful and acid driven.
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2/4/2023 - Redback Likes this wine:
PNP. Savoury, dry tannins. Nice Hunter style
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1/1/2023 - Jimmy_D wrote:
Wow. What a few years has done to this. Maybe it’s gone into a dumb phase? It’s showing like a monolithic McLaren Vale or Barossan shiraz right now. The colour is deep and impenetrable. The nose big and boozy and the palate oaky and blowsy. Seems that the bright fruit on release has now receded. Hopefully time will bring it back into balance? Anyone seeing the same?
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8/26/2022 - smenzies wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 30 mins then drank over 2 hrs. At its best at 45 mins post decant but both palate and nose dissipates significantly at the end … perhaps signifying it is at its peak
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8/20/2022 - nic.fcn wrote: 93 Points
This is really good. With little airing, no bitterness. Smooth Shiraz.
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11/19/2021 - GD77 wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic.
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4/1/2021 - GD77 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very nice. Fuller bodied than most Rosehill, this is travelling well. It was great on release and hit a dull spot afterwards. It is now starting to show some real complexity, and day 2 was a treat. I expect it will get better too.
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3/20/2021 - cogo44 Likes this wine: 93 Points
From the first whiff, this vintage did not show the more typically refined nose and palate of a Rosehill wine. It reminded me of the OP&OH brutes of the 2000s. The nose was an amalgam of tar, leather and spice with no evidence of violets found in more typical vintages. A two hour decant did soften the palate somewhat but the drying tannic grip remained very evident. Certainly worth looking at another bottle in eight or so years as the provenance of this vineyard makes the gamble a worthwhile one.
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7/28/2019 - chatters wrote:
Aged Hunter fun (Frank's place in Matraville): Jubey blackberry, plums, sweet spice, slightly earthy, peppery, very slightly volatile. Juicy, jubey, blackberry, plummy , spicy, drying chalky tannins. Time but yum.
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3/31/2019 - Avid Wino wrote:
Outstanding, from the instant the bottle is poured in to the decanter and the aroma bursts forth, to the finish on the final drop. As per my note from 2017. 95 again. Won't touch another one of these for a decade, as have only two left. Happily the Hunter and Mount Pleasant have had some more cracking vintages since 2014, so I can enjoy and stock up on some younger Rosehills.
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3/2/2019 - chatters wrote:
Hunter Whistlestop 2019 #1 (Hunter Valley): oxidised over pretty black plum and peppery spice, backed by oak. In the mouth it's joined by huge tannic grip. The oxidation has, unfortunately, stripped the fruit. Bottle opened for 3 days so I'll not mark this as flaw...Just opened too long.
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2/9/2019 - Screwcaps Likes this wine: 95 Points
This has not moved an inch over the last three years. Lovely lavender and rose nose, loaded with spice, gives way to a most savoury and peppery palate with chewy red earth tannins, cooling liquorice notes and tart red fruit taking the medium framed Shiraz very long. Hold. Drink next bottle in 5 years. 4.5/5 with more to come. Classic mid weight Hunter.
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1/8/2019 - thebatcavewines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous notes
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1/2/2019 - thebatcavewines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Breathed for 2 hours. Such a good wine. So complex & well balanced already. If you have any of these hold on to some of them for at least 10-15 years.
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11/23/2018 - thebatcavewines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous notes
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10/27/2018 - thebatcavewines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous notes :D
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10/17/2018 - thebatcavewines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Still a young wine but it's really changed since my last tasting 10 months ago. It's smoothed out & softened in 10 months. Nice prunes through the middle. Very complex so i might open another one in a couple of years & see where it is in it's journey.
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5/25/2018 - NoDivision wrote: 96 Points
If you have gone long and are wondering whether you should have a taste, do yourself a favour and witness these incredible primary flavours while they are still there. No doubt this wine will develop into something incredible, but its fairly incredible right now. So much drive through a medium bodied wine, it really does paint the mouth with some complex fruits and spices. Definitely decant for a minimum of 2 hours. Really showed itself at 3 hours +
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5/20/2018 - tuxy85 Likes this wine: 96 Points
On Saturday night I had a few glasses of Mount Pleasant Rosehill Shiraz 2014. It was a truly lovely wine. Dark squid ink in colour with a garnet hue. The tannins were nicely balanced with the black fruit, pepper and star anise. The faint oak gave it a touch of burnt caramel. I have 5 more bottles. Despite being so delicious I am going to given them some time and start drinking the remaining 5 between 2025 and 2030. I'll also have a bottle of the Old Paddock & Old Hill Shiraz 2014 and the 1880s Vines Shiraz 2014 to open in a similar drinking window althought I might give those a bit more time.
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4/1/2018 - Jimmy_D Likes this wine: 94 Points
Agree with much of the previous commentary on this. And would be my pick of the Mount Pleasant range of ‘14s right now. This is excellent already, with loads of potential to reach loftier heights. Fuller bodied but already paying dividends, give it 10 years and you’ll be laughing. 94+
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2/20/2018 - pclin wrote:
one of the better Shiraz tasted on this trip. Plenty of tannins and good acidity. Good length and complexity without over-extraction. No heat. Oaks are fairly light too. Delicious.
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2/2/2018 - BPej Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark fruits but they have a lightness and brightness to them. Mixed spices, star anise and a little red fruit on the finish. Finely structured and great length. I have a good feeling about this in 10 or so years.
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1/20/2018 - graemeg wrote:
Hunter Valley - 4 Cellar Doors (Hunter Valley): {screwcap, 14%, $50} Haven’t the years caught up with the price of this label? That said, this has a beautiful savoury nose of blackberries, with an integrated palate of the same basic flavor, tinged with spice. Even palate, medium weight, little oak evident (good to see) and with a medium long finish. Nice wine with some years ahead, almost justifying its price.
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12/23/2017 - thebatcavewines Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened one more just because i can. Consistent with my previous notes :D
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12/15/2017 - thebatcavewines Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Still a young wine but wanted to see where it was in it's journey. Very good so far with so much room for development. Could easily go down another 20+ years. The colour was crimson like with forest floor, dust, toast and prune on the nose. Forest floor, light toast, smokey bacon, black pepper, dill and prune overwhelmed the palate in this medium/full bodied shiraz. The wine finished medium. It had a lovely dry finish that i expect will smooth out over time.
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11/28/2017 - chatters wrote:
Whistestop Hunter tour (Hunter Valley): slightly reductive cherries and plums and plentiful peppery spice over creamier elements with a little plain chocolate here as well on the nose. In the mouth it's juicy, tight but wet, very spicy over the plummy fruit. Finishes warm and dry with flour textured tannins closing things down. Time may help but this feels classic Hunter.
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8/26/2017 - nulla Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a wine that lives up to the hype. Good fruit, balance of acid, tannins and oak, nice length. Approachable as a young wine but best left for another 5 years at least. 93+
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6/11/2017 - Avid Wino wrote: 95 Points
Ooooh, lovely nose, I could happily sniff this for days. To taste... balance and medium weight feel so impressive. Roses, cherry, raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, almond, cinnamon, nutmeg. Fine spread of earthy, leathery tannins, wash of acidity, touch of liquorice and strawberry/seeds on the finish. Great now, and well worth sacrificing one. Greater later? Gotta think so.
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5/18/2017 - VinCapitan wrote: 97 Points
what a beauty! great balance, superb, blackberry, black cherry, red roses, earth, stupendous
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4/27/2017 - AnonymousCoward Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ended up somewhat overstocked on these, so decided to crack one from the cracka 2014 vintage. It has a big, fragrant nose of red cherries, raspberries, marzipan and spice. The palate is medium, with grippy tannins, sour cherry notes, and a nice, intriguing finish. Classic Hunter-style Shiraz. Looking forward to see how the 2014 vintage develops.
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4/11/2017 - tlm66 wrote:
110% agreed with Wozza notes. Great wine but Just a touch under old hill and old paddock. Medium bodied, youthful, intense, and incredibly flavorful. I like my wines, particularly HV reds, on the slightly youthful side so this should be incredible in 2-4 yrs, with a much longer life ahead.
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11/14/2016 - GD77 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Amazing stuff. Certainly this must sit within the top echelon of young Hunter Valley wines ever produced. 97.
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10/14/2016 - Wozza Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another spectacular 2014 Hunter Shiraz from Mount Pleasant. Rosehill was planted by Maurice O'Shea in 1946, and features a higher, undulating North East aspect that's blessed with the renowned Hunter ancient, volcanic soils.
This Shiraz is beautifully made. But for me, a shade under the Old Paddock & Old Hill 2014 at this early stage. But it's more typical of Hunter Shiraz: It's highly aromatic (it's best feature), finely balanced, and intense but med-bodied and silky smooth, with dark cherry, raspberry, cinnamon, mushroom, almond, sea salt and spice. It's very ageworthy, and I would stick my neck out and say, it might just be the better wine in 10 years plus time. We'll see. It's why it gets a Wozza 95.5/100 (4.3/5.0) from me.
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