2023 Mount Pleasant Maurice O’Shea Shiraz

A superbly finessed and beautifully poised Hunter Valley Shiraz.

Fruit was sourced from the Old Hill vineyard planted in 1880, the Old Paddock vineyard planted in 1921 and Rosehill vineyard in 1946. Totally opaque black dark red heart with a bright red to dark red hue. Refined yet intense, the nose is flooded with red liquorice, plum and dark cherry scents which are complimented by earth, vanillin cedar, violet and peppered herb notes. Rich yet understated, the superbly finessed palate carries a supple flow of red liquorice, red plum and ripe cherry fruits which meld into a vanillin cedar, subtlety scorched earth, dried herb, gentle clove and pepper back drop. Beautifully poised, light on it’s feet and supple, it possesses a Pinot like power wave and fresh underlying acidity. Very fine yet grainy like tannins with an exceptionally long red fruited finish that combines savouriness with elegance.
Drink over the next 10-20 years.
Alc. 14%

Other Reviews….
Maurice O'Shea is the flagship blend of the best parcels from the finest vineyards of the Mount Pleasant estate. For this vintage, the vineyards included the 1880 vines of Old Hill and the Rosehill 1946 vines, with all grapes hand picked, destemmed and sorted, leaving the whole berries to soak before fermentation. The result is a stylish, medium-weight shiraz with incredible flavour intensity and an inherent lightness and energy. Beautifully supple, it bursts with warm strawberry fruit, enhanced by nuanced, fragrant oak. The mid-palate has impressive weight, while the intense, succulent flavours on the finish are captivating and memorable. Though it will cellar for decades, its remarkable approachability makes it hard to resist opening now. Drink by 2043.
98 Points
Toni Paterson – James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion

Wow, just wow. You know the blending bench has had tireless hours of tasting and conversation for this wine. The icon, the flagship, the cumulation of vintage and pedigree. It is a work of art, in every sense, and captures the magic of Mount Pleasant. Waves and curls of raspberry puree, rosehip and Alpine strawberry. A hint of Kirsch and bilberry. An undeniable sandy clay earthiness is tangible in each sip followed by white pepper, billy tea tannins and carried by eloquent and effortless acidity. It’s seamless to be quite frank and hard to imagine how the $ figure covers it. This will make you proud to be living in the state of New South Wales let alone the continent. At an early pre release this is drinking stonkingly well and will continue to evolve in ways the mind can only imagine. A magical mystical vintage of Maurice O’Shea!
98 Points
Shanteh Wale – WinePilot.com