For a long time i really didn't think much of Hunter Valley Shiraz. I think this was the result of having a relatively undeveloped wine palate, along with the fact that there is plenty of wine of questionable quality produced in the Hunter, especially in the more difficult vintages.
As I have really developed my love of wine over the past few years, the styles of wine that I like have grown, and I've also worked out that with the Hunter you really have to sort the wheat from the chaff. Know your good Hunter vintages, and the Hunter wineries that consistently produce, and you will be rewarded with truly unique wines that will cellar beautifully. Add to this the wonderful history of the region, and I've become a Hunter convert.
The 2005 Mount Pleasant Old Paddock & Old Hill (OP&OH) Shiraz is a great example of all this. The fruit from this wine is sourced from the Old Paddock vineyard, which was planted in 1921, and the Old Hill Vineyard which was planted in 1880. The wine itself has shown the ability to age beautifully over the years. Importantly 2005 was a decent vintage in the Hunter.
This is a somewhat dark and powerful Hunter Shiraz. It has a deep bouquet of earthy, meaty notes along with some nice oak. On the palate it has intense flavours of sour cherry, pepper, and chocolate. It is a wine of length and has fine but firm tannins. It has persistance well after the wine has been swallowed. I will be leaving my other bottles of this wine well alone until at least 2015, at which stage I think it will be a superb example of everything that is great about Hunter Shiraz.
Red
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