Checking in with a favourite friend tonight, the 2000 Rosehill Shiraz. Most visitors to the Hunter Valley (and there are many every year) will pass by this vineyard, sited as it is on Broke Road, gateway to the wine region. I wonder how many of them get to taste the fruit of Maurice O'Shea's labour?
A little bricking perhaps, but mostly garnet in colour. The nose is very exciting. It's plush and complex in equal measure, with delicate fruit, aged leather, vanilla oak and overarching sweet Hunter earth. Seamless and attractive, it's also slightly volatile, but that just adds to the fun.
The round, medium bodied palate is all about velvety texture. It sneaks up on you and, before you realise it, the mouth is awash with beautifully ripe, fine tannins that shoot flavour into every corner of the mouth. A surprising amount of bright red fruit forms the core of this wine's flavour profile, around which notes of earth, licorice and bubble-gum-like oak revolve. A delicious, regional savouriness registers on the after palate and represents the key flavour dimension as the wine moves to its dry, lengthy finish. I think the oak is a bit obvious here, but it's the only questionable note to my mind. Otherwise, it's all a ripe, rich expression of Hunter Shiraz, old-fashioned in the best possible way.
A seductive, elegant wine. I reckon it has a few years to go yet, but if you're in the mood today, you won't regret opening a bottle.
Price: $A28
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: July 2008
Splendid. I bought twelve, have six left, and am going to make a trip to get some decent stuff out... I was thinking of checking it. You saved me another job.
GW
Nice, six should see you through some good times. I wish I had bought that many. I think I was going through a "must not buy more wine" phase (it always passes) when this wine was released. Still have a couple, though, and I think it really does have a way to go, despite its deliciousness now. Just hope the oak fades a little. It's way to "Iced Vovo" at the moment.
I hope you rediscover some treasures from your cellar. Personally, I'm steeling myself to try some cheapies.
I opened a bottle '93 O'Shea in 2008 and it was a beautifully mature wine. My guess is the 2000 Rosehill (from a better vintage) still has a long life ahead of it.
Cheers.........Mahmoud.
That's very exciting - I have a few bottles of the 2000 in my cellar and fully intend to track its life over the next few years. I hope it works out as well as your bottle of the '93!