Mount Pleasant Maurice O'Shea Shiraz 750ml

Brand: Mount Pleasant

Release Name: Maurice O'Shea Shiraz (Flagship, Top Barrel Selection)

Wine Style / Type: Medium-to-Full-Bodied, Structured Red Wine

Varietal: 100% Shiraz

Age: Vintage varies depending on current stock — only made in exceptional years

Volume: 750ml Bottle

Alc / Vol (%): Varies by vintage — please confirm against current stock

Country: Australia

Region: Hunter Valley, New South Wales (Old Hill, Old Paddock and Rosehill Estate Vineyards)

Cask Type: Matured in New and Seasoned Large-Format French Oak

Limited Edition: Yes (Top Barrel Selection, Only Made in Exceptional Vintages, First Released 1987)

Award Winner: Yes — James Halliday Shiraz of the Year and 98 Points (2015 Vintage); Consistently Scored 95-97 Points Across Multiple Vintages by Huon Hooke, The Wine Front and Other Leading Critics

Mount Pleasant was established in 1921 in Pokolbin, Hunter Valley, by legendary winemaker Maurice O'Shea — often called the father of Australia's modern winemaking. The McWilliam family purchased the estate in the 1930s and continued to support O'Shea's winemaking, and his legacy has been carried forward by a succession of Chief Winemakers, with Adrian Sparks taking the role in 2018 as the fifth to hold the position. Mount Pleasant remains one of the Hunter Valley's most historically significant wineries, with the Lovedale Semillon standing as one of its most celebrated and selectively released wines.

First created in 1987 as a tribute to Maurice O'Shea, the legendary Hunter Valley winemaker who built Mount Pleasant from primitive conditions in the late 1940s and 50s, this wine sits at the absolute top of the estate's Shiraz range — a genuine barrel selection, not made every year, drawn exclusively from three of the property's most storied old-vine sites: the Old Hill (1880), Old Paddock (1921) and Rosehill (1946 and 1965 plantings). One respected critic called it "the most under-the-radar great Australian red," noting it deserves far greater recognition outside dedicated Hunter Valley circles, while Chief Winemaker Adrian Sparks has described crafting each vintage as "arguably our longest yet most rewarding task." The results speak for themselves: the 2015 vintage was named James Halliday's Shiraz of the Year and scored 98 points, and subsequent vintages have consistently scored 95-97 points from leading critics including Huon Hooke and The Wine Front. Built from vines up to 145 years old on heavy, rich volcanic soils, it's a wine of genuine longevity — some reviewers suggest it could cellar for half a century — making it a serious centrepiece for any collection of Australia's finest wines.