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The Mount Pleasant cellar door is located on a rather picturesque hillside in the Hunter Valley. They have a vast array of wines available for tasting from around Australia since they are owned by McWilliams, however on our recent trip we remained focused on the local classics, Semillon and Shiraz. The tasting room itself is fairly large, obviously having capacity for busloads of visitors. Fortunately we arrived quite late in the day and things were fairly quiet, the staff were friendly and knowledgeable and we were definitely not treated like a number.
Mount Pleasant have several drink-now wines that represent decent quality and value for money, however things start to get more interesting when you look at their cellar release range of “Elizabeth” Semillon ($17.50) and “Phillip” Shiraz ($17.50). Both are very consistent performers, showing distinct varietal and regional character. Best of all, they can often be found for under $15 a bottle in stores and sometimes as low as $11.
Three vintages of the single vineyard “Lovedale” Semillon were available for tasting, the 1996 Lovedale ($40) which has some sticking cork issues, the 2000 Lovedale ($51) current release and finally a sneak peak at the 2005 Lovedale Semillon ($51). I felt they were all excellent examples of Hunter Semillon, however the pricing is definitely starting to hurt, especially given that Tyrrell’s have their Vat1 Semillon 2005 for under $30.
There were three different premium hunter red wines on offer, the Rosehill Shiraz 2000 ($32), which was my pick of the bunch, the Old Paddock & Old Hill 2002 ($38.50) and finally the Maurice O’Shea Shiraz 2003 ($60). The Rosehill and Old Paddock were described as “big boys” by the staff and are certainly fuller in flavour than many other hunter reds we tried this trip. The 2003 O’Shea is definitely a brilliant wine which I am glad we had the opportunity to taste, however there are better value options around.
Although Mount Pleasant are one of the larger players in the Hunter Valley, they offer excellent value for money with their cellar release range alongside premium selections that complete well with any other producer in the region. With wines at all price points, this is a winery with something for everyone.
Website: http://www.mountpleasantwines.com.au