- Lower Hunter Valley, NSW - $25-$39
- Screwcap
- 13.5%alc
One of the benefits of retailers not being bang up to date with vintages, is that you'll regularly find wines with an extra year or two bottle age, which will be all the better for it. Seeing all these delicious 2007 Hunter shirazes in Adelaide right now makes me glad to be South Australian! ;)
The 2007 Rosehill is a rather elegant and well formed Hunter shiraz, that despite taking time to open up, still proclaims the even ripeness associated with its season. It breathes gently and slowly but evenly, revealing a bouquet which is at once mature and youthful, fruity and savoury, if a fraction shy to speak. There are compressed scents of red and black berries at its core, quilted by leathery/earthy suggestions and tightly wound up by a toasty whiff of cedar/vanilla/mocha oak. Entering the palate with medium-weight, it pumps up considerably through the middle section courtesy of a juicy punch of ripe red berries and dark plums, propelling it closer to medium-full bodied territory. Underscoring its bright and flavoursome fruit is a classically savoury, dry and dusty undercarriage, which comes forth to extend the wine with great thrust alongside tastes of red licorice and seasoned pencil shavings-like oak, towards an open ended yet finely powdered finish smitten by a balancing acid act.
ü+ I think I've liked other vintages of this more, but the 2007 remains another great release from what must be one of the Hunter Valley's most reliable shiraz labels. It's amazing I paid $25 for this. Drink to 2020.
92 points
I like the Rosehill because it has that authentic earthy Hunter style. I enjoyed the 2007 and similarly the 2005 and 2000 for that reason I think. A great tasting note (as usual) Chris, because I was tasting the wine again as I read it without having to open one of my few remaining precious bottles. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Sean :)
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I'm now under the opinion that Rosehill must be close to the best $20-$30 shiraz label in Australia. Its consistency has been great for a number of years now and I'm well looking forward to the 2009. I never had the 2000 but I did like the 2005, although, it was the 2004 that heavily met with my approval. :)
I'm not sure about Melbourne Sean but it seems to have come down in price over here in Adelaide as well (without cost to quality of course). A few years ago $29 was about as good as I could find, but as I mentioned, I paid $25 for this bottle - wicked!
Cheers,
Chris P
Yep it is $25 here too.
ReplyDeleteWe are both spoilt by McWilliams then, aren't we? ;)
ReplyDelete