The
wines of Rosemount Estate, Part II: premium wines
Continuing my assessment of Aussie
pace-setter Rosemount Estate (see Part I, the
cheaper wines), here are my notes for 14 of their top wines. Rosemount's premium range can be conveniently split into four
parts. First is the Show Reserve Range, and then three regional
groupings. Rosemount is a the leader in two smaller but high-quality
regions in New South Wales, Mudgee and Orange. On the other side of
the Dividing Range from the Hunter, they are at altitude, which
results in slightly cooler temperatures, an extended growing season,
and intense, flavourful wines. Finally, the warm McLaren Vale in South
Australia produces a richer, softer style of wine, and is home to
Rosemount's flagship red, the Balmoral Syrah. Overall, the standard of
these wines is extremely high. However, prices are quite high; I think
the best value in this range comes from the Mudgee wines (although
steer clear of wines from the rained-out 2000 vintage). (Approximate retail price
given in brackets.)
Show Reserve Hunter Valley Chardonnay 2000
From two vineyards in the Hunter (Roxburgh and Giant's Creek),
fermented and matured in French oak. Quite a refined, rich nose with
toasty oak and buttery fruit. Savoury, classy palate with complex
nutty notes. Very good+ (c. £10)
Show Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1999
Matured in 75% French and 25% American oak. Lovely, minty, pure
blackcurrant and berry fruit on the nose with some spicy oak notes.
Quite classy. Rich and full palate with a lovely density of ripe fruit
and some tannins. A forward wine. Very good/excellent (c. £15)
Show Reserve Shiraz 1999, McLaren Vale/Langhorne Creek
Given the full American oak treatment, this is a deep red colour with
a rich, exotic nose. Soft, ripe, rich palate with a spicy finish.
Great concentration and depth of fruit (blackcurrant, blackberry and
damson). Very good/excellent (c. £15)
Hill of Gold Chardonnay 2000, Mudgee
2000 was a disastrous vintage in Mudgee, but this wine, matured for
six months in American oak, is light but characterful. Lovely spicy,
floral, toasty nose leads to a palate showing light lemony fruit and
savoury oaking. Dry finish. Very good (c £9)
Hill of Gold Shiraz 1999, Mudgee
15 months maturation in French and American oak. Deep red/purple
colour, with an exotic nose of spice, menthol and new oak.
Concentrated, ripe berry fruit on the palate with a big whack of spicy
new oak. Quite a big wine, and currently quite oaky; the hope is that
this will integrate better with time. Very good+ (c. £10)
Hill of Gold Cabernet Sauvignon 1999, Mudgee
A deep purple colour, this is a very concentrated wine that's spent
some 18 months in new oak. Blackcurrant and spice on the nose, with a
creamy, chocolatey palate. Rich and ripe, it has a spicy finish and
some tannin. Delicious now, but with the potential to develop. Very
good/excellent (c. £10)
Mountain Blue 1998, Mudgee
85% Shiraz, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is one of Rosemount's three
flagship wines. It reflects the pronounced Mudgee regional character,
but with a lush Rosemount twist. A deep red/purple colour, the exotic
ripe nose shows a mix of spices, red fruits and tarry, spicy new oak.
The palate is concentrated, rich and has high acidity, with lots of
spicy new oak on the finish. It's a bold, stunning wine. Very
good/excellent (c. £25)
GSM 1999, McLaren Vale
A Rhône-style blend (although nothing from the Rhône ever tasted
like this) of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre, from
old-vine fruit and aged for 18 months in American oak. It's a
delicious, bold wine. The exotic, spicy nose is full-on but has some
complexity (cloves, cinnamon, olives, herbs). The palate is rich and
full, with a rich, dense texture. Excellent (c. £18)
Traditional 1999, McLaren Vale
A Bordeaux-style blend (again, nothing from Bordeaux ever tasted like
this) of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot,
given the full American oak treatment. The lovely rich nose of creamy,
elegant blackcurrant fruit is lovely and open, with some herby, leafy
notes and a touch of spice. The palate shows concentrated, rich fruit
with a touch of spicy oak. Quite lush, with great concentration and
class. Very good/excellent (c. £25)
Balmoral Syrah 1998, McLaren Vale
Rosemount's top red, this is a single-vineyard old vine Shiraz aged
for two years in American oak. Classy, ripe spicy nose with smooth,
luscious ripe fruit, joined by coffee, spice and olive notes. Hugely
concentrated but well balanced palate with complex fruit and spice
flavours and enough tannic structure for ageworthiness. Excellent (c.
£35)
Orange Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1997
The fruit-forward nose displays ripe berry fruits, a touch of
herbiness and some menthol new oak. The palate shows cool-climate
fruit and juicy acidity. Good concentration; a distinctive, fresher
style. Very good+ (c. £16)
Orange Vineyard Merlot 1998
Shy nose with tight knit berry fruit on the palate. High acid-style
and some new oak. Needs time to develop some complexity; hard to
evaluate now. Very good (c. £16)
Orange Vineyard Shiraz 1997
A deep purple/black colour, this has a lovely fruity nose with ripe
berry fruit and cool climate minty notes, and a touch of caramel. The
broad palate shows great concentration and is rich and pure, with a
lovely, tarry, spicy character. Very good/excellent (c. £16)
Orange Vineyard Chardonnay 1998
The lively, fresh nose has an underlying richness from the new oak.
Full, nutty, savoury, oaky palate with a lemony edge and some vanilla
notes. Quite a different style to Rosemount's other Chardonnays. Very
good (c. 14)
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