O’SHEA STELLAR SHIRAZ A STAR ACT

SPECIAL occasion wine to share with a classic prime rib

Wc16Aug10

David Ellis

A STELLAR vintage in the Hunter Valley in 2007 has resulted in a stellar wine for McWilliam’s with one of their flagship reds, the Mount Pleasant Maurice O’Shea Shiraz from that outstanding year.

First created in 1987 in honour of the legendary Mount Pleasant founder and winemaker, this latest release highlights the earthy, full-flavoured fruit characteristics of Hunter Valley Shiraz and the magnificence of the extraordinary old vines from which it is made.

The bulk of fruit for this 2007 came from low yielding vines on Mount Pleasant’s Old Hill Vineyard that was first planted in 1880 by the King family, and bought by the late Maurice O’Shea in 1921; the remainder was sourced from Maurice O’Shea’s Old Paddock Vineyard that he planted the same year.

This is an exceptional wine from an exceptional vintage. Loaded with rich sweet-berry fruit flavours, mocha, chocolate and fine, velvety tannins, its one to linger with over a good prime rib and roast vegetables, or if you can resist the temptation to open now, to put it in the cellar for anything up to another ten or twelve years.

TRY this New Zealand offering with corned beef and parsley sauce

Pay $65 for that special-occasion dinner for yourselves or with a few family and friends.

ONE FOR LUNCH:  AN enticing red out of New Zealand is Ant Moore’s 2008 Pinot Noir from the Central Otago region.

Brimming with classic Pinot Noir raspberry, cherry and supple game flavours, together with a touch of oak, this is a delightful lighter-bodied red from what was a stand-out vintage in Central Otago.  At $29.95 put it on the table with corned beef (silverside,) parsley white sauce and mashed potatoes.

(NEED A FOOD/DRINK IDEA? Check out  http://www.vintnews.com )