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Rosemount

Rosemount, owned by the Oatley family and Southcorp (the company also behind Penfolds, Lindemans and Wynns Coonawarra Estate), with winemaker Philip Shaw, have made a massive impact on the UK scene. From the Diamond Label range, which once impressed me with the Chardonnay in particular, and still finds favour with many UK consumers, through the Hill of Gold, Show Reserve and Premium ranges, up to the top cuvées, Rosemount still offers something for everyone. With this broad appeal in mind I recently tasted through a selection of the wines on offer, from the basic Diamond Label range through to the flagship wines - Roxburgh, Mountain Blue and the superb Balmoral.

The Diamond Label range is the entry level for Rosemount wines, and is the level at which most consumers discover this producer. This range comprises varietal wines and blends, such as the Semillon-Chardonnay, which have a split label. For me, the most memorable wine from the diamond label range was the Chardonnay, which greatly impressed during the early 1990s, a time when Australian Chardonnay was still making waves on the UK wine scene. It was great value at about £6, was packed with flavour, had a nutty, buttery application of oak, and always went down well with guests. Nowadays the Diamond Label range seems rather formulaic, with ubiquitously ripe fruit, rich texture and the standard application of American oak. Nevertheless, for those looking for a reliable bottle brimming with fruit and flavour, a wine from the Diamond Label range can be a good buy.

The Show Reserve range of wines features varietal wines using Chardonnay, Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz fruit, and they maintain a reputation for reliability and great varietal typicity. These wines were once the first of Rosemount's fine wine range to be sampled by most wine drinkers, although in recent years an escalation in retail price, together with the introduction of the more affordable Hill of Gold range, means this is no longer the case. The Chardonnay is sourced mainly from two vineyards of the Upper Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Roxburgh and Giant's Creek. The fruit from the upper slopes of the Roxburgh vineyard, fruit from lower down being favoured for the Roxburgh Chardonnay, one of the premium wines. The Giant's Creek vineyard is located in the higher reaches of the Upper Hunter, near a the Goulburn River, a tributary of the Hunter.

This Premium Regional range of wines has two main players, the 'Traditional', a Bordeaux-style blend with a massive application of American oak, and the 'GSM'. This is a blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvèdre, hence the name, this being a mix which mimics that used in Châteauneuf du Pape in the Rhône Valley. First released in 1994, this wine uses ripe McLaren Vale fruit to produce a supercharged Australian version of the famous wine from the South of France. I have always found the 1996 to be a splendid wine, although I believe that subsequent vintages, particularly the 1998, are less impressive. These are quite stylishly packaged wines, with quite minimalist labelling.

The Hill of Gold range comprises just three wines, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The range has only recently been introduced, and has been available in the UK for about a year or so at the time of writing. The wines are sourced from Mudgee, in New South Wales. Retailing for just a little more than the Diamond Label range, they are potentially very good value. I have previously found the Chardonnay very disappointing, but the Shiraz tasted here was a very different beast.

The flagship wines are the Roxburgh Chardonnay, Mountain Blue, and the Balmoral Syrah. The Roxburgh vineyard, in the Upper Hunter, bears some of the oldest and most respected Chardonnay vines in the whole of Australia. It was established in 1966, on an area of terra rossa over limestone bedrock. Rosemount's Mountain Blue is a classic Australian blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced primarily from forty year old vines in the Mountain Blue Vineyard on the western slopes of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. Although approachable young, this is a wine with ten or fifteen years of cellaring potential. At the top of the tree, in my opinion, is the Balmoral Syrah. Rosemount's Balmoral was first produced in 1989, although it did not gain the name Balmoral, which was the name of the Oatley homestead, until 1992. Unlike other Australian wines using this grape, Rosemount market this as a Syrah rather than a Shiraz, a clear statement of the style and quality they aim for with this wine. It is produced from old McLaren Vale vines, generally aged between 50 and 100 years, although there are small patches of even older vines. There are three distinct areas that yield fruit of sufficient quality - the sandy loam soils near Blewitt Springs; the darker soils in McLaren Flat itself; and the red soils with underlying limestone found in the Seaview area. (3/10/01)

Contact details:
Address: PO Box 753, Melbourne, Victoria 3001
Telephone: +61 (0) 3 9633 2000
Fax: +61 (0) 3 9633 2002
Internet: www.rosemountestate.com

Rosemount - Tasting Notes

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Rosemount GTR (SA) 2000: A blend of Gewurztraminer and Riesling. Good Gewurz' aromatics on the nose, with a fat, spicy, perfumed, slightly alcoholic, oily palate. Acidity a touch on the low side. 14.5/20 (December 2000)

Rosemount Semillon Chardonnay (SA) 2000: A good, clean nose of white fruit with some coconut and oak. Similar profile on the palate, good acidity. Easy drinking. 14.5/20 (December 2000)

Rosemount Chardonnay (SA) 2000: Good buttery, lemony nose. More spicy coconut oak in this wine. Good palate, with tropical fruits, lemony acidity and a reasonable amount of oak sitting with a creamy texture. Drinking well for such a young Chardonnay. 16/20 (December 2000)

Rosemount Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon (SA) 2000: A blackcurrant concentrate and fruit gum nose. On the palate, no surprise to find low acidity, little or no tannin and sweet, chewy, confected fruit gums. It's wine, but not as we know it. 13/20 (March 2001)

Rosemount Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon (SA) 2000: A spicy, blackberry and buttery pastry nose. Fairly light on the palate, soft tannins but good fruit. Easy drinking. 14/20 (December 2000)

Rosemount Shiraz (SA) 2000: This has dense aromas of chewy fruit with a sprinkle of black pepper. Fairly clean on the palate, quite full bodied, and packed with fruit. Unfortunately it has a background note of sweet molasses that I always seem to find in this wine, and which I don't care for. Nevertheless plenty of chewy fruit, and this wine proves popular with a couple of tasters on the night. 13.5/20 (March 2001)

Rosemount Shiraz Reserve (SA) 2000: Nice, deep youthful hue. Sweetly ripe fruit on the nose, with a tobacco-leather edge and some black pepper. Slightly creamy on entry, but a more restrained, firm midpalate, although it never loses that sense of super-ripe fruit. Softly structured, flabby perhaps, but with some good ripe tannins showing at the finish. Lacks a little acidity and finesse. 14/20 (September 2005)

Rosemount Cabernet Sauvignon (SA) 1999: Spicy chocolate nose. Blackcurrant fruit and spice on the palate, with unintegrated oak, and good acidity. Needs a little time. 14/20 (December 2000)

Rosemount Shiraz Cabernet (SA) 1999: Good rich colour. An attractive black fruit and liquorice nose. On the palate there is an attractive sweetness to the blackberry fruit, with a buttery, creamy texture. 15/20 (August 2000)

Rosemount Grenache Shiraz (SA) 1999: A good nose of wild herbs and black fruit. On the palate more fruit, liquorice. Good body. 15/20 (August 2000)

Rosemount Hill of Gold Chardonnay (Mudgee, NSW) 1999: A pale yellow colour. Some toffee and caramel oak on the nose, with tropical pineapple and lemon fruit. Unfortunately, the oak seems overdone on the palate, although it became less prominent with aeration - maybe the wine just needs more time in bottle to integrate. It is medium bodied, with sharp, lemony acidity. Overall quite underwhelming. 14/20 (October 2001)

Rosemount Show Reserve Chardonnay (Hunter Valley, NSW) 1999: A blend of Roxburgh and Giant's Creek fruit. A delightful application of buttery French oak, sitting alongside rich, pleasing tropical fruit aromas. On the palate, the unintegrated spicy oak is to the fore, with the fruit hiding beneath. Lovely texture. Needs a few years to come together, but as ever should be a lovely, good value Aussie Chardonnay. 16.5/20 (December 2000)

Rosemount Merlot (SA) 1998: Pleasant red-purple colour. A very forward, fruitcake and blackcurrant nose. A full, fruit-laden palate, with soft tannins and good acidity. 15/20 (August 2000)

Rosemount Cabernet Sauvignon (SA) 1998: Good deep colour. Blackcurrant nose, leading on to palate. Soft tannins. Has a little length. 15/20 (August 2000)

Rosemount Hill of Gold Shiraz (Mudgee, NSW) 1998: A darkly coloured wine, with a nose of chocolate, damsons, plums and spice. More lovely plum fruit on the palate, supported by a firm backbone of tannins which is still a little austere. Good balancing acidity and a delicious, smoothly textured construct. It finishes very well but lacks length. This is an approachable and affordable wine from Rosemount. I would happily buy this again in subsequent vintages. 16.5+/20 (October 2001)

Rosemount Show Reserve Chardonnay (Hunter Valley, NSW) 1997: This is one of the more reliable New World Chardonnays, although this is no longer a style I buy or drink often, even with the changing practises in the use of oak that we are seeing from the New World. It is a mid gold colour, with no great surprises on the nose. Rich tropical fruits, with some buttery, barrel-ferment aromas of oak. Fortunately there is a strong suggestion of lemony acidity, and this does come through on the palate, which is laden with rich, mouthfilling, creamy tropical fruits and more buttery oak. A very good example of the style. 16.5/20 (October 2001)

Rosemount Show Reserve Chardonnay (Hunter Valley, NSW) 1997: Attractive mid-gold colour. The nose has buttery tropical fruits, a moderate amount of oak, and a hint of citrus. A lovely palate, with a medium weight balanced very well with an excellent, lemony acidity, which many New World, flabby, over-oaked Chardonnays lack. Nice tropical fruits, and a fresh, youthful finish. 16/20 (May 2000)

Rosemount Shiraz (SA) 1997: This wine has seen a couple of years of bottle age, the current release is the 1999. Quite a good colour, which leads to some attractive berry fruit on the nose. The heavy application of toasted American oak so obvious on the the release of the Diamond Label wines has integrated well. There are some gamey and sweaty notes that provide the only complexity. More good fruit on the palate, with a displeasing background note of sweet molasses, but none of the complexity that was hinted at on the nose, and no great depth either. Soft tannins and acceptable acidity, with pleasant fruit, make the wine fairly easy to drink. 14/20 (October 2001)

Rosemount Traditional (McLaren Vale, SA) 1997: Colour difficult to assess in a dark restaurant. Nose dominated by spicy American oak, with lots of plummy fruit. The palate has a big texture, is packed with fruit, has correct acidity, but most of all peppery, spicy, American oak dominating the finish. Big, mouth-puckering tannins. After a few hours the oak really settled and it started to drink quite well. Needs at least another 3-5 years in bottle. Tasted at the Tavern Co. 16/20 (March 2001)

Rosemount Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Coonawarra, SA) 1997: Mature colour, showing a dark blood-tawny hue. Certainly an interesting and characterful nose, with mature Cabernet aromas of cigar box and old furniture, and walnut toffee, along with an appealing blackcurrant presence. Despite this interesting character the palate is rather light, showing burnt beef and Bovril flavours, with black fruit jam on the side. Soft, integrated structure, which is rather disappointing. Drink up. 14/20 (September 2005)

Rosemount Show Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra, SA) 1997: Mature colour, a dark bricking red. Sweet, cedary spice on the nose, with some fading notes of fruit. Nice texture on entry, although a touch chalky. Soft tannins and acceptable acidity. Roasted fruit flavours, leather and cedar. A short finish. Pleasant drinking, but lacks interest. Drink over the next one to two years. From an Australian Cabernet tasting. 15.5/20 (February 2003)

Rosemount Show Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra, SA) 1997: A deeply coloured wine. Rich and spicy on the nose, with a chocolate and cream opulence. Lovely texture on the palate, with yet still more integrating tannins. Touch of pepper. This wine needs more time in bottle yet, but it should be worth it. What a shame the price has risen so dramatically - I recall buying the 1994 for less than £10. 16.5/20 (December 2000)

Rosemount GSM (McLaren Vale, SA) 1996: The nose is loaded with sweet, intense, dusty-cherry fruit, and piles of American oak. Richly textured, with good acidity on the palate. Firm but plentiful fruit. A big, in-your-face wine, which I greatly enjoyed when I first purchased it, thinking of it as a turbo-charged Châteauneuf. Now it just seems a bit much, and the oak especially seems out of place and overdone. 15/20 (October 2002)

Rosemount GSM (McLaren Vale, SA) 1996: Good colour. Lots of deliciously ripe, but not raisined, fruit on the nose. Blackberries, blueberries, roasted herbs, with a touch of tar, spice and tobacco. Smooth yet powerful on entry, with an attack of tannins on the midpalate. Bags of spice and leather, and sweet, sweet fruit. A creamy texture with soft acidity, making this a wine for supping rather than pairing with food. The oak has further integrated since last tasted almost a year ago, and this wine is drinking great now. 16.5/20 (October 2001)

Rosemount GSM (McLaren Vale, SA) 1996: An inky purple black hue. The nose has delicious aromas of black summer fruits, garrigue herbs, raspberries and toasty, slightly spicy, American oak. The palate has good weight and a creamy texture, spicy black fruits, raspberries and nicely integrated oak, with hints of leather. Good tannins and soft acidity. The finish is crammed with spicy fruit, and there is delicious length. Lovely. 16.5/20 (May 2000)

Rosemount Mountain Blue Shiraz Cabernet (Mudgee, NSW) 1996: An intense, young, red-purple colour. Sweet blackcurrant pastille fruit on the nose, with a streak of liquorice and tobacco leaves. Quite a balanced palate, but with obvious staying power. Richly fruited with strong acidity, with the tannins coming into play on the midpalate. Brambly, peppery fruit. This wine still needs time. 17.5+/20 (October 2001)

Rosemount Roxburgh Chardonnay (Hunter Valley, NSW) 1994: This has a deep, burnished golden colour. On the nose there is a strong oak influence, with notes of allspice, ginger and golden syrup. There is more than a hint of Madeira-like oxidation. The palate seems bitter, very oaky and mealy, and is somewhat disjointed. Full bodied and powerful, it has plenty of alcohol. Although the disjointed sensation persists through the finish there is quite an appealing length. The second bottle this year, this wine was clearly suffering from oxidation. A shame, although some notes of quality still shone through. 14/20 (October 2001)

Rosemount Roxburgh Chardonnay (Hunter Valley, NSW) 1994: A promising, deep, golden amber colour. Rich, oatmealy French oak combined with honey and marmalade fruit on the nose, followed by a smoky, oaky, ripe tropical fruit palate. Medium bodied and richly textured, it has sufficient fresh acidity to provide the necessary balance, particularly so on the finish. Delicious, savoury, mouth watering wine. 16.5/20 (October 2001)

Rosemount Show Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra, SA) 1994: A dark purple hue to this wine, which has a delightful Cabernet nose of sweet cedar and freshly-sharpened pencil-lead. Blackcurrant fruit aromas later develop into more complex liquorice, spice and smoke nuances. The palate has a rich weight, with persistent well-balanced tannins and acidity. Black fruit and oak elements. Finishes cleanly. Overall a lovely wine. 16/20 (May 2000)

Rosemount Balmoral Syrah (McLaren Vale, SA) 1994: A good deep red colour, but what a nose! Absolutely packed with aromas of grilled cuts of meat, barbecued sausage, charcoal, very slightly jammy ripe berry fruits, black pepper, pickling spices and a touch of floral perfume. On the palate, a medium bodied wine with an elegant edge, packed with smoothly textured and powerful fruit. Lots of structure underneath, firm but unobtrusive tannins and lifting acidity. It finishes with a flourish of that acidity, which keeps the length fresh and flavoursome. Showing much better than my last tasting of this just a few months ago. 18/20 (October 2001)

Rosemount Balmoral Syrah (McLaren Vale, SA) 1994: Another dense wine. A big nose of chocolate and fruit, with a stylish, elegant, perfumed edge. An impressive mixture of fruit and acidity, with less prominent tannins. From an Australian Shiraz blind tasting. 17/20 (March 2001)

Tasting notes are ordered by date of tasting, most recent first. I have tried to indicate whether it is a tasting of a new release, or of a wine I have cellared.

Rosemount 'V' Sparkling Chardonnay (SA) NV: This is a new release from Rosemount. A straight, white fruit nose. A somewhat bitter and astringent palate. A poor effort, although a step up from my first taste from a different bottle which was corked. 12/20 (December 2000)