WTN: Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2004

[David Lole]

The name Mount Pleasant holds pride of place in Australian wine folklore with its roots dating back well into the nineteenth century. Home to one of the all-time greatest legends of Australian winemaking, Maurice O'Shea, Mount Pleasant was acquired by the current owners, the McWilliam family in 1941 and apart from long periods of inferior cork quality have produced some truly magnificent shiraz and semillon over the years. Mount Pleasant is located near Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia. The chief winemaker is the long-serving, Phillip Ryan.

The Elizabeth is Mount Pleasant's entry level Semillon, an unoaked, low alcohol white wine designed to mature gracefully over a decade, sometimes lasting for one or two more. First released in 1967 and improperly named "Riesling", Elizabeth has enjoyed universal acclaim as a quality wine at an extremley affordable price. Over the last decade it's retail price has gradually crept up to AUS$16 but can often be found on special closer to twelve. Just last week, a visit to a large supermarket chain's liquor store saw the wine discounted to $9.95 by the bottle with a further 20% discount for purchases of six bottles or more - bringing the price down to just under AUS$8/bottle. At this price, surely one of the world's greatest wine bargains.

Tasting Note

2004 Vintage

Boasting a bright lemon straw colour, this excellent Hunter semillon displays assertive soapy, waxy and lanolin scents atop long field grass and hay with some citrussy fruit sitting underneath. With extended air time, there's suggestions of grilled nuts, lemon butter and toast. In the mouth this wine delivers a spritzy tang redolent with palate-drenching lemon, lime and honeysuckle fruit. There's bucketloads of G&T-like acidity that provides fresheness and lift on the back-palate with a long zesty finish that requires further downtime to fully resolve. A very good to excellent Elizabeth requiring five years more cellaring to be at its best and then drunk at least another five. 88 points. 10.5%A/V. Sealed with a stelvin screwcap.

[Ian Sutton]

David
Sadly rarely seen here, though oddly a stack made it into a discount place in the North of England a while back, also at a similarly reduced price. I've yet to see it in a UK wine shop myself
regards
Ian