Full-bodied, deep, concentrated and rich, with loads of earthy Hunter Valley terroir, good concentration and ripeness. Great amplitude. Still young at 15 years and will power on for many more years. A classic.

96 points, The Real Review (July 2018)

This is the wine that the Maurice O’Shea lineage has been crying out for. It could easily develop into a classic, and if you have any bent towards the shiraz wines of the Hunter Valley, you must add some of this to your collection. It is a Hunter shiraz to its core, full of earth and spice and roses, and even though it has been liberally oaked, the quality of that oak is high – my great criticism of this lineage in the past is that the oak hasn’t been of the quality that it should have been. Cedar, blueberry, plums, roses – and that earthy, spicy character reaching up through the centre of it.

94 points, The Wine Front (May 2006)

Plenty of creamy spicy vanilla oak over blackberry/boysenberry fruit with a shake of black pepper and some regional earthiness. A huge grippy concentrated palate with ripe blackberry fruit and spicy earthy flavours. Very long tannic finish. It looks very typical of the vintage and although I wish there was a bit less oak I think the fruit is here to back it up. Great vintage. Great wine.

The Wine Front (July 2006)