blurb also erroneously claims that Hermitage originally came from Persia and that the variety was known as petite syrah in the Rhône Valley! From a historical perspective, durif, also known as petite syrah, was probably first brought into Australia by François de Castella in 1908 and widely planted in Rutherglen, Victoria. According to a 1969 article in The Bulletin, the Mount Pleasant wines were increasingly extremely hard to find, with the company keeping a backlog of vintages to further prolong ageing prior to release. While Maurice O’Shea’s legacy was assured, a shortage of Hunter Valley reds was probably engineered to maintain the mythology and currency of Mount Pleasant. The newly minted 1965 Philip Hermitage, a general blend, derived from estate parcels as well as material from the Hundred Acre and the 1946-planted Rosehill Vineyard. Described as ‘big wines’ at release, they have evolved into medium-bodied and expressive Hunter Valley Reds. At the time ‘sweaty saddle’, a phrase coined by Len Evans (hard to imagine him ever riding a horse), was a popular description
Hong Kong, March 2026
15
Powered by FlippingBook