It is a wonderful privilege to introduce you to our 2026 Annual Release. This year represents a significant milestone for Mount Pleasant as we introduce a more considered approach to our wines, one centred on patience and the pursuit of absolute quality.
The hype surrounding 2023 was well-deserved, yet the 2024 vintage has proven to be a season of quiet brilliance that more than holds its own. It was a beautiful dry year that allowed our vineyards to truly flourish. Though yields were slightly lower, this proved to be a blessing for our Assistant Winemaker Jaden and me; the smaller loads resulted in wines of incredible concentration and structural harmony.
To ensure these wines reach you in their best possible condition, we have deliberately held our 2024 shiraz back for an additional twelve months of bottle maturation. This rest allows the wines to soften and integrate, a philosophy we previously reserved only for O’Shea, but one that will now define our premium red releases.
These wines are truly more than the sum of their parts; Belinda and her team have worked tirelessly over the last five years to restore our historic sites, and their meticulous care in the rows is what ultimately allows us to produce wines of such impeccable form in the cellar.
This release is led by the 2024 Maurice O’Shea Shiraz, alongside Old Hill, Old Paddock and 1946 Vines Shiraz. Accompanying these are our 2024 Mountain blends and our 2025 Mothervine Pinot Noir and 2025 Mount Henry Shiraz Pinot, both showcasing the vibrancy and elegance that define the Mount Pleasant style.
You may notice a fresh look to this year’s release. We have streamlined our branding to honour the classic colours of the O’Shea era, using lighter-weight burgundy and claret bottles to distinguish our single vineyard sites from our historic blends. Furthermore, we have made the decision to make Old Hill, Old Paddock, 1946 Vines and Mountain D as private allocations, available exclusively to our loyal wine club members.
Our exclusive member access period runs for six weeks from June 13th to July 25th 2026. If you are not yet a member and would like priority access to future releases, we would love to welcome you.
Our team is taking these wines on the road over the coming weeks, with dinners planned in Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, as well as our Annual Release tasting events at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and Mount Pleasant.
We can’t wait to hear your thoughts on these wines and look forward to seeing you soon.
Adrian Sparks
Chief Winemaker, Mount Pleasant