Hewitson 1853 Barrel Shiraz Mourvèdre 2020

As the name suggests, this is an equal blend of the best barrel of Monopole Shiraz and the best barrel of the Old Garden Mourvèdre after their 20 months in oak. There is no denying that this is a big wine, living large, layered and rich. That said, it is not in the mould of the old school Barossa blockbuster. It weighs in at 14% alcohol. It gives equal time to the fragrant lift of Mourvèdre and the strength and depth of Shiraz. My immediate thought when I tasted this wine was, why don’t we see more Shiraz Mourvèdre blends? Spice, clove, pomegranate, juniper, rosemary aromas emerge against a background of red fruits and bramble. The integration of fruit and oak which comes with a lick of savouriness – this is a multi-layered wine – is quite tantalising. Plenty to tune into and contemplate here.