Hewitson Barrel 1853 Shiraz Mourvèdre 2019
- 97
- $450
- Drink by: 2022-2042
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The team at Hewitson are surely the only winery on the planet who could create a wine like this – a blend of the best barrel of Mourvèdre and best barrel of Shiraz, from the Mother Vine Vineyard and the Old Garden Vineyard in the Barossa, and both from vines dating back to 1853. Extraordinary. And so is the wine! A mix of whole bunch and crushed grapes with around two years in a combination of new and seasoned French oak barriques. Very dark maroon. Plush and generous, this is black fruit dominant. We also have warm earth notes, cassis, animal skins, beef stock notes, tobacco leaf and dry herbs. Seamless concentration here and very fine balance with great length. Those tannins just seem to melt at the finish, but the intensity remains. This is delicious and approachable now, but it has twenty years ahead and the score should improve further. If you get the chance, do not miss this wine.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
