Hewitson Barrel 1853 Shiraz Mourvèdre 2021

The Hewitson Barrel 1853 Shiraz Mourvèdre is a rare and unique wine, blended from the best barrel each of the Monopole Shiraz and Old Garden Mourvèdre exclusively from 1853 vine age provenance. The 2021 vintage is fragrantly abundant with redcurrant, blackberry, and jubey raspberry aromas layered over milk chocolate, cedar and vanilla of new and seasoned French barriques, and hints of leather and spice. The texture is creamy and smooth but there’s balance in the acidity to freshen, with silky tannins that run alongside the berried fruit concentration. SM without the G, this wine is a study in structure, elegance, fruit power and longevity with that velvety middle palate that Dean Hewitson is such a master of. The Barrel 1853 is modern exemplar of wine that will drink impeccably tonight or still be developing contentedly in twenty years.

Melissa Moore

Melissa began her hospitality career in London working for the Rolling Stones, returning to Australia at the dawn of the wine bar explosion in Melbourne to develop a deep love of wine, restaurants, beaches and much warmer weather. She has judged at several national and local wine shows including The Royal Sydney Show, the NSW Wine Awards and The Alternative Varieties Wine Show, and contributed to the Sydney Morning Herald with wine selection articles. Melissa was selected to be a scholar of the Len Evans’ Tutorial and was dux of the 2019 New Zealand Family of Twelve Tutorial. She was previously Head Sommelier at Merivale and is now Beverage and Operations Manager for the Love Tilly Group. She lives in Sydney with her family.