Hewitson Grenache Ungrafted 2023 

As I was pouring this wine – the pale ruby tones hinted this was going to be a cracker. I am loving this new wave of ethereal Grenaches, and this wine does not disappoint! Whole bunch and old barriques sound good already. So so pretty, I was getting candy floss, crystalline violets and a lovely lightness on the palate. This airy Grenache has so much good about it and I am loving the light touch- pretty florals bound across the palate, fine powdery tannins support with a lick of baking spice oak while the constant violet prettiness ripples through the palate. Yum.

Annette Lacey MW

Master of Wine at Solotel

Annette is currently the Group Beverage Manager for Solotel, a diverse hospitality group also having worked in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants as a sommelier including Banc, Claudes and Marque. She completed the rigorous Masters of Wine programme in 2020, was a professional winner in the 2014 Vin de Champagne Award, a Len Evans scholar and wine judge. She also is a fantastic communicator in wine and sprits including as a lecturer for the WSET.

Wine criticwine writer and wine buyer