Hewitson Monopole Shiraz 2021

There’s history here, a lot of history to work through as you taste. Buds from a Shiraz vine planted in 1853 were harvested and grafted on to 30- year-old rootstock in the Monopole Vineyard at Dorrien in the Barossa Valley. The maker believes it has “resurrected” an ancient pre-phylloxera clone of Shiraz. What we taste is definitely rich, concentrated and essentially Barossa in tone and flavour, very much in the bold Aussie Shiraz character. Fragrant in black fruits, cassis, black liquorice, balsamic and deep woodsy spices. An unctuous and richly layered palate awaits, warm and textural, brimming in fleshy, ripe sweet fruit and soft easy tannins that become firm and dry to close. Some savoury, smoked goods and pan forte notes add yet another few layers of sensory interest. A big impact red wine and one to be enjoyed with food, not solo.

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

Wine writer and critic