Hewitson Monopole Shiraz Mother Vine 2020

With vine material sourced from one single Shiraz vine planted amongst the 1853 Old Garden Mourvèdre vines, Dean Hewitson has created a clonal vineyard of the old vine. He notes that the “Mother Vine” grapes are different to other Barossa planted Shiraz, producing much smaller grapes and bunches. Whatever the reason, the wine shines. Dense and bright in shades of purple, garnet. Love the respect shown here for the grape, bringing forward delicate, fragrant aromas in lavender, sage and green peppercorns while providing a generous background in loganberry, black cherry and bramble, topped by a black olive, bacon fat layer of oak. There is great intensity and concentration, but also there is a delicacy. It’s a rare combo. Fruit is given full sway – super complex and beautifully aromatic – oak is in unison bringing with it a delightful trail of spice, and tannins are lithe and savoury. Not a vinous hair out of place. Delightful now but just wait, if you can.

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