Hewitson Ned & Henry’s Shiraz 2023

Dean Hewitson was challenged to make a traditional, full-bodied Barossa red that could be enjoyed early. He created a wine that fits the bill well. The ’23, from a cool, wet year weighs in at 14% abv. and brings to the glass a real brightness of fruit, fresh, clean. And while Ned & Henry’s is generous with a rich middle palate, the role of sandpaper fine tannins and the overall balanced structure make it ideal for earlier drinking, should that be your choice. Blackberry, anise, chocolate, earth and spice light up the scent – archetypal Barossa Shiraz.  It’s a welcoming wine, friendly and persuasive. A second glass is hard to say no to, what with its approachability and warmth wrapped in black fruits, bramble, earth, cocoa, vanilla pod with a light dusting of spice.

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