Hewitson Old Garden Mourvèdre 2020
- 95
- $90
- Drink by: 2023-2033
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This wine comes from the oldest Mourvèdre vines on the planet, planted as far back as 1853. Hand harvesting, 70% whole bunches, fermentation in new French oak barriques (which the wine sucked up without a hitch), followed by twenty months in the same barrels. The colour here is a vibrant magenta. The nose has chocolate, red cherry, warm earth and mushroom notes to offer, along with bay leaves and coffee grinds. There is good focus here, right through to those firm tannins on an impressively long finish. I like this and those who enjoy the big and the bold will also be enamoured. A cracking Mourvèdre – there can be few better on the planet – which will offer pleasure for a decade and improve its score over that time.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
