Hewitson Old Garden Vineyard Mourvedre 2018

Planted in 1858, the Old Garden Vineyard has what are believed to be the oldest Mourvedre vines on the planet. These mind-boggling old vines produce grapes of other worldly concentration, here harnessed to produce what is as full tilt as Mourvedre you’ll find.

This Barossa red packs in an almost limitless flow of dark, fruit that needs to be tasted to be believed. There’s plenty of oak richness here, but it just gets swallowed up in the wine’s stride. Long, dark and licoricey, it’s hefty in every way.

The bottle is gargantuan, the flavours are huge. It’s the length that gets you though – this long, withering, enveloping coffee blackness and slightly bitter, warmish finish. Strictly speaking this isn’t ready to drink now, but impossible to ignore the unnerving length for drinking in the near and long term.

Andrew Graham

Andrew is a former WCA 'Young Gun' of Wine Journalism and Lifestyle FOOD channel wine expert who was voted in the Top 30 most trusted wine critics in the world. Now clocking up over 20 years in the wine industry, Andrew has an unusual dual background with a Masters in Wine Technology & Viticulture and a Bachelor of Environmental Management, with wine and climate change a speciality. Andrew spends his days as a marketer, presenter and writing about wine, beer, spirits and cider for his own website Australian Wine Review and the likes of Gourmet Traveller Wine, National Liquor News, The Seniors Magazine & Latte Life. The co-founder of wine events business The Tasting Glass, in his spare time, Andrew runs foolishly long ultramarathons.