Hewitson The Ancients Barossa Valley Shiraz 2019
- 96
- $50
- Drink by: 2021-2031
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Another stunning single vineyard Shiraz, from old vines, this time from the Rowland Flats region of the Barossa Valley. The vineyard offers a range of Shiraz clones and the soil is terra rosa over clay. The vineyard enjoys ‘minimum’ drip irrigation. The winemaking team use a combination of whole berries and crushed fruit, before cold soaking for a week and then three weeks on skins.
The colour is opaque purple. Lovely lifted aromatics, including root vegetables, beef stock, chocolate, blackberries, coffee beans, florals and mocha. The palate is plush and velvety. It is dense but refined, with great intensity and even more impressive length. Blackcurrants and plums emerge towards the finish. Enticingly silky, yet chewy, tannins. Mouthfilling flavours can’t help but appeal. A stunning Shiraz, with its best yet to come.
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.
