Hewitson The Mad Hatter Shiraz 2021

Arrives under cork, which may or may not be related to the higher price point. A blend of the best Shiraz of the Hewitson vineyards in any vintage, The Mad Hatter ’21 is turned up in volume and turned on in tannin structure and oak which shows potential for a super Barossa Shiraz. However, that potential needs time to be resolved, so some further time in bottle is recommended. Full, expressive bouquet devoted to black berries, stewed plums, baked earth, a touch of bramble and briar with winter greens and cigar box oak. The tannins are key here. They arrest the palate and sit separate to the fruit and oak at this time. However, they bring necessary structure to the richly layered and textured wine and will meld. Special mention here to the delightful injection of spice with Aussie bush notes, anise and pepper – generous and, oh so, Barossan.

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