Review: Hewitson 1853 Barrel 2020 – a flawed $450 big boy

I find the top end of the Hewitson range fascinating. As a winery, so many of the more affordable wines are bright and show variety and terroir nicely (like this red). Yet the premium wines – like this Hewitson 1853 Barrel 2020 – are huge, oaky, ‘made’ wines that feel the opposite. Curious.

Anyway, this 1853 Barrel is a blend of the best barrel of Monopole Shiraz & Old Garden Mourvedre. I had to Google the price, and it was a wow point. Who pays that? Both components spent 20 months in barrel, too…

Purple red, this smells of malty oak, to the point where it obscures the variety – why do that to old vine Mourvedre? The dark berries of Mourvedre shine through, but the heavy hessian oak just dominates and shapes the finish. 2020 was notoriously dry in the Barossa, and I wonder if the challenge proved to much for a more detailed wine.

It’s long and powerful, (hence the silver medal score), but at every point, I feel that it’s overdone.

THE VERDICT

• Best drinking: It might be a much better wine in five years. The oak will give it structure to last for decades though.
• Score (out of 20): 17
• Score (out of 100): 90
• Alcohol %: 14
• RRP (in $AUD): 450
• Winery website: https://www.hewitson.com.au/
• Would I buy it?: No.