Review: Hewitson Old Garden Vineyard 2021

You know a wine is deadly serious when it doesn’t have a variety, just a vineyard name. So it should be, as the single-hectare Old Garden has the oldest known Mourvedre vines on the planet, dating back to 1853. This red has shifted in style quite a bit in recent years, and damn, I’m glad that Dean Hewitson has throttled back on the oak this year, as it just doesn’t need the barrel influence.

This is a vibrant and juicy wine, with a bright violet colour and effortless primal jubey purple fruit. If anything it’s a bit too primal, a bit simple, and I keep waiting for an old vine top gear. Still very attractive, don’t get me wrong, but the gold medal tier Barossan Mourvedre have this ‘I’ve fallen into an ink pot’ blackness that is always epic. No doubt, the slightly snappy finish clips things a bit, too, rather than getting all black fruited and expansive. Great to see the fruit being rightly celebrated this vintage, regardless.

THE VERDICT

• Best drinking: I'd consider waiting another 18 months or so to see what happens. It's not going anywhere
• Score (out of 20): 18
• Score (out of 100): 93
• Alcohol %: 13.5
• RRP (in $AUD): 90
• Winery website: https://www.hewitson.com.au/
• Would I buy it?: a glass or two