Hewitson Wines

Old Garden Mourvèdre 1999

99 Old Garden- "Old vines at their very finest."
Gourmet Traveller Wine on Oct-2008

"Very soulful nose, intense dark fruit and a sanguine varietal edge, some toasty oak, gentle black spice and dark minerals. The palate has peppery dark plum flavours, lovely texture; really deep and fleshy but still brooding and savoury, too. Old vines at their very finest." Nick Stock

99 Old Garden- Hewitson Mourvedre shows its class in ten year vertical tasting
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front on 04-May-2008

96 points

"Hewitson's Old Garden Mourvedre is one of the gems of Australian wine. It's made from grapes grown on vines reputed to be the oldest mourvedre vines in the world - over 160 years old - and it's bottled as a single variety, to show its character unbridled and unfettered. In this spirit it was made with only 30 per cent new oak in its early years, though as time went on Dean Hewitson saw that the flavours were so bold and strong that they could cope with, and be enhanced by, a greater per cent of new oak. In the spectacular 2002 vintage Hewitson put the wine in 100 per cent new French oak, and it tasted divine. Ever since then 100 per cent new oak has been the norm."

And it's a beautiful norm. This wine is both unique, and top class - a beautiful marriage. The following notes are from a ten year vertical tasting held in Dean Hewitson's kitchen in Adelaide recently. I've tasted most of these wines over the years, but I have not referred back to previous notes - these are simply my impressions of the wines as of now.

Hewitson Old Garden Mourvedre 1999:
"Gorgeous too. Beautiful weight, exotic flavour, smooth texture and outstanding length. Lavendar, orange blossoms, leather and caramel-filled chocolate. The fruit extends right through the finish, and it beguiles from go to whoa. Drink: 2008-2014."

99 Old Garden in The World's Top Dozen Best Buys!
Oz Clarke, Wine Buying Guide 2002

"There's an enormous amount of wine out there and we've sipped and slurped through hundreds of bottles to give you the cream of the crop, the individualistic and memorable characters that really impressed us."

"MY 2002 TOP DOZEN... a stunning bunch of wines from all kinds of grape varieties, and from merchants great and small. And convincing proof that Australia can make world-class wine - and lots of it."

And coming in at #6 in Oz Clarke's 2002 Top Dozen in the World... "1999 Hewitson Old Garden Mourvedre. Each year throws up more ancient Australian vines no-one ever knew existed, and luckily there are people like Dean Hewitson scouring every last plot of overgrown garden in South Australia to make sure none gets missed. These vines were planted in 1853 and produce wonderfully ripe fruit: juicy loganberry and strawberry nestled in syrup, with sprigs of thyme floating casually on the surface."

THE TOP 100 Greatest Grape
Food & Wine Magazine, Ireland on May-2002

"Despite being widely planted in Spain and the south of France the Mourvedre grape is often confined to the chorus line, playing a support role to the nobler Syrah and Grenache. Seldom does it get a chance to star on its own. When it does it can be adequate or, in the case of Dean Hewitson's Old Garden Mourvedre 1999, stunning. From Australia's Barossa Valley this is a wondrous wine. Spicy and succulent, rich and flavorsome, it's as good as Mourvedre gets and is made from a plot of vines regarded as the oldest Mourvedre plantings in the world."

99 Old Garden- 90 points from Parker
The Wine Advocate, Robert Parker Jnr on Jun-2001

90 points

"An impressive Mourvedre, the beautiful blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, leathery, spicy, French-oak scented, elegant 1999 Mourvedre Old Garden possesses excellent delineation, medium body and moderate tannin. It is a high quality Mourvèdre made in a modern-day style. Bravo! Anticipated maturity: now-2010."

99 Old Garden
Winewise on Dec-2000

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

"The 1999 Hewitson Barossa Valley Old Garden Mourvedre is a seductive young wine. The chocolate and earth aromas of ripe Mourvedre are clearly present, and the palate features perfectly polished tannins and opulent fruit. Try this gem now with beef or cellar 5-10 years." Vol.16 No.5

99 Old Garden "This rarity is made from vines planted in 1853"
Jeff Collerson, Sydney Daily Telegraph on 25-Oct-2000

"You may know the Mourvèdre grape variety under its former name of Mataro. This rarity is made from vines planted in 1853 and is a welcome change from the more mainstream red varieties. It is medium-to-full bodied and has a savoury character that makes it a versatile food partner."

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