Hewitson Wines

The Mad Hatter Shiraz 2002

02 The Mad Hatter- "sporting terrific weight and richness"
Gourmet Traveller Wine on Oct-2008

"Impressive fragrance in this cool year, with lifted berries, pepper and spicy aromas, some deeper black fruits and licorice below. It has distinctive, fleshy and supple palate, really dense and even, sporting terrific weight and richness, long and flowing, it still has youthful plum fruit to burn." Nick Stock

02 The Mad Hatter- Vertical tasting, April 2008
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front on 07-May-2008

94 points

"Big, rich, powerful and porty - it explodes out of the glass and in the mouth too. Long, warm length - it shows its alcohol - but it's good quality, and will age for a long time. Love the tannin structure here. And the exotic spice. And the balance of fruit, oak and acidity. Drink: 2009-2017."

02 The Mad Hatter in James Halliday's 2006 Edition
James Halliday, Wine Compendium/ Australian Wine Companion

92 points

"Very regional; pervasive dark chocolate, blackberry, plum and alcohol; savoury tannins prolong the finish; 2 years in French oak."

02 The Mad Hatter- 4.5 stars
The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2006

4.5 stars

"Dried spices, nutmeg and mace in particular, dominate this wine, with its earthy, developing, savoury characters. It is vibrant and shows well-ripened fruit. The palate is gutsy and deep, with some earthy, meat-stock and minty flavours, drying tannins and alcohol warmth. " Ralph Kyte Powell and Huon Hooke

02 The Mad Hatter- 4 stars
Gourmet Traveller Wine on Nov-2005

4 stars

"Dean Hewitson's new one is flavoursome, if unsubtle. Nutmeg, earthy aromas, dry spices, and a punchy, earthy, slightly gumleafy palate with alcohol warmth and drying tannins. Cellaring for 6 years." Huon Hooke

02 The Mad Hatter "colour is literally unfathomable"
Divine Food & Wine Magazine on Oct-2005

"A remarkably soft, elegant wine for something weighing 15% alcohol and having had twenty-four months on new French barriques. The colour is literally unfathomable- impenetrably dark. It's brawny but seamless, with no prominence of alcohol. Instead, a luscious, dry, nicely oaky wine of deep, soft chewy-chocolate fruit with lovely earthy spices. On the nose, parsnip, soft black pepper, allspice, diesel; on the palate, fleshy and savoury with the smell of sassafras. It's a pretty limited release, and worth hunting down (probably in a hurry, as it has been released for a couple of months now)." Scott Wasley

02 The Mad Hatter "pure blueberry and blackberry fruit"
Australian Gourmet Traveller on Sep-2005

90 points

"Firm, with pure blueberry and blackberry fruit up front, picking up earthy, cedary notes as the finish lingers against fine tannins."

02 The Mad Hatter " this one pushes most of them off the podium"
The Sydney Morning Herald on 20-Mar-2005

"Splurging . There are plenty of expensive, high-quality uber-shirazes emerging from McLaren Vale, but this one pushes most of them off the podium. Named after the winemaker, it really smells and tastes of all the money and man-hours lavished on it. There's an amazing richness and the French oak is positively exotic."

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