Hewitson Wines

Jeremy Oliver, The Australian Wine Annual

The Mad Hatter Shiraz 2010

"gentle and seamless shiraz of near-perfect balance"

96 points.
A wonderfully balanced, brightly lit, gentle and seamless shiraz of near-perfect balance. Knit with fresh cedar/mocha oak, its floral, briary bouquet of piercingly intense blackberry, cassis and raspberry aromas are backed by nuances of white pepper, graphite and mineral. It's smooth, polished and medium to full-bodied, flowing with plush, mouthfilling fruit, creamy oak and velvet tannins towards a lingering, refreshing and sour-edged finish. Exemplary.

Baby Bush Mourvèdre 2010

"fragrant and fine-grained"

92 points.
Easy-drinking, vibrant and juicy, this typically fragrant and fine-grained mourvedre has a floral and light spicy bouquet of fresh red, black and blue berries and plums backed by reserved, older oak. It's smooth and juicy, brightly lit with intense berry/plum fruit underpinned by a dusty backbone. Surprisingly light-footed and vivacious, it finishes with a hint of sour cherry and rhubarb.

Miss Harry 2010

"genuine elegance and refinement"

93 points.
Sweet, heady scents of red cherries, raspberries, rose garden, cloves and cinnamon precede a silky, luscious palate of genuine elegance and refinement. Bright, spicy flavours of juicy dark berries and plums wrapped in dusty, fine-grained tannins finish savoury, with lingering notes of licorice and sour cherries. Fresh, balanced and likely to develop charming complexity.

Old Garden Mourvèdre 2010

"A pinot drinker's Barossa red, if ever there was one!"

94 points.
A pinot drinker's Barossa red, if ever there was one! An earthy, floral and faintly meaty boquet of cherries, plums, older oak and baked earth reveals a scent of fresh red flowers, dried herbs and a hint of spice. Smooth and silky, it's long, gentle and willowy, gently delivering a bright lit, almost sappy presence of cherry, plum and berry flavours knit with fine-grained tannins, before finishing charmingly balanced, savoury and persistent with a refreshing acidity.

LuLu Sauvignon Blanc 2011

"tropical bouquet of pineapple and passionfruit"

89 points.
Youthful and yeasty, this rather grassy young wine has a tropical bouquet of pineapple and passionfruit backed by suggestions of melon and gooseberry. Moderately long, with plenty of fresh gooseberry and lychee-like flavour, it's likely to settle into a typical Adelaide Hills style.

Ned & Henry's 2010

"Smooth, juicy and sweetly fruited"

91 points.
A charmingly fruit-driven, soft and early-drinking red whose spicy, slightly meaty bouquet of blueberries, blackberries, dark plums and bramble reveals a sweet floral perfume. Smooth, juicy and sweetly fruited, with a supple backbone of dusty tannins, it's modestly oaked and finishes with length, freshness and a soft, focused acidity.

Ned & Henry's 2008

08 Ned & Henry's "A typically savoury,complex and elegant Hewitson wine"

Rating: 91 points

A typically savoury, complex and elegant Hewitson wine whose meaty, spicy aromas of berry/plum fruit overlie nuances of earthiness and older oak. It's long, smooth and evenly ripened, offering a pleasing length of deliciously dark berry fruits underpinned by a pliant spine of fine, powdery tannins.

Old Garden Mourvèdre 2008

08 Old Garden "Very concentrated and juicy"

Rating: 93 points

Supple and finely balanced, with a lingering confiture-like presence of figs and berries, it reveals a briary, very spicy and meaty bouquet whose fresh notes of blackberries, raisins and currants are underscored by a note of preserved cherry. Very concentrated and juicy, with a lingering core of meaty, raisined but vibrant fruit underpinned by silky, loose-knit tannins, it finishes with lingering notes of dark plums, cherries and blueberries.

Baby Bush Mourvèdre 2008

08 Baby Bush "A rustic, country wine of gamy, meaty complexity."

Rating: 91 points

A rustic, country wine of gamy, meaty complexity. A faintly confiture-like bouquet of dark plums, cinnamon, cloves and cherry kernel precedes a juicy, luscious palate backed by fine, dusty tannins and whose ripe, spicy, mouthfilling cherry/plum flavour reveals nuances of cranberry before finishing soft and savoury.

Gun Metal Riesling 2009

09 Gun Metal Riesling "Long, luscious presence of fruit"

Rating: 90 points

A skinsy, textured riesling with richness and depth. Underpinned by suggestion of bathpowder, its aromas of lime juice of citrus rind precede a broad, generous and chalky palate whose long, luscious presence of fruit culminates in a dry, austere and mineral finish.

The Mad Hatter Shiraz 2007

07 The Mad Hatter "Smooth and polished"

Rating: 92 points

Dark and meaty, rustic but sweetly fruited, with ripe flavours of blackberries and dark plums married with fresh cedar/vanilla oak, faint suggestions of raisins, currants, prunes and nuances of iodide and mineral. Smooth and polished, with a fine-grained chassis of velvet tannins and undertones of dark chocolate, it finishes with a lingering core of juicy flavour.

Miss Harry 2008

08 Miss Harry " Smooth and Vibrant"

Rating: 92 points

Smooth and vibrant, this generous but understated red blend has a wild, briary bouquet whose ripe aromas of redcurrants, dark plums, blueberries and blackberry confiture are lifted by a heady perfume and a fresh spiciness. It's long and restrained, with softness, suppleness and a lingering core of juicy flavour finishing quite soft and silky, with a gentle acidity.

The Mad Hatter Shiraz 2004

04 The Mad Hatter in Jeremy Oliver's 2007 Edition

90 points

"Powerfully reductive, this rustic and leathery shiraz marries sour-edged dark plum, cherry and blackberry fruit with musky, peppery and licourice-like spices and tightly knit oak. There's a heady cinnamon and clove-like quality to its meaty boquet, while the sumptuous palate is deeply but not overly ripened, with just a hint of meatiness. It's full in weight but fine and silky, with a lingering savoury finish."

The Mad Hatter Shiraz 2005

05 The Mad Hatter in Jeremy Oliver's 2008 Edition

92 points

"A very good shiraz from this unpleasantly hot vintage. Its deep, nearly baked aromas of blackberries and dark plums overlie slightly meaty, currant like nuances, while there's just a hint of varnish. Sumptuous and juicy, its spicy, full-bodied palate is supported by fine, chalky tannin and packed with searingly intense and almost gamey cassis, raspberry and cherry-like fruit. It finishes with length and freshness, retaining pleasing fruit sweetness."

Old Garden Mourvèdre 2005

05 Old Garden in Jeremy Oliver's 2008 Edition

81 points

"Lacking genuine ripeness and rather reliant on mocha/vanilla oak for length and sweetness, this early-drinking red has a dark, meaty and smoky aroma of plums, raisins and dark berries that lack genuine punch and intensity. There's an initial burst of small berry and dark cherry/plum fruit on the palate, but it finishes thin and herbal."

Ned & Henry's 2005

05 Ned & Henry's in Jeremy Oliver's 2007 Edition

89 points

"A sumptuous, smooth and spicy shiraz with a spicy, peppery and cinnamon-like fragrance of red cherries, raspberries and sweet plums. Full to medium in weight, its rich and juicy flavours of blackberries, plums and currants are backed by tarry, treacle-like nuances, while the palate shows pleasing persistence and length. Very generous, but drink relatively soon."

Ned & Henry's 2006

06 Ned & Henry's in Jeremy Oliver's 2008 Edition

89 points

"A well composed varietal shiraz that neatly balances its regional intensity and ripeness with a firmish, pliant structure. Scented with violets and white pepper, its aromas of cassis, raspberries and dark plums reveal a slight meatiness. Backed by smooth, vanilla oak, its long, juicy and bacony expression of plum and small berry fruit finishes slightly meaty and cooked, but with a hint of mineral and dark olive."

Miss Harry 2005

05 Miss Harry in Jeremy Oliver's 2008 Edition

91 points

"Fresh and juicy, then dry and savoury, this spicy, ripe and plummy young blend has a slightly meaty aroma of faintly baked dark plum and berry fruit over earthy, floral undertones. Smooth and vibrant, its generous cherry, plum and blackberry flavours are framed well by pliant, silky tannins and deliver plenty of fruit sweetness before a fresh, lingering finish of licorice, cloves and dark cherries."

Eden Valley Riesling 2006

2006 Riesling review in Jeremy Oliver's The Australian Wine Annual 2008 Edition

88 points

"Pleasingly open and flavoursome, but perhaps lacking a little mid-palate intensity, this fragrant young riesling reveals a limey, zesty and floral perfume with mineral undertones. Slightly soapy, its juicy and slightly oily palate delivers attractive citrusy riesling flavour, finishing with tangy acidity."

Old Garden Mourvèdre 2004

04 Old Garden in Jeremy Oliver's 2007 Edition

87 points

"A meaty, slightly cooked and jammy old-style red whose slightly funky, spicy and peppery aromas of red and black plums, dark pepper and olives precede a forward juicy and currant-like palate just lacking in focus and freshness. Earthy and leathery, quite evolved, it's a touch awkward and lacking in tightness."

Eden Valley Riesling 2005

2005 Riesling in Jeremy Oliver's The Australian Wine Annual 2007 Edition

92 points

"Zesty aromas of lime and lemon rind reveal floral and mineral undertones. Suprisingly viscous, this generous, round and sumptuous expression of concentrated apple, pear and lime juice flavour ends with a tangy note of lemon meringue. Finished long, with underlying chalky phenolics."

Miss Harry 2005

05 Miss Harry in Jeremy Oliver's 2007 Edition

91 points

"Smooth, spicy and savoury, this typically regional blend of southern Rhone varieties is deliciously and deeply fruited, with a restrained expression of grenache that doesn't dominate the other varieties. Deep aromas of plums, cherries and dark berries have a slightly confectionary aspect, with dusty undertones of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Smooth and polished, its palate is spicy long and finished with a note of licorice."

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