Hewitson Old Garden Mourvedre 2019

Established in 1998 Hewitson winery is situated in the heart of the Barossa Valley on the historic Seppeltsfield Road and boasts some of the oldest vines in the world. Our fruit is sourced from historic, dry-grown vineyards in the Barossa Valley and also from single site vineyards in Eden Valley, McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills.

At Hewitson, we believe great wines are an expression of the soils they are grown in and the season they grow. Through knowledge and experience we strive for balance, structure, concentration, power and breeding. Proudly, through solar energy, water recycling and encouraging natural biodiversity, Hewitson brings these wines to your table environmentally sustainable.

 The Old Garden vineyard is the oldest Mourvèdre vineyard in the world planted in 1853. Dry-grown, original existing vines pre-Phylloxera. Eight rows of this rare and unique planting remain to this day at Rowland Flat and produce winemaker Dean Hewitson’s much-lauded single-vineyard table wine bearing the Old Garden name. The vineyard has been hand-tended and dry-farmed by Friedrich Koch and his direct descendants across three centuries.

A famous wine. The Old Garden Vineyard, which is unirrigated, in the Barossa is home to the oldest Mourvèdre vines on the planet, dating back to 1853. This wine usually sees around 50% whole bunches in the vat for a month, fermentation and then 18 months in new French oak barriques from a mix of forests. Deep, dark red, the nose moves through spices, warm earth, roast meats, bergamot, dark berries, chocolate, animal skins and a sweet core of black cherries. Seamless, the bright acidity carries the wine through to the very long finish with its silky tannins. There is a freshness here, great length and such focus and poise, even a hint of finesse. This has twenty years ahead of it. Is there a better varietal Mourvèdre on the planet? Bottle price: $88.00; Drink to: 2022 - 2042; Rating: 97 Points; Ken Gargett

These mourvèdre vines were planted in 1853 and are generally believed to be the oldest in the world. It is always such a joy to drink a wine like this reflecting vineyard, vintage and its rich heritage. This is exceptional with a complex mix of dried savoury fruit, sage bush and ironstone. There’s a fine sinewy tannin thread sustaining an exceptionally long palate. You are drinking viticultural history here. Bottle price: $88.00; Drink to: 2022 - 2037; Alcohol: 14%; Rating: 96 Points; Ray Jordan

Planted in 1853, this is an intensely spicy edition of this ancient vine parcel. There’s an earthy edge, dried flowers and cedar with orange zest and blueberries. The palate has a rich vein of ripe, spicy, sweet-fruit flavors of forest wood, blueberries and leafy elements. Rich berry and plum finish, long tannins and sweet oak to close. Complex, thanks to 60% whole bunches. Drink over the next ten or more years. Rating: 96 Points; James Suckling