Hewitson 'Strawberry Hill' Shiraz 2024 ($150 @ Cellardoor)

"Dean Hewitson was a winemaker at Petaluma for 10 years, during which time he managed to do vintages in France and one in Oregon, as well as undertaking his master's at the University of California, Davis. The wines are immaculately made from a technical viewpoint. Dean sources old-vine mourvèdre from Friedrich Koch's Old Garden vineyard, planted in 1853 at Rowland Flat, as well as shiraz and grenache from (up to) 110yo vines in Tanunda and riesling from 30+yo vines in the Eden Valley. Cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, mourvèdre and muscat blanc are estate grown." Halliday Wine Companion

Hewitson is a member of Sustainable Wine Growing Australia - a national program for producers, committed to making wine sustainably.

"Old dry-grown vines are rare in the world of wine and we are indeed fortunate that we can and do claim these as ungrafted. Growing in deep sandy soils, free of pests and diseases these old vines are strong, resilient and true to type. With red-ripe berries and golden-ripe stalks the grapes were picked at optimum ripeness, destemmed and gently crushed leaving some whole berries intact then fermented in open vats with heading down boards for three weeks, pressed then matured in old French barriques on lees for fifteen months. After this maturation period the wine was carefully racked and bottled as an exclusive cuvée." Dean Hewitson

"There's a purity and vibrancy evident immediately on the nose from this exceptional shiraz from this wonderful season in the Barossa. It was fermented for three weeks with mostly whole berries and then matured for about eighteen months in largely older French oak barriques and just a tiny portion of new. Has a thoroughly delightful, highly fragrant aromatic of red fruits and a palate that almost moves into the medium-bodied zone before it comes crashing back with power and concentrated intensity, delivered with such wonderful, stylish elegance and poise. Thoroughly beautiful wine." 97pts | Ray Jordan 

"Always a joy to see the latest from Hewitson in the Barossa. Inevitably, they will be quintessential representations of the region, offer the potential of great longevity if that is your thing, and provide cracking drinking. This wine is named after the family’s old strawberry patch which grows alongside the vineyard which provided the fruit for this wine. The team like to use whole berries without stalks and then mature the wine in French oak barriques of varying ages for a year and a half. A gleaming purple/maroon, the nose reveals aromas of plums, cherries, bergamot, mocha, kirsch, cold tea, cigar boxes and herbs. Gorgeous stuff and we then move to a supple and focused palate which runs through to the very fine, velvety tannins. Impressive length here with bright acidity, the wine maintains intensity for the full journey. A fifteen year proposition. 96pts | Ken Gargett | Wine Pilot

"The vineyard this wine was grown on is bordered by an old strawberry patch, hence the name. Impressive wine. Bold, floral, concentrated and firm, with generosity writ large but also neatness. It’s mighty and powerful but it’s also controlled. Black berries, ozone, spicy oak, mint, earth and roasted plum characters charge through the palate in authoritative style. The finish brings some brighter, redder berry notes but also more mint-ozone-earth-toast characters. I haven’t seen Hewitson in such impressive form in ages – if not ever." 95pts | Campbell Mattinson | WineFront