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Reviews
“Deep crimson with an intense purple-black core. Blackberry, black plum and blueberry, with dark florals, star anise, liquorice and old leather. Espresso, dark chocolate and cedar emerge as it opens. Estate-grown single-vineyard Shiraz from a clonal selection of a single 1853 vine discovered in Hewitson’s Old Garden Vineyard. Budwood from that pre-Phylloxera mother vine was propagated at the winery, producing smaller bunches and berries with a distinctive flavour and tannin profile. Planted on iron-rich terra rossa over clay and limestone at Dorrien. Harvested 14 April, fermented with 50% whole bunches in open vats and matured 18 months in new and seasoned Fontainebleau Forest French oak barriques. Full-bodied and deeply concentrated. An expansive core of ripe blackberry and plum is supported by firm tannins. The whole-bunch component adds savoury complexity, while French oak contributes mocha, cedar and spice without crowding the fruit. Blue fruits bring a refreshing lift through the mid-palate. The finish is long and persistent, with dark berries, cacao and savoury spice. 97 Points." - Russ Gallagher, Vino Masters
“Younger vines with old souls produce a supple wine with deep-set fruit and beautifully layered length. Lashings of spicy dark berries, bitter chocolate and salted licorice to the fore, with some underlying espresso, dark earth and the dark, crispy bits from chargrilled meats. 95 Points.” - Nick Ryan, The Australian
“This is a most interesting wine. It comes from a single vineyard and is a clonal selection from a single 1853 shiraz vine that was discovered in the middle of the Old Garden vineyard. It's taken many years, but gradually, through grafting and clever harvesting, a vineyard made up of old pre-phylloxera clone shiraz has been produced. This is not your plump, fleshy Australian shiraz. There is a distinctly European character about it. It has a softness, but there's a slightly earthy, rustic core with a liberal dried-herb, sage-bush influence. Soft and so velvety smooth, with perfectly integrated tannin and oak. Most impressive wine. 96 Points." - Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot
“Speaks to its Barossa location with Aussie bush scents, earth, gum leaf and spearmint swirling in black fruits, smoked meats and oozing blackstrap liquorice and spices. There is an underlying savoury influence here, a strong thread of oak-derived smoked meats that almost overshadows the dark fruit, spice, chocolate and earthiness - almost, but not quite. The deep, black heart of fruit at the core of this wine is up to the challenge. The palate is firmly wrapped into place and is served well by a suite of dense tannins. Warm, bold, round, rich, earthy and savoury, there is a lot happening. No shrinking violet, it will reward further ageing. 94 Points." - Jeni Port, Wine Pilot