2016 Hewitson Old Garden Mourvèdre 750ml

Critic tasting note: (2016 vintage) "This is a rarity, sourced from a parcel of vines that were planted in 1853. It has a rich dark-plum, blackberry and cherry nose with spiced blueberries, too. Dried-rose florals, deep-set spices and a gently tarry edge are the early indicators of a very complex road ahead. The palate has such seamlessly arranged and layered tannins. Sweet, fine and assertive, yet supple. The depth of ripe dark-berry and blue-plum flavor is so impressive. Smooth, ripe and so effortlessly commanding. This is super. Best from 2024." - James Suckling

About This Wine

The Old Garden vineyard is the oldest Mourvèdre vineyard in the world, planted in 1853 at Rowland Flat. It is dry-grown, pre-phylloxera, and consists of original vines, with eight rows remaining.

The vineyard has been hand-tended and dry-farmed across generations by Friedrich Koch and his descendants. Soils comprise deep sand over limestone, formed from an ancient lake bed.

The wine is produced as a single-vineyard expression from these original vines, using a high proportion of whole bunch fermentation and extended vat time before ageing in new French oak barriques.

About the Winery

Hewitson is an Australian wine producer based in the Barossa Valley on Seppeltsfield Road, established in 1998 by Dean Hewitson. The winery focuses on site-specific and historic vineyards across the Barossa Valley and surrounding regions.

The Old Garden vineyard, first planted in 1853, forms the historical heart of the estate and supplies fruit for Hewitson’s flagship wines.

Specifications

• Vintage: 2016
• Grape Variety: 100% Mourvèdre
• Region: Barossa Valley / South Australia / Australia
• Vineyard / Geo Info: Old Garden Vineyard, Rowland Flat; pre-phylloxera vines planted in 1853; sand over limestone soils
• Fermentation: 65% whole bunch; 30 days in vat
• Maturation: 18 months in new French oak barriques (Remond: Alliers, Tronçais and Bercé forests)
• Production Attributes: Old vines
• Alcohol: 14.5%
• Sweetness: Dry
• Winemaker / Ownership: Dean Hewitson
• Closure: Screwcap
• Drinking Window: 2028–2036