Hewitson Mad Hatter Shiraz 2022 - Barossa Valley, South Australia

94/100 Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate
93/100 Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
92/100 The Wine Front
90/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review
95/100 Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot (2021 vintage)
95/100 Stuart Knox, The Real Review (2021 vintage)
94/100 Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion (2021 vintage)
94/100 Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion (2020 vintage)
92/100 Gabrielle Poy, The Real Review (2020 vintage)
93/100 James Suckling (2019 vintage)
93/100 Aaron Brasher, The Real Review (2019 vintage)
94/100 James Suckling (2018 vintage)

5 Star Winery - James Halliday
James Suckling Top 100 Top Value Wine 2020
James Halliday Top 100 Winery 2017
10 Vineyards Behind The World's Most Famous Wines - Wine Enthusiasts

Gold - Paris Wine Cup 2023
Gold - Paris Wine Cup 2022
Gold - Paris Wine Cup 2021
Gold - Paris Wine Cup 2020

Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate "This 2021 Shiraz The Mad Hatter is wildly aromatic! One would swear it had a little Viognier included in the mix, although nothing listed on the website or back label indicates this. It's an elegant, floral, pretty wine with layers of spice and detail. In the mouth, this is all about licorice, violets, Morello cherries, some kirsch, Tina wafers, mulberry, blueberry, strawberry at the height of summer and orange peel. There is a note of clove, even. All good things happening here. It is fresh, vibrant, lively, modern, dappled and always moving—really good."

Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion "The Mad Hatter represents a parcel selection from sites across the Barossa. The fruit is ripe and velvety, all blackberry and blueberries with hints of baking spices, vanillin oak, chocolate, ginger snaps, violets and lighter notes of tobacco lead and roasting meats. There's a pithiness to the fine tannins, which gently tug at the roof of the mouth, slowly fading away with ripe, spiced fruits and a pleasing sense of harmony."

Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Deep purple-red colour with a mulchy/humus touch to the blackberry fruit and coffee grounds aromas, the wine is full-bodied and raunchy, with rustic tannins and big bold flavour. Cellaring may soften the parts and bring them together better."

Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot "This is now based on a selection of the best vineyards and 2021 provided plenty of goodies to play around with. It is such a beautifully smooth and almost effortless wine bursting with red fruits with a sprinkle of pepper and spices working with a trace of liqueur cherry. It gets about 16 months in one and two-year-old French oak and the predominant use of whole bunches has contributed to that delicious palate mix and presentation." (2021 vintage)

Stuart Knox, The Real Review "Opaque core into a deep ruby and purple rim. Blood plum, liquorice and violet aromas leap from the glass. Lovely full weight and density as it glides across the tongue. Dark fruits, anise spice and graphite undertones all meld well to ensure character and interest. Tannins are supple yet amply powerful for the job at hand, driving it long and lingering to the finish. A lovely balance of Barossa intensity with winemaking vitality" (2021 vintage)

Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion "Deep crimson in the glass with classic aromas of satsuma plum and summer berry fruits layered with baking spices, licorice and dark chocolate. Nary a hair out of place on the palate with impressive fruit purity and a harmonious, dark savoury flow to the wines form; powdery tannin in support with a minerally driveline." (2021 vintage)

Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion "Three weeks on skins before 16 months' maturation in seasoned French oak barriques. Consistently an impressive offering, the current Mad Hatter again delivers with its slinky, textural and wonderfully pure fruit profile displaying juicy plummy fruits layered with spice, earth, violets and well-judged French oak nuance. The tannins superfine and powdery, the line bright and vivid, it's just a lovely wine to drink." (2020 vintage)

Gabrielle Poy, The Real Review "Blackberry compote, raspberries and vanilla: the nose is rich and intoxicating. A juicy ripe core gives way to fine tannins, their inkiness counters the sweetly rippled core. A richer Barossan style with freshness and nuance. It will cellar well" (2020 vintage)

Aaron Brasher, The Real Review "Deep, dark and brooding in the glass. Dark-fruited aromas, stewed plum, mulberry, licorice, violets and dried herbs. Rich, dark and powerful on the palate, satsuma plum, a little tartness, luscious and mouth-filling. There's also plenty of tannin and acidity to keep the plush fruit behaving. Smart length and texture" (2019 vintage)

James Suckling "This is shiraz that’s delivered ripe and powerful, but with a smooth, soft feel. Rich aromas of plums, raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants. The palate is very fleshy and harnesses rich red and dark-fruit flavors with a spicy edge through the finish. Drink over the next eight years." (2019 vintage)

James Suckling "This has really intense aromas of rich red and dark berries and plums with bergamot and orange rind. Some chocolate and an earthy, gently herbal edge. The palate has very fleshy, full-bodied and supple style with rich blackberries and suave tannins. This is a selection of the best material chosen for superior richness, concentration and depth. 2018 has really dished up a beauty." (2018 vintage)

In early 2021, leading global publication Wine Enthusiast included Hewitson in its top 10 list of “Vineyards Behind the World’s Most Famous Wines” alongside heralded blocks in Burgundy, Champagne, Piedmont and Napa Valley.

Australian Wine Companion "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. Hewitson 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."

Frederick Wildman "Dean Hewitson founded his eponymous winery in 1998. He is a highly respected Australian winemaker ...Hewitson has worked at wineries in Australia, France, Italy and Oregon. Hewitson then moved to the U.S. where he earned a Masters from UC-Davis. On his return home, Dean brought a wealth of knowledge, practical experience and a driving passion to produce wines not only from Barossa Valley but also from the McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills regions.

Hewitson fundamentally believes great wines are the expression of the soils they are grown in and the season in which they are grown. With his longstanding focus on terroir—specific terroir plots in fact—many of Hewitson’s wines are single vineyard. He sources grapes from not only his own vineyards but also from long-standing grower contracts including a few sourced from some of the oldest living, still productive vines on plots that date back to the mid-19th century and are pre-phylloxera. His ‘Old Garden’ Mourvèdre is a single-vineyard wine, whose vines were planted in 1853 in Barossa Valley and are reputed to be the oldest Mourvèdre vines in the world. Hewitson’s ‘Miss Harry’ is sourced from a Grenache vineyard planted in 1880, also thought to be the oldest Grenache in existence.

Due to Hewitson’s education and experience in Australia, California and France, Hewitson wines combine Old-World traditions with New-World fruit purity. And while he clearly excels with Rhône Valley grape varieties, Hewitson also produces award-winning Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. A practitioner in solar energy, water recycling and encouraging natural biodiversity, Hewitson produces wines in an environmentally sustainable fashion."

James Halliday "Dean Hewitson was a winemaker at Petaluma [one of Australia's leading wineries] for 10 years, during which time he managed to do three vintages in France and one in Oregon as well as undertaking his Masters at the University of California, Davis. It is hardly surprising that the wines are immaculately made from a technical viewpoint. Dean sources 30-year-old Riesling from the Eden Valley and 70-year-old shiraz from McLaren Vale; he also makes a Barossa Valley Mourvedre from vines planted in 1853 at Rowland Flat, and Barossa Valley Shiraz and Grenache from 60-year-old vines at Tanunda."

The Barossa Valley is an extremely important wine-producing region within the Barossa zone of South Australia, particularly associated with powerful red wines from the red wine grape variety Shiraz. A prestigious and internationally renowned region, it is not only home to some of the oldest vineyards and wineries in Australia but produces some of its most recognizable and sought-after brands. A striking feature of the Barossa Valley's wine landscape is the presence of very old vines, proudly showcased on many wine labels and during vineyard tours.

Shiraz is the name given to the dark-skinned Syrah grape when grown in Australia and selected pockets of the New World. Though genetically identical, the stylistic differences between Shiraz and Syrah are usually pronounced.

Shiraz is so important to Australian viticulture that it is the most planted grape variety in the majority of Australian vineyards and has become virtually synonymous with the country's wine regions, and in particular the Barossa Valley.