MEGA DEAL - Hewitson Ned & Henry’s Shiraz 2021 - Barossa Valley, South Australia

92/100 The Wine Front
95/100 Gold - James Halliday (2017 Vintage)
92/100 The Wine Front (2016 Vintage)
91/100 The Wine Front (2015 Vintage)
91/100 Vinous Antonio Galloni (2014 Vintage)
90/100 Vinous Antonio Galloni (2013 Vintage)
90/100 Wine Enthusiast (2014 Vintage)
90/100 Jeremy Oliver (2015 Vintage)
91/100 Jeremy Oliver (2014 Vintage)

Gold - Mundus Vini International Wine Awards
Gold - Catavinum World Wine & Spirit Competition

James Halliday 5 Star Winery
James Halliday Top 100 Winery 2017

Gavin Hubble "Dean has access to some outstanding old vine grape parcels, from vineyards grown on red soil over limestone, the classic 'terra-rossa' vineyards; provide the quality fruit for this Ned & Henry's Shiraz / Mourvèdre. Traditionally grown, low cropping vines produce the rich flavours and expressive tannins found in this wine. After careful fermentation, the wine was then pressed into selected French oak barriques, where the wine also went through malolactic fermentation.....While the base wine has always been Shiraz, each year Dean blends in a small proportion of Mourvèdre, which accentuates the fruit and adds another subtle layer of complexity."

James Halliday "A stylish Barossa Valley shiraz that presents its blackberry, plum and fine spices in a supple, medium-bodied palate, tannins and oak both playing valuable support roles. Will go the distance without flinching." (2017 vintage)

Wine Current "Aromas of piquant spice, sweet vanilla and dark cherry/berry fruit precede a rich and luscious surge of bramble berry and black plum compote enveloping the palate with excellent spice, tang and acidity providing interest and good balance. It’s medium-full weight with textured mouthfeel and a lingering, lip-smacking aftertaste layering on complexity, structure and soft-grained tannin." (2016 vintage)

Jane Faulkner, Australian Wine Companion "Archetypal Barossa Valley shiraz at a fair price and delivers big time - here it is without pretension. Delightfully aromatic, it balances ripe, juicy dark fruit with the savouriness and plumpness of the tannins, not overly complex but the palate is velvety, full-bodied and promising." (2015 vintage)

Wine Enthusiasts "This medium-bodied Shiraz is refreshingly medium-bodied and drinkable, with softly dusty tannins on the finish that don't get in the way of present enjoyment. The aromas are a bit floral, hinting at stone fruit and anise, while the flavors are raspberry and red plum." (2014 vintage)

Gavin Hubble "Dean has crafted another full-flavoured Barossa Valley Shiraz that can be enjoyed in its youth at either a BBQ lunch or with a slow-cooked piece of prime meat at dinner. Dean’s winemaking philosophies can be clearly seen throughout this wine, with the appropriate use of French oak, fine-grained tannins, balance and bright fruit expression." (2011 vintage)

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.