Hewitson LuLu Shiraz 2019 - Barossa Valley, South Australia

93/100 Ken Gargett, Winepilot.com
92/100 Regan Drew, Winepilot.com
92/100 Aaron Brasher, The Real Review
92/100 Campbell Mattinson, Wine Front
91/100 Ray Jordan, Winepilot.com
91/100 Angus Hughson, Winepilot.com
90/100 James Suckling
90/100 Annette Lacey, Winepilot.com
90/100 Andrew Graham, Winepilot.com
90/100 James Suckling (2018 vintage)

Halliday Wine Companion - 5 Star Winery
James Halliday Top 100 Wine 2018
James Halliday Top 100 Winery 2017
James Halliday Top 100 Wine 2017

Ken Gargett, Winepilot.com "A soft deep red here. The nose offers chocolate, spices, florals and excellent oak integration. There is a little of the oak still evident, but the life which is ahead of this wine will see it more than melt away. There are red fruits, red currants, soft dry herbs, tobacco leaf characters and more. A really lovely nose here. Good density and fine length on the palate, right through to fine tannins. A delicious red, brilliant value, and one which not only offers much now, but has a decade or more ahead of it."

Regan Drew, Wine Pilot "Abounds with fragrant dark fruits of black cherry, blood plum and wine gums, tempered by anise and clove spice. A briny earthiness grounds it all. The maturation in older oak brings frisky fruit freshness to the fore as it slips silkily along the medium bodied palate, plumped just enough with those spiced dark fruits and a coda of easy, yet firm tannins."

Aaron Brasher, The Real Review “Young, dark and purple in the glass. Aromas of mulberry, geranium, dried herbs, anise and bouquet garni. Full-flavoured, fresh and really bright on the palate, with blackberry, spice, dark cherry. There's crunchy acidity, textured tannins, smart length and mouth-feel. A lovely Barossa shiraz in the modern genre.”

Ray Jordan, Winepilot.com "This spicy medium bodied Barossa sourced shiraz was previously only sold in the US. Nice to see it here. It’s made to be an early approachable shiraz but there’s plenty of fruit weight in the palate. Light sprinkle of pepper finishes things nicely."

James Suckling "A ripe and approachable shiraz with red-plum and berry aromas and flavors, delivered in a youthfully fresh style. Juicy and approachable."

Annette Lacey, Winepilot.com "Vibrant purple wine oozing youthful vibrancy. Juicy red and black plum with a candied perfume note. Mid weight with juicy acid and soft chalky tannins and upfront fruit and florals taking the lead. Pretty and peppery with enough fruit and texture to not notice the 14% warmth. Great value for money and lovely to see this warm climate style have some restraint so you can enjoy with or without food, as you wish."

Andrew Graham, Winepilot.com "...this broad-brushed, concentrated and slightly tarry red is very ripe and concentrated with a big personality. Plenty of flavour at this price."

James Suckling "From parcels at both ends of the Barossa, this is blended and selected for a cooler, lighter style. This has deep, dark-berry aromas and flavors as well as plenty of tarry dark plums. Smooth. Plenty of flavorful punch here." (2018 vintage)

Qantas "The palate showcases flavours of fresh fruits, fine tannins and soft fruit finish." (2018 vintage)

The Winemaker “Dark red with purple hues. Classic cooler climate aromas of red fruits, pepper and spice. Fresh fruits, fine tannins and soft fruit finish.”

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.