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NOTES
Tempranillo makes Private Cellar status!
A native variety of Spain, Tempranillo was first cultivated there in the 13th Century and remains the Spanish "noble" grape. As the major component of the country’s most famous and distinctive Rioja wines, Tempranillo is highly regarded world-wide. Tempranillo has only recently been introduced to Australia and is planted in small quantities in many regions. As it does in Spain, it grows best in warm but maritime climates, disliking intensely hot and dry conditions.
For almost a decade now Hewitson has worked with a very small vineyard of Tempranillo at Basham’s Beach, located 30km south of McLaren Vale at the southern end of the Mount Lofty Ranges within the Adelaide Super Zone. Situated on the edge of the Fleurieu Peninsula with its strong maritime influence, the Basham's Beach vineyard has ideal climate and soils for growing this variety. Yet, to make a great wine takes time and persistence and so it was that 2006 provided us with the conditions to do just that.
"More exciting are his experimental plans, which include producing a mourvedre from 145 year old vines in the Barossa, which could have us re-evaluate this forgotten grape. International experience and an eye for trends have also led him to contract the trial plantings in the Adelaide Hills of viognier and tempranillo, a good bet as the hot new varieties of the next decade."
March 1999, Food & Drink, GQ "The Dean of Vino", Nick Ryan
TASTING NOTES
After maturation in a mixture of new and old French oak barriques for 18 months the wine achieved a wonderful complexity and richness with flavours of plum, red berries, spice and tobacco. Backed by fine, soft tannins the wine will cellar easily for a decade. Realising we had created a wine with the necessary structure, balance and power that elevates great wine over others the decision was made to bottle the wine under our Private Cellar label. This label allows us to select small parcels of wine that we consider to be of exceptional status and expression of each vintage
OTHER REVIEWS
1 in 100- 06 Private Cellar on WBM Front Cover!
Nick Stock, Wine Business Monthly Magazine on Feb-2008
94 points
"Great wines are often not the ones that scream loudest from the glass (like the ones that win gold medals in wine shows). Great wines draw you in and seduce you like this haunting Tempranillo from south of McLaren Vale. The ripe maraschino cherries, fragrance and finely ground spices are captivating, all interwoven atop sweet, silvery earthy notes. the palate is superbly fresh, lively and deep, it peels away in layers, revealing impossibly concentrated flavour nestled in a fine tannin pouch. Beautifully balanced, this is cut like a silk-lined Saville Row suit."
2006 Private Cellar- "Hewitson's played this like a charm"
Nick Stock, The Adelaide Review on 18-Jan-2008
94 points
"Gee it's refreshing when one of our Australian winemakers has the discipline and wisdom to know when to back themselves. Having worked with this Basham's beach vineyard for almost a decade, Dean Hewitson got what he was after in 2006 and sent it straight to the top of the class as a Private Cellar release, the label he reserves for his prize parcels. Terrific fragrance that draws you in, plenty of tempranillo's ripe cherries, savoury oak spice and an earthy undercurrent. Nicely judges in the mouth, more medium than full-bodied, the tannins are supple and smoothly textured. Hewitson's played this like a charm."
"It’s a spectacular wine and almost irresistible..."
95 points for 2006 Private Cellar by Gary Walsh
www.winorama.com.au on 22-Dec-2007
95 points
I'd debate that Tempranillo generally likes a maritime climate as it seems to do best in Rioja and Ribera del Duero which, to the best of my knowledge, are both continental and fairly high altitude. No matter though, because the proof is in the pudding, and this particular pudding is outstanding. I also might add that I really like the quirky retro label that (to my mind at least) respectfully does a tip of the hat to the great Australian wines of yore.
This offers up a deep pool of lush berry fruit, licorice, chocolate, spice and tobacco that is so seductive you can't but help but find yourself slipping under. On the palate full bodied with saturating sweet dark berry, cherry, chocolate, cola, dried herb and licorice flavours and superb mid-palate richness with an ample spread of plush velveteen tannins and a smooth creamy texture. Very long and satisfying. It's a spectacular wine and almost irresistible. I miss it already.
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