Longview Jupiter Barbera 2019

Varietal Barbera, a grape that a number of winemakers seemed to have high hopes for some years ago, has never really reached the heights they anticipated. There are, however, always exceptions. The Longview team have two clones planted on a slight north-facing slope of ‘shallow sandy-clay loam with iron stone and quartz’. A mix of pruning techniques are used, the intention to stagger the picking time and assist in the search for complexity. After crushing into open fermenters and then left on skins for three weeks, it is then transferred to a single new Austrian (Stockinger) oak puncheon and a mix of older French puncheons. 3,000 bottles. No fining or filtration. Deep red, an appealing savoury style with notes of dry herbs, animal skins and warm earth. Raspberries and other red fruits. Bright acidity and good grip, expect this to be improved by two to four years in the cellar, when the wine should offer a smidge more intensity.