Longview Vineyard The Piece Shiraz 2018

I’ve seen a handful of vintages of The Piece and it’s never quite come together for me before but the warm and dry 2018 vintage has been just the tonic to give it the X factor that the Saturno family have been searching for to craft the best vintage yet. While Adelaide Hills Shiraz is often on the delicate side this is surprisingly dense and chewy, and would not be out of place in the Eden Valley.

Deeply coloured, it has a powerful core of ripe, dark fruits including blackberry and mulberry supported by lavish oak and with a good dose of clove and Bay leaf. The oak is almost overwhelming at the moment but it will come back in time. The palate then boasts layers of sweet, dark fruits supported by firm tannins that provide impact and structure for a long and impressive finish. It needs time for sure and seems destined to be at its best near ten years of age.