Pikes Luccio Sangiovese 2018

Honestly, there isn’t much local Sangiovese that floats my boat. Pizzini, Coriole, Castagna, Greenstone… It’s a small pool of talent. Which makes this Sangiovese a welcome entrant.

From estate-grown Clare Valley fruit, this taps into ‘forest berry’ varietal fruit, with a lucid, fresh but not simply palate with a lickof sandpaper Sangio tannin too. Stilll a just medium bodied red, but longer, and more serious than most 422 Sangiovese can be and the balance feels perfect (yet at 13.5% alcohol). Well made, well priced drinking red. Best drinking: Go now and for a good five years, likely longer (but it may not get better). 17.5/20, 91/100. 13.5%, $22. Would I buy it? Yes.