Longview Yakka Shiraz 2008

I struggled..

14.5%, Screwcap, $27
Source: Sample
www.longviewvineyard.com.au

Sad to say that I really struggled with this wine and I’m levelling much of the blame on the vintage – the 2008 vintage heatwave seems to have sucked the life out of this wine.

This already looks slightly tawny around the edges, suggesting premature ageing. On the nose it carries the treacled heaviness of roasted fruit with stewed plums, dates and caramel. It smells of shrivelled little berries, of heat and hardness. The palate too is rich, concentrated, and desiccated and all I can think about is fruit that has started to shrivel and dry out, with the wine finishing with some raspy acidity. I’m not a fan of such dehydrated wines and I didn’t enjoy this. A bad bottle? Entirely possible but I’m just not sure… 14.5/80