LongLine GSM 2017
Blewitt Springs has some pretty special dry-grown vines, and it seems that Longline may have a few tied up. You should hit your glass with this wine however, because the blueberry, chocolate and clove hitched up in this wine’s bold bouquet are held in a velvety cat’s paw of fresh, earthy spice, a little minerally oyster shell - one sniff and you’ll be more amped up than when you had Slipknot cranked as an angsty teenager. This then rolls a figure eight around your mouth, filling it royally with plums, prosciutto and delectably supple, but structural tannins. It’s savoury, moreish. Dare I say it has a long line? I did dare. Too simple, really. Tragically, I’ve had you on a cord the whole time.
Profile
Would go really well with slow-cooked sheep shank. Get the stevedore to unload this directly in your decanter after shipping to your door. You might need a double overhand to handle the power of this monster as you wrangle it into line, though. Or just give it a common whipping.
Are you confused yet? You should be. As a tribute to the label, there were fifteen knot-related jokes in there, and shit was getting weird. I’m not even sorry. It was worth it, and so is this wine.
Do knot miss out.
Reviews
James Halliday
“This really is a lovely, richly tapestried wine covering the full array of aromas and flavours of the blend It coats the mouth without ever stopping the flow of the flavour through to the finish, new oak correctly dispensed with.”
It’s cool, we get it, you want to know absolutely everything about this wine. Well here you go, go nuts.
Specs
- Region
- McLaren Vale
- Vintage
- 2017
- Cellaring
- 2032
- Preservatives
- Sulphites
- Alcohol by Vol.
- 14.5%
- Closure
- Screwcap
- Bottle Vol
- 750mL
- Blend Info
- Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre
- Serving Temp.
- 15.0°C
Winemaking
Crafting
The Longline G.S.M blend is a modern take on a traditional blend combining the purity and spice of Grenache with Shiraz that adds weight and depth to the wine with Mourvedre (or Mataro as it is also known) providing savoury aromatics and flavour to the palate. Grenache is the main act with Shiraz and Mourvedre a fine supporting cast. Sourced from the Blewitt Springs subregion of McLaren Vale known for producing more elegant and fragrant styles of McLaren Vale red wines. Two dry grown vineyards in tiny parcels have been fermented individually in open fermenters, hand plunged with extended time on skins to produce savory and complex wines with fine structural tannins. Matured in large format seasoned French oak for 8 months prior to blending and bottling in December of 2017. The colour is brilliant red with purple hue. The bouquet of lifted red fruits of ripe berries and dark plum with subtle notes of fresh herb, spice and savory notes of prosciutto and freshly tilled earth. The palate is soft and moreish with abundant bright red fruits and juicy fruits of blueberry and ripe dark plum. Savory mouth coating fine tannins complete the palate.
Region
McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale is a region that lives in the shadow of the hype of the Barossa. While it has played on Shiraz as its drawcard, and continues to battle (quite rightly) with the supreme power of the Barossa, perhaps the most exciting wines from this region are its old vine Grenache and Mataro (Mourvedre/Monastrell - whatever you want to call it), and its more recent foray into Spanish and Italian varietals. Both the sun's warmth and the reliable salty afternoon gully breeze make the climate closer to Mediterranean than many other Aussie regions, and some of the Fiano, Vermentino, Tempranillo and Sangiovese from here are sublime (to name only a few). Awareness, proper consideration and sense of place are key attributes to the region's success, and its recent win against urbanisation reinforces the value of the viticultural region.
The rules are there ain’t no rules, but here are some foods we think will work pretty well with this wine...
Goes with
Balsamic tomato, chorizo and rocket fettuccine
Ingredients
- 400g dried fettuccine pasta
- 2 (125g each) smoked chorizo sausages, sliced diagonally
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 500g jar tomato pasta sauce
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 100g pitted kalamata olives
- 70g baby rocket leaves, to serve
Directions
- Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water until tender.
- Meanwhile, heat a deep, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chorizo. Cook, stirring until browned and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a plate lined with paper towel. Set aside.
- Add onion and garlic to pan. Cook, stirring, until onion is tender. Add tomatoes. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in pasta sauce and vinegar. Cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 1 minute until slightly thickened.
- Drain pasta. Return to pan. Add tomato mixture, olives and chorizo. Season with pepper. Toss to combine. Top with rocket. Serve