Taking in a Long View
The Saturno family’s Longview property enjoys expansive vistas south across the Fleurieu Peninsula to Strathalbyn and Langhorne Creek beyond. It is a landscape of seemingly endless beauty and little wonder the place is a highly desirable wedding party venue. And a destination for proposals of both the romantic and corporate kind. There’s luxe accommodation and a glam day spa on the site too, as well as multiple event spaces.
But for your correspondent it’s the captivating liquids fermented from the grapes which the vineyard grows which are most worth celebrating. Although this does mean that corporate celebrants can be assured that there’s something both serious and complex—or fun and frivolous—to seal a deal. And prospective newlyweds thinking of tying the knot at Longview will be delighted in the knowledge that they’ll have wine in their glasses which is worthy of toasting the future.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo on Longview’s ‘vista' hillside. Pic: Tim White
The images accompanying these words were captured on the 20th February 2021 and a good amount of vineyard reworking had been taking place, as numerous rows of Cabernet Sauvignon were being grafted over to Barbera and Nebbiolo. Nebb—especially—is a red that captivates winegrower Peter Saturno, although all varieties on the property are cultivated with the same meticulous attention to detail. It’s just that some require a lot more input than others and Nebbiolo is definitely one of them—as do most serious Italian black grape varieties, for that matter.
Senses of Direction
These viticultural realignments were prompted in significant part by the cessation of the vineyard’s contract to supply Australian wine leviathan Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) with Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2021 vintage, as it happens, created an absolutely stunning Longview Macclesfield Cabernet Sauvignon (see my review here) which comes from a north facing block—now the only block—planted in 1995.
This wine I first tasted in a line-up in January 2023 which also included Longview’s second-tier Cabernet Sauvignon, Devil’s Elbow. It too was a fine example of the cultivar and all that is so distinctive about this noble black grape variety. I rated it highly too - 92/100, 8/10, 😋😋 - but it wasn’t in the structural class, nor did it have the fruit intensity, of the Longview Macclesfield.
That said, the judges at the Melbourne show were of a different view, and the 2021 Devil’s Elbow collected the trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon at the 2022 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards in October of that year.
Looking south to Strath’ and beyond on a slightly hazy morning. Pic: Tim White
Not that I was aware of this at the time I tasted the wine, at least I don’t think I was. Nor would it have mattered anyhow, as it was assessed in a randomised half-blind tasting: in extremely well-regarded company I might add. Those same Melbourne judges gave Gold to the 2021 Macclesfield also, in a class of seventy plus wines. So they performed their duties exceptionally also.
Longview did incredibly well overall at ’22 Melbourne Wine Awards winning: Best Pinot Gris/Grigio for the ’22 Queenie Pinot Grigio; and The François De Castella Trophy for Best Young White Wine for the ’22 Macclesfield Grüner Veltliner. There were no trophies to be had for Treasury at Melbourne that year.
Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and the 'Twin Palms’ Pic: Tim White
Mention must be made at this point about the oenological side of things. Head of Winemaking since 2024 is Paul Hotker, who joined Longview following a storied career crafting multiple sublime wines for Bleasdale in Langhorne Creek.
Hotker has, however, been providing consultative guidance on the red wine side of things at Longview for numerous vintages prior to his formal Longview appointment (since 2019, in fact). Michael Sykes at Edelstone has taken great care of the white wines for many years also. As in all matters vinicultural, this is undertaken in careful, close consultation with Peter Saturno.
Viticulturist Chris Mein tends to the Longview vineyards and, as alluded to above, there are some varieties which would require a lot more tending than others. I’m assuming—I’ve never spoken with Mein on the matter—that Nebbiolo would be particulalry demanding of everyone’s attention. Especially come pruning time with five clones—CVT 230, 111, 142, Mudgee and FPS10—planted across eight different blocks of varying altitudes and aspects. There are thirty-three blocks in total across the Longview property.
Mudgee clone during veraison, Longview block 16. Pic: Tim White
Bella Errori
These pictures were taken during veraison in the last week of February and clearly show just how varied are Nebbiolo clones. Visit the Vignaioli Piemontese Nebbiolo page to uncover even more, where you’ll also find detail of the incredibly rare—in Australia at least—CN 36. This clone can be found on both the Talc Hill vineyard (nee.—a.k.a.— Arrivo), which is now managed by Matt Large of Praeter (and there’s a beautiful pic of it on the landing page); and at the Protero vineyard which was established in 1999 and nurtured by Frank and Maria Baldasso until it was purchased by the Pannell-Lindqvist family in 2019. It's just a kilometre north of Talc Hill a little south of Gumeracha and is likewise in the Kenton Valley.
So Nebb as you might imagine is certainly not a vine you cultivate for an easy life on winegrowing land. It never ceases to amaze me how these strange, yet beautiful looking orbs will eventually—with consideration from mother and human nature—be translated into something as spellbinding as the alcoholic liquid made from the fermented grapes in your glass. And the 2021 Saturnus Nebbiolo, made—in part at least—from these multifarious bunches of grapes does indeed entwine you in its mysteries.
CVT 230 clone during veraison, Longview block 16. Pic: Tim White
Pinot Noir producers in Australia will tell that you that the most significant contributor to a wine of any quality is the growing of it. Because there’s a considerable amount of clonal diversity within Pinot Noir, you see, just as with Nebbiolo. Yet while I still hear excuses trotted out in defence of—I can’t put it any other way—disappointingly predictable—boring—bottles of Aussie pinot, from winemakers and somms alike, these same supporters will dismiss Australian-grown Nebbiolo out of hand. Weirdly—and I’ve heard this argued both first and second hand—it’s suggested that the Adelaide Hills is too warm for Nebbiolo!
It seems snow-capped vistas of the Alps hundreds of kilometres to the north with the great vineyards of Barolo in leaf in the foreground, have created this illusion that the Langhe is a cool winegrowing region. But while the wines it grows may be cool, the place is not because it gets bloody warm at the business end of the season—Nebb needs the heat. Even with climate change you wouldn’t ripen too many bunches of Nebbiolo in Burgundy if you were mad enough—or able—to plant it alonside Pinot. But you can here, of course, and I know of one much lauded estate in the Macedon Ranges growing Pinot and Chardonnay of serious distinction which gave Nebbiolo a go some years back. It was not a success. Michael Dhillon of Bindi would affirm this. It is emphatically not a ‘cool-climate’ cultivar.
CVT 142 clone during veraison, Longview block 17. Pic: Tim White
At home and abroad
Now I’ve shown—blind—Adelaide Hills nebbs to a few international palates over then years.
Longview Vineyard, 154 Pound Rd, Macclesfield SA 5153
Do love a magpie. Pic: Tim White
Written and published by Tim White, April/May 2026
Latest Longviews
Longview Vineyard Jupiter Barbera 2024 (Adelaide Hills, SA)
This smells so bloomin’ good. Punnets of everything in the cane berry family: darker blackberry beginning, then loganberry, and sharp white raspberry evolving. Super deep, although not super complex (to begin with). But then there’s a sniff of pink rose and lots of aromatic shape-shifting and evolving as it sits it the glass. Gets shinier and more seeped boot polish serious. There are bracing tannins aplenty on the palate, but they’re easy to digest and match with luscious cane berry fool flavours through the middle, which then get tight tannin salivating again and pink salt melty. There’s something of an old waxed open fermenter character about it also, but I’m sure it hasn’t seen any. Some—just the right side of Virginia tobacco—leafiness and smoked oyster shell. Becoming more flake (tobacco, not the fish) in time. The cane berry pippy mid-palate lusciousness extends back too. So there’s lots to suck on here. And as this slurpy-sharp Barbera accumulates a bit more oxygen, it rounds out in the mouth just like the nose. Inhale a glass and thenlet it sit a bit. 94(95)/100 (e) - 9/10 (h) - 😋😋😋 - $40 cellar direct.
Longview Vineyard Juno Rosato 2025 (Adelaide Hills, SA)
This smells fab. Like white raspberries squeezed into an iced oyster shell: sweet sharp smelling and bracing. There’s a chardonnay-like baby pineapple and peach skin thing about it too. Easy going texturally: it’s creamy, slipped autumn gold skin at first, then becoming more energised and with a twist of chewiness. Dehydrated iced pips and peel in the delicious mix also. Not super long, but still pulls you in. 92/100 (e) - 8/10 (h) 😋😋 - $32 cellar direct.
Longview Macclesfield Grüner Veltliner 2025 (Adelaide Hills, SA)
Sweet sapid root veggies smelling, plus peel of a ruby grapefruit kind. Radish mizuna. Has some pork fat too which is a good thing (to me at least—in Riesling especially). Lands with excellent weight, almost like it has seen some lees contact in old wood. So there's some grip and chew among the lime pith, Corella pear and pistachio. And it fills out long at the back. Mouth-sucking fruit intensity. There’s a waft of pestled white pepper among the pear skin too. Most satisfying white this. 94/100 (e) - 9/10 (h) - 😋😋😋 - $32 cellar direct.
Longview Saturnus Nebbiolo 2021 (Adelaide Hills, SA)
This is one classy nebb. Brick dust, mixed cane berries, dried rose, sweet bitumen and XO rind. So pure. (Would love to stick this is an international bracket to show Australian Nebbiolo at its best). Transitory Lucknow fennel. Has chew and dust and peel on the tongue, becoming wider as it travels across the palate. There’s crusty Eccles cake, although on the drier side, although initially not quite as long or deep as expected. But it has got wetter. And longer with and there’s an absolute purity to it. Cane berry pips and juice build. Perfectly shape tannins too. If you want to dip your toes in serious Nebbiolo stick this under your nose. 95(97)/100 (e) - 10/10 (h) - 😋😋😋 - $60 cellar direct although now out of stock.
This is the Saturnus Nebbiolo created—in part—with the clones Nebbiolo pictured above, picked some weeks later of course, post veraison. They were harvested in the second week of April. The miracle of wine.
Longview Macclesfield Syrah 2022 (Adelaide Hills, SA)
Plum pudding dried fruit spiciness, a most stimulating sniff of Lampung black pepper, then deep sweet-sharp raspberry, and red wet dirt. Gunpowder even. With air some Prosciutto di Carpegna also, and a transitory tweak of fenugreek. There’s an aromatic openness to this, but also considerable fruit intensity. The pepper and gunpowder dusts the palate also, which is packed with sharp, plum pudding fruit. There’s space between the intense fruit notes while the tannins are kind-of Italianate textured. Fruit mince pie peel and dried fruit lasting long on the finish, among the sweet-sapid mouth-aroma wafts of melty pastry. Super-smart syrah. 95(96)/100 (e) - 9/10 (h) - 😋😋😋 - $47 cellar direct. Really complex and harmonious this, even more so on day two. Will get even lovelier with five years plus in bottle*.
*In Novemember 2025 I attended a Shiraz retrospective hosted by Paul Hotker at The Crafers Hotel. The wines were of varied Australian origin with vintages extending back to 1994 and were all poured blind. The final wine in the first bracket was a delightfully spicy, frangant and pure 1999: from Shaw and Smith, with fruit sourced—in part—from Longview. So I’m now even more confident since I published this review that this wine has got plenty of years to go before becoming an even more divine wine.
Longview Macclesfield Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (Adelaide Hills, SA)
Deep, dark figgy fruitcake. Getting more chocolate panforte with air. And then there’s pure, glossy forest berry fruit too. Mulberry dense and rye sourdough crusty, and soused cherry stone. There's fabulous deep fruit flooding the tongue too: fruitcake moist and with juicy berry concentration, glistens and sparkles. There’s a carbon paper tannin shimmer and bitter chocolate adding edginess, before a gentle sea salty break at the back. Is it all cabernet sauvignon here I’m wondering?* Because there’s a kind of terra cotta nebbiolo dustiness in this—and such great melty tannin. Don’t really care either way: it’s just a delightful interpretation of a fabulous grape variety. 95(96)/100 (e) - 9/10 (h) - 😋😋😋 - $47 cellar direct. *I was aware that a Longview Cabernet Sauvignon was in the line-up, and well-aware that there's nebbiolo aplenty on the estate: which is why I pondered this. But I’m assured it is pure cabernet sauvignon.
I took a trip to Longview in 2021 to have a look—primarily—at the several different clones of Nebbiolo planted across the estate, and there was already evidence of changes taking place among some of the cabernet sauvignon blocks. This being the conversion of some as Treasury Wine Estates—TWE—had decided to conclude sourcing cabernet from the property. This was around the time that TWE—and others—were mired in red wine over-supply as a result of the China market export hiatus. (No suggestion intended here that this was an influencing decision.)
TWE, for the uninitiated, is the owner of Penfolds, Wynns Coonawarra Estate, and a few other fine Australian wine labels which the company doesn’t give a shit about these days.
TWE’s disdain for Lindeman's and Wolf Blass is a particular disappointment to this individual. That said, at least there’s some respect shown in the latter's online presence. The great wine heritage of Lindeman’s, however, in both the Hunter and Coonawarra, barely warrants a mention on the dilapidated website that represents this distinguished wine house. Which was established in 1843 incidentally, a year prior to Penfolds. This disrespect is really most sad and encapsulates all that has gone awry following much of Australian wine's commodification post the delusional pronouncement of the Strategy 2025, way back in 1999.
Treasury Wine Estates’ landing page—FYI—reads (in part): ‘We combine world-class winemaking with world-class brand marketing. We aspire to be the world's most desirable luxury wine company.’ This as an H3 level heading. While one certainly can’t dispute TWE’s winemaking credentials—there are a number of truly gifted wine creatives in the company’s employ—there’s only one brand with receives world class brand marketing attention. And this, of course, is Penfolds.
But no matter: Treasury’s aspirational luxury wine-lovers’ loss is our gain. For a good bit more of the Longview’s north-facing ‘Vista’ hillside has been turned over to more nebbiolo, including some CN 142 clone which is most highly regarded in Piemonte. As it should be here, of course. And it is to those who believe that we can grow fine nebbiolo in Australia.
The ’21 and ’22 vintages of Longview’s Saturnus nebb, incidentally, are formidably good and well worth seeking out. The ’22 Fresco nebbiolo, pinot, barbera blend reviewed below is a quite delicious entryway to the style of red wines this estate produces, in a more easygoing form.
Longview's finest, original rows of cabernet sauvignon have not been neglected, of course, and these are responsible for this divine wine. The ’21 vintage deselection of Longview’s cabernet sauvignon was released under the Devil’s Elbow label and won the trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon at the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards in 2022. So there you go. It sold for under $30 a bottle and, by the way, had more than a little luxury about it.
Longview Fresco 2022 (Adelaide Hills, SA)
Smells most Italianate this, in a brick dusty, tangy, dehydrated peel, caneberry pippy way. There’s a good mix of sapid and sweet smelling things, as some cut grassiness. Although not green. Wet rock moss. Sapid tasting too, with wet/dry tannins, which are slightly melty (any nebb in here?*). Cane berry—loganberry—sharp tasting too, with sour plum—of the Asian dried plum kind. Dried rose too. Not the longest or deepest, but sharp. Still looks good on day three, which I reckon is a most positive thing. 91/100 (e) - 8/10 (h) - 😋😋 - $32 cellar direct.
*Without wishing to labour the point (although I will) this was a assessed in a half blind line-up so, while I was aware of a red blend containing Nebb was in the mix somewhere, I did not know exactly where. A point I make not to
Longview Juno Rosato 2023 (Adelaide Hills, SA)
Has dried peel and positive pong. White blackberry earth. Some bresaola cured meatiness. Has perfectly judged shape on the palate—creaminess into melty terra cotta dustiness. Sapid-pippy fruit and chew. Blood orange glacé peel and loganberry pips bursting. Spelt pastry melty. Quite a delight to taste this. (And to — later — drink on, a number of occasions). 95/100 (e) - 9/10 (h) - 😋😋 - and at $26 cellar direct this is incredible value, although I must now write was. The latest Melbourne Wine Show rosé trophy winning 2024 has just—early December—replaced the ’23 on the Longview website, and it’s now $32 cellar direct.
I’ve also learned that despite the very recent vintage rollover—the first week of December—there is not a drop of ’23 trickling through distribution channels, as the last of it was taken by a clearly discerning — and significant—Adelaide entertainment destination. So should you find yourself enjoying the hospitality of the members enclosure at The Adelaide Oval —and other of its other select venues —you’ll have a decent rosato at hand to enhance your summer sporting engagements. A sublime accompaniment would be wagyu bresaola should any be on offer.
With a few notable—and really only occasional—exceptions your correspondent is not beguiled by Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir. So there’s no better use that I can think of for Hills nero than to partner it in a complimentary and supporting role to Nebbiolo in rosato. Or in a méthode, of course, and many delicous examples of these abound (see here for my review of the latest divine ’22 Daosa Rosé). The ’23 Longview rosato was in the ratio of 70:30 of nebb to nero as I recall it, while the ’24 ups the nebb ante higher still. I’ll let you know when I’ve tasted the ’24. And FYI, the ’23 only earned a bronze at the Melbourne show of ’23. A bit too chewy for some probably.
Longview Saturnus Nebbiolo 2020 (Adelaide Hills, SA)
Blood orange, sage. Then gets broodier plum and broad bean into wet clay. This is interesting. Galangal cedary. Old pink rose dried peel. Emphatically Nebb. Quite gentle in the mouth, but still has plenty of cane-berry pippy flavour at its core. Easy going tannins — to begin at least, because they power through to close. There’s also something a bit broad beany about the palate, and there’s dense mouth-sucking XO tangerine rind and crushed iced oyster shell. So, most toothsome. There’s considerable width, but to this critical palate it just lacks length of fruit on the palate to go with the quite remarkable mouth aromatics. It is, however, even better on day two and, as can be seen from my hedonic rating, I’d most happily enjoy more than a few glasses of this unambiguously distinctive and distinguished Nebb. 92/100 (e) - 8/10 (h) - $55 cellar direct.
Longview now have 8.3 ha of Nebbiolo ranging from the first 1995 plantings followed by more in ’98, additional top workings in ’03, and then more on a north facing slope in ’21. If memory serves this later material is established alongside the vineyard’s top Cabernet Sauvignon blocks which is most auspicious, as Longview grow extremely fine Cabernet Sauvignon.
The clones planted across the vineyard are as follows: CVT CN 230, 111, 142, Mudgee, F12V7, F12V13, FPS 06, and FPS 10. So all the good stuff, and if you’re interested in reading up on the two last FPS clones, which are both cleaned up ex-Torino material, there’s great detail to be found at the UCD website here.
The highest block, which on a clear day overlooks the Southern Ocean, is planted to Mudgee and 230. It’s tough country and as Peter Saturno tells me, ‘The soils here are very bony, and heavy with quartz and iron stone. Organic matter has been laid twice and tilled in after three months.’ This part of the vineyard is also incredibly exposed to winds off said ocean and was hit heavily in the spring of ’22 therefore reducing crops significantly for the ’23 vintage. (As growers in McLaren Vale to the west are also acutely aware). Longview has now planted native Casuarina trees along the boundary to act a s wind break for future protection.
Longview Macclesfield Grüner Veltliner 2022 (Adelaide Hills, SA)
Has pristine fruit complexity this. Dehydrated pineapple. White nectarine. Plus something more sapid and daikon radish like. So: crunchy, intense smelling, with a cool yellow glow. Get's more glacé fruit complexity as it sits. It’s similarly fruit complex on the palate — all the above perfectly ripe fruits — but also with some pear skin chew, mizuna leaf, and fine, melty sea salt adding textural complexity. There’s a touch of slinkiness through the middle also which suggests judicious lees contact. Pure vibrant uncluttered: just the right Murray pink salt melty acidity. Not grippy exactly, but certainly mouth-sucking. Beautiful Gruner fruit expression. 94(95)/100 (e) - 9/10 (h) - 😋😋😋 - $30 cellar direct.
Longview’s 2.5 hectares of Grüner Veltliner is an important source of the variety for other Hills producers including CRFT and Hahndorf Hill. Indeed it made a up a decent portion of the latter producer’s ’20 White Mischief which was awarded the prestigious Dr. Rod Bonfiglioli Trophy at the 2020 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show.
This wine meanwhile was awarded the Best Single Varietal White Trophy and The Francois De Castella Trophy for Best Young White at last year’s Melbourne Royal Wine Awards which is some achievement.
