d'Arenberg - The Dead Arm McLaren Vale Shiraz

Since 1912 the Osborn family have grown grapes and made wine in the picturesque surrounds of McLaren Vale. Today, fourth generation family member Chester Osborn is at the winemaking helm, making distinctive wines using traditional methods in the winery and the vineyard.

Dead Arm is named because the these vines are affected by the fungus Eutypa Lata, which causes one half (an arm) of the vine to turn into dead wood. The other arm can go on to produce fruit, highly concentrated grapes, since the vine is outputting all of its energy into only one limb. Concentration this certainly has, amplified by a few years in the bottle and magnified by McLaren Vale generosity. Foot tread, basket pressed, older French and American oak and bottling without fining or filtration are quality moves that paid off. Pouring a dark crimson brown, this full bodied wine draws perfumed dark florals, supple leather, dark chocolate, medicinal cherry, boot polish and tar along ripe, sticky tannins. Chai spicing lingers on the warm finish. A welcome move to stelvin has really helped this wine, with the heft lifted with a gentle swell of acidity still.