The Dead Arm Shiraz 2009

D’Arenberg is one of Australia’s oldest and most well known wineries. It was founded in 1912 by Joseph Osborn, when he bought the “Milton Vineyards”, already well-established in the region to the north of the Gloucester and Bellevue townships, now known as McLaren Vale (South Australia).

The Osborn family has been growing its own grapes since 1912, and for the first 50 years it sold its wine in bulk, part of which was shipped to the U.K. for mass-market consumption. It was in 1958 when the first wine was made and sold in bottles, bearing the distinctive diagonal red band across the label and the D’Arenberg name.

The company’s winemaker, Chester Osborn, is from the fourth generation of the original founding  family. He produces wines of great style and distinction, based on the principles of minimum intervention in the vineyards and the use of traditional winemaking techniques.

Appearance

An extremely dark crimson. Very high intensity. Thick tears.

Nose

Great intensity with sumptuous aromas of cherries and ripe blackberries mingling with menthol and chocolate aromas.  Hints of leather and roast coffee.

Palate

Dense and rich, with an unctuous texture and refreshing acidity. The sweetness of the tannins makes it very elegant. The aromatic notes, which were apparent on the nose, come through again, with plenty of fruit and menthol.  A powerful, long aftertaste.

Comment

Dead Arm Shiraz became the winery’s star product after the disease, Eutypa Lata, had affected some of D’Arenberg’s oldest vines: this disease gradually withers away one of the vine’s arms until it becomes dead wood, causing the other arm to produce low yields of concentrated grapes, full of flavour and ideal for making a great red wine. This 2009 is an exceedingly concentrated and well-proportioned wine with a minty nose, good structure, juicy acidity and great ageing potential - all you could want from a good Australian Shiraz.

A wonderful match with wild boar stew served with chocolate sauce and potatoes.

Glass by RIEDEL, GRAPE collection, SYRAH model