Wine Advisor
D'Arenberg, The Dead Arm Shiraz 1999
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This estate's most renowned offering is their old vine Shiraz (90+ year old vines) called The Dead Arm. The unfined/unfiltered 1999 The Dead Arm Shiraz (2,000 cases) was aged in 100% new oak, of which 70% was American and 30% French. It is about as natural and unmanipulated a product of the vineyard as one can find. Full-bodied and awesomely rich, notes of black pepper, licorice, and blackberry as well as cherry liqueur cascade over the palate with enormous concentration and intensity, high tannin, and a structured, muscular style. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring, and consume it over the following 2-3 decades. It is a timeless museum piece made in a style that can only be produced in Barossa or McLaren Vale. Importer: Rob McDonald, Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 258-9552
About the Producer
d’Arenberg is one of the undisputed masters of Australian Shiraz and other Rhone varieties that have historically defined the region. A century on, their vineyards have grown to some 450 acres in McLaren Vale, including Shiraz dating back to d’Arenberg’s first plantings, and nearly one-third of McLaren Vale’s old bush-vine Grenache. Fourth generation winemaker, Chester Osborn, recently converted all of the family’s vineyards to organics and biodynamics and moved to solar energy in the winery. All the while, in terms of winemaking, not much has changed–all the wines are basket-pressed, the reds foot-trodden during fermentation; everything is done in small batches, leading to an impressive array of bottlings every year, each showing a different facet of McLaren Vale terroir. Having been inducted into Wine & Spirits magazine’s Hall of Fame for earning a place on its Top 100 Wineries ten times, this accolade is a reflection of d’Arenberg’s revered reputation worldwide.
