Wine Advisor
D'Arenberg, The Ironstone Pressings 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Erin Larkin
This 2018 The Ironstone Pressings Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre is concentrated, dense and intense, with layers of dark fruit, exotic spice and all of it shaped by pliable tannins. This will have a swag of fans, given its satisfaction-inducing fruit weight.
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.
