A warm evening, so I was downstairs in the basement with the kids watching a movie. Walked past my wine racks and literally reached out and grabbed a bottle. Walked halfway up the stairs before I even knew what I was going to open. I wanted to surprise myself.
It was my only bottle of d'Arenberg 'The Dead Arm'. 1998 Aussie McLaren Vale Shiraz.
Interesting I thought... This is going to be a big one.
Upon pulling the cork, black-purple crystals encrusted the cork. There was a huge sediment deposit on the inside of the bottle at the shoulder - a welcome sign that a concentrated wine went into the bottle full strength, unfiltered, not stripped.
When I pour a red wine which has been in my cellar for a while, I always dread that it will be oxidized. Not this one. Since this is no ordinary bottle (sorry, you won't find this low production gem at the local shop) I got out my Riedel (rhymes with needle) crystal glass. The Dead Arm was a deep, dark purple-black. Just what I wanted to see in a top flight Shiraz.
The nose was a bit tight and still closed, but still expressive. The palate rich, bold, juicy but with a solid structure of fruit and acidity. Dangerously drinkable. An excellent Shiraz capable of another 5 to 10 years in the bottle, easily.
The background on the name - a dead arm, or arm of the pruned grape vine which is doomed due to age and various stresses, produces grapes of outstanding rarity, concentation, and intensity, a last gasp of production energy. It is from these selected vines that this special Shiraz is made.
Any Shiraz by the d'Arenberg house is recommended.
Cheers!
It was my only bottle of d'Arenberg 'The Dead Arm'. 1998 Aussie McLaren Vale Shiraz.
Interesting I thought... This is going to be a big one.
Upon pulling the cork, black-purple crystals encrusted the cork. There was a huge sediment deposit on the inside of the bottle at the shoulder - a welcome sign that a concentrated wine went into the bottle full strength, unfiltered, not stripped.
When I pour a red wine which has been in my cellar for a while, I always dread that it will be oxidized. Not this one. Since this is no ordinary bottle (sorry, you won't find this low production gem at the local shop) I got out my Riedel (rhymes with needle) crystal glass. The Dead Arm was a deep, dark purple-black. Just what I wanted to see in a top flight Shiraz.
The nose was a bit tight and still closed, but still expressive. The palate rich, bold, juicy but with a solid structure of fruit and acidity. Dangerously drinkable. An excellent Shiraz capable of another 5 to 10 years in the bottle, easily.
The background on the name - a dead arm, or arm of the pruned grape vine which is doomed due to age and various stresses, produces grapes of outstanding rarity, concentation, and intensity, a last gasp of production energy. It is from these selected vines that this special Shiraz is made.
Any Shiraz by the d'Arenberg house is recommended.
Cheers!
