D'Arenberg The Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier 2016

Cellar for up to 8 years. No need to decant before serving.

D’Arenberg is one of McLaren Vale’s most famous wineries with a reputation for producing intense, deeply-fruited Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate was originally founded in 1912 by Joseph Rowe Osborn, a teetotaller who used to sell his grapes on to local wineries for processing. Remarkably, the chief winemaker today is Joseph’s great-grandson, Chester Osborn, who uses the estate’s collection of very old Shiraz vines planted in the 1880s to create powerful yet approachable wines.

This characterful blend is named after the Kookaburra bird which was given the nickname of “Laughing Magpie” by Chester’s young daughters. Just as the Kookaburra bird is black in colour with white stripe, this blend combines darkly-fruited Shiraz with a streak of white Viognier. In the winery the varieties are fermented together in open fermenters and then transferred to American and French oak barrels for maturation. The wine is then bottled without any filtering or fining.

Cassis, crushed blackberries and dark plums dominate on the nose along with hints of spice, leather and baked earth as well as some more delicate florals and aromatics from the Viognier. On the palate there’s a generous full body, firm tannins and well-defined structure that will respond well to additional cellaring. Serve with roasted red meats, game, tomato-based pasta, or even wintry stews.