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Region: Australia - South Australia - McLaren Vale
Grapes: 94% Shiraz, 6% Viognier
Alcohol: 14.5%
Notes on the Wine
The bushland that surrounds the d’Arenberg winery is home to the native Australian bird, the Kookaburra, famous for its distinctive laughing call. Chester Osborn’s daughters named their two wild pet Kookaburras the “Laughing Magpies”, and as the Magpie plumage is black with a stripe of white feathers, the name has stuck and the Osborn’s thought this a great name for McLaren Vale’s first ever Shiraz (black) and Viognier (white) blend.
Small batches of grapes are gently crushed and transferred to open fermenters, where Viognier and Shiraz are co-fermented. Foot treading is undertaken two thirds of the way through fermentation, the wine is basket pressed and transferred to a mixture of old French and American oak to complete fermentation and mature for up to 10 months.
Typically delicious Shiraz characters of plum, mulberry, milk chocolate and sweet licorice give way to darker black olive, cedar and cocoa notes. The palate is densely packed with streamlined, chalky tannins. A Shiraz Viognier that will suit everyone from the most avid wine connoisseur seeking a thought provoking experience through to someone who just wants to enjoy a quality red wine with their barbecued steak.
Notes on the Producer
One of the undisputed kings of Australian Shiraz and Rhone varietals, d’Arenberg has managed to turn individuality into an art form. The original vineyards were established by Joseph Osborn in 1912 in the McLaren Vale region of South Australia. A century on, the estate has grown to 345 acres, and the mantle now rests with fourth-generation winemaker Chester Osborn. By maintaining a focus on traditional winemaking and nurturing their old-vine material, the Osborn clan has successfully established themselves as one of the country’s leading producers of concentrated, characterful wines. Consistently ranked as one of the Top 100 Wineries in the world by Wine & Spirits Magazine, this reputation is clearly recognized globally
