2017 The Dead Arm Shiraz, d'Arenberg, McLaren Vale

Deep, dense purple/red colour, with concentrated chocolate and plum aromas and flavours, a fair degree of oak but not overdone, and a trace of reduction on the early nose. Dense, powerful, concentrated but all things in harmony. A biggie but a goodie.

A very dry but mild growing season with many cool nights has produced a lifted Shiraz of good intensity and detail. Bright blackberry fruit is riven with red liquorice and fennel seed spice plus dried rose top notes. Plentiful but fine minerally, earthy tannins lend structure and length. For now, wearing its alcohol very well û highly promising. Harvested 6 March to 8 April. Drinking Window 2020 - 2037.

It's always a pleasure to check out the d'Arenberg Icon wines when they roll through the door. This Dead Arm left me scratching my head a little mind you. I've found the releases since 2012 to be very consistent with 2015 being a stand out for mine. This 2017 is a little off the pace compared to its predecessors. Quite bulky and firm, it soften on the second day of tasting though still lurches forward. A solid frame of dark plums, black fruits and berries with an unmissable licorice presence. A fair smattering of cloves are present, too, but the oak seems quite dominant and forced stealing the limelight. Warming with a lemony type acidity on a long finish, a few years tucked away in a dark place may perhaps change its mood. Drink 2023 to a decade+

This is a very composed and nicely layered rendition of this top-end shiraz with aromas of cocoa, dark plums, blackberries, cinnamon, licorice and dark cherries. The palate has a very impressive build of ripe dark-fruit and chocolate flavors. Layered and expansive, it swells impressively through the finish. Smoothly resolved and gently spicy.

Locked up tight and ungiving on the nose, d'Arenberg's 2017 The Dead Arm Shiraz is nonetheless formidably dense and concentrated on the palate. Notes of charred wood join plums, raspberries and black olives in this full-bodied effort. With its current surly disposition, it appears to require decanting or several years' sleep in a cool cellar. Giving it air helped bring out purple raspberries and softened the considerable tannins, so I'm optimistic about its future evolution.

D'Arenbergs "døde arm", der hentyder til meget gamle, virusbefængte vinstokke med visne grene, er år efter år et af pejlemærkerne for australsk Shiraz. Denne 2017'er, der endnu er så uforskammet ung, skal også nok blive det. Taget på babysengen er den blød, raffineret og ret mild i betragtning af sin ungdom - det er en tæt mundfuld proppet med talent, liv og muligheder. Den har en ødsel smag af solbær, brombær og engelsk lakrids og en lang, delikat finish og eftersmag. Den åbner sig uvilligt og først efter mange timer og kan drikkes nu, men det er synd! Gem den roligt 5-10 år.

A fine spread of tannin and lingering length, but charm has been left at the door. Resin, stressed herb, alcohol warmth and baked plum flavours form the mainstay of the wine, and while it's hefty, it's a long way from being a peak release for this label.

The relatively cool hand of the 2017 vintage has added touches of freshness and elegance to many classically rich, powerful wines like this one. Postcard McLaren Vale notes of plums, blackberries, peppery, earthy spices and a little well-placed oak lead the way. The distinction is in the palate, where muscular, highly textural, rustic tannins are balanced by bright, juicy fruit. Not for fans of cushy, soft-around-the-middle Shiraz, but tannin-craving red lovers will find much enjoyment.

Powerful, with concentrated juicy cherry, raspberry and wild strawberry flavors at the core amid tobacco notes and dusty tannins, plus a thread of crushed rock, fresh herb, and fresh, earthy loaminess. Plenty of harmony on the finish, where the tannins firm up.

Only Chester Osborn would name his icon wine after a disease, in this case, eutypa dieback, caused by a wood fungus that eventually kills off a cane on an old vine, leaving a dead arm that needs to be cut away. His collection of old-vine shiraz parcels includes a lot of vines with dead arms, which then concentrate their efforts on the fruit they grow on the arms that remain. This 2017 shows that concentration in a stately, plump wine, radiating sun from its blue-black fruit and contrasting earthiness in its rooty, radish-like tannins. Supple and elegant, this has the stature to age with grace.

For 15 år siden var jeg stærkt fascineret af denne vin lavet på druer fra halvdøde vinstokke (kun den ene halvdel af planten lever). Den bekræftede mig i, at australsk shiraz kunne et eller andet. De voluminøse, sødtunge shiraz-vine står ikke længere øverst på min ønskeliste. Derfor var jeg spændt på at gensmage "den døde arm". Og jeg blev glædeligt overrasket allerede ved første snif: Tydelige brombær og boysenbær, tørre solbærblade og eukalyptus. En ret spicy næse med et strejf af salt mineralitet. Voldsomt krydret i munden. Mørke bær, espresso og let bitre toner af frugtskal. Kølig og chiliprikkende, sødmen behersket og stadig meget ung. Jeg forventer, det bliver en stor vin.

Dark ruby. Black and blue fruits, candied licorice, pungent flowers and a hint of vanilla on the highly perfumed nose. Lush and broad on the palate, offering bitter cherry, cassis and blueberry flavors that turn spicier and firm up through the back half. Blends depth and energy with a sure hand and finishes impressively long and gently chewy, with slow-building tannins and resonating floral, dark berry and spice notes.