d'Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz 2004

Outstanding dark, rich, intense and spicy Aussie Shiraz. Four decades of young d'Arenberg Shiraz have been very consistent in color, a deep red-purple, then the immediate hallmarks of spicy, lifted ripe peppery mulberry and blackberry fruit aromas. Richer chocolate, stewed plum mint and spicy, cedary pepper smells and often cinnamon follow the initial attack of primary fruit characters.

The Footbolt Shiraz palate is consistently well structured as a young wine, with terrific fruit and oak tannin providing great texture to support plum, blackcurrant and rolling blackberry flavors especially on the mid-palate. Often dark chocolate characters are quite evident too. This is followed by a traditional, long, velvety, fine-grained tannin finish.

On the tongue, The Footbolt Shiraz maintains a wonderfully textured palate with significant bottle age. Gentle, grainy black olive flavors balance the sweeter coffee, chocolate and occasional mint characters. Malty, earthy and distinctly savory characters on the rich middle palate dominate against soft tannin and piquant acidity.