d'Arenberg Sticks and Stones 2004
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Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The palate is immediately fruity with all sorts of red and blackberries, lots of dark cherries, boysenberries and a seam of violets working through. It is rich and juicy with lively, gritty tannins. A very long earth and dried herb end with a twist of liquorice and blackberry completes the finish. This is a big wine built for the long haul. Recommended to be cellared for many years.
The inspiration behind this name came from the age-old proverb ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.' The unusual and quirky names that d'Arenberg's range of wines have has never done the winery any harm. We also do use sticks (vine cuttings) planted into stony soils to produce the grapes that result in this wine.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made from Spanish and Portuguese varietals (Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Souzao), the inky/ruby/purple-hued 2004 The Sticks and Stones offers up aromas of graphite, blueberries, camphor, roasted meats, and smoked herbs. It is a rich, full-bodied, exotic red with a singular character that should prove to be relatively long-lived given its tannic structure. Consume it over the next 10-12 years.
Other Vintages
2003-
Robert
Parker
d'Arenberg is one of the undisputed kings of Australian Shiraz and other Rhone varieties that have historically defined the region. A century on, their vineyards have grown to some 450 acres in McLaren Vale, including Shiraz dating back to d'Arenberg's first plantings in 1912, and nearly one-third of McLaren Vale's old bush-vine Grenache. Fourth generation winemaker, Chester Osborn, recently converted all of the family's vineyards to organics and biodynamics and moved to solar energy in the winery. All the while, in terms of winemaking, not much has changed--all the wines are basket-pressed, the reds foot-trodden during fermentation; everything is done in small batches, leading to an impressive array of bottlings every year, each showing a different facet of McLaren Vale terroir. Having been inducted into Wine & Spirits Magazine's Hall of Fame for earning a place on its Top 100 Wineries nine times, this accolade is a reflection of d'Arenberg's revered reputation worldwide.