d'Arenberg The Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier 2012
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Suckling
James
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Winemaker Notes
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.
Blend: 93% Shiraz, 7% Viognier
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This has a dose of viognier that adds a sheen of sweet-smelling stone fruits across more typical tarry aromas and blackberry shiraz fruits. The palate's smoothly rendered with dark plum, chocolate and licorice fruit flavors. Plush and approachable. Blend of 93% shiraz and 7% viognier. Screw cap.
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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.