D’Arenberg’s flagship is the 2006 The Dead Arm Shiraz. Opaque purple-colored, the nose is reticent but gives up aromas of meat, bacon, game, truffles, blueberry, and blackberry. Firm, layered, and complex, this beautifully rendered Shiraz demands a decade of cellaring. It will be superb from 2018 to 2036. D’Arenberg has been owned and operated by the Osborn family since its inception in 1912. The portfolio, with a focus on the Rhone varieties, is wide ranging and value-oriented from top to bottom. The winery produces a bevy of value priced reds and whites that were reviewed in Issue 178. They should not be overlooked. At the higher end of the portfolio there is one white wine on which to report.Importer: Gavin Speight, Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA; www.darenberg.com.au

D’Arenberg’s flagship is the 2006 The Dead Arm Shiraz. Opaque purple-colored, the nose is reticent but gives up aromas of meat, bacon, game, truffles, blueberry, and blackberry. Firm, layered, and complex, this beautifully rendered Shiraz demands a decade of cellaring. It will be superb from 2018 to 2036. D’Arenberg has been owned and operated by the Osborn family since its inception in 1912. The portfolio, with a focus on the Rhone varieties, is wide ranging and value-oriented from top to bottom. The winery produces a bevy of value priced reds and whites that were reviewed in Issue 178. They should not be overlooked. At the higher end of the portfolio there is one white wine on which to report. Importer: Gavin Speight, Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA; www.darenberg.com.au

Lush and ripe, with an earthy animal component to the generous cherry, currant and exotic spice flavors that keep sailing on the long, supple finish. Drink now through 2016. 2,500 cases imported.??–HS??Region: Australia / McLaren Vale Select to Add

Because of its often formidable structure, d’Arenberg’s The Dead Arm is a difficult wine to evaluate when young. The 2006 is dark and extracted, with intense cassis, coffee and chocolate notes but not much complexity or elegance. Those should come with time; the firmness of the lingering finish suggests cellaring through 2014.——J.C.(8/1/2009)—— 90