2005 d'Arry's Original

© Malcolm McGookin

Click here for large view

Harvest Dates:
14 March – 19 April
Oak Maturation:
12mths or more in new and older American and French oak barriques including large casks.
Alcohol by Vol:
14.5%
Glucose+Fructose:
0.7 g/L
Titratable Acid:
6.9 g/L
pH:
3.42
Bottling Date:
22 January – 29 January 2007
Chief Winemaker
Chester d’Arenberg Osborn

Other Vintages

‘Perhaps the greatest wine in d'Arry's portfolio, his Original shiraz grenache is always consistent. Spice, plumy shiraz fruit and riper redcurrant grenache combine with firm but well judged tannins and savoury leathery flavours too. I've never had a bad bottle and the 2005 vintage continues this tradition.’

This wine was made in honour of d’Arenberg principal, Francis ‘d’Arry’ d’Arenberg Osborn. It is the culmination of more than half a century d’Arry’s winemaking career at his family winery in McLaren Vale. d’Arry’s original blend, first launched some four decades ago, was as is it appears today- a blend of Shiraz and Grenache grown on d’Arenberg’s low yielding, 19th century vineyards. The d’Arry’s Original has enjoyed huge success at shows through the years and has been fundamental in building the reputation of d’Arenberg.

When poured the wine displays a bright dark plum colour with a dark brick-red hue. The aroma immediately suggests a cooler year due to its level of intensity and spicy edges. The savoury mineral aromas and tighter-than-normal palate structure also indicates a cool year.

The fruit characters are distinctively d’Arenberg; very red with a savoury spiced plumy fruit character, mulberry, prunes mixed with dark, tarry chocolate notes. As the wine breathes, a punchy array of cranberry, Satsuma plum, fragrant red berry notes and hints of spiced Grenache appear, The wine further develops with liquorish and a potpourri, earthy meaty element with edges of mineral herbaceous notes. The palate is delightfully balanced with fine tannins, just the correct level of oak and zippy acidity. Very controlled, vibrant and poised.

The palate is young, tight and still quite suppressed. This vintage has all the hallmarks of a classic d’Arry’s Original and, given the right conditions, will cellar for a considerable time. To serve now this wine will respond to a vigorous decant before serving in a large glass.

After excellent winter rains and then a warm wet spring the vineyards were set for a good start to vintage. Flowering was consistent, for the first time crop sizes looked more normal than the previous few years.
We experienced the coldest January for 12 years followed by a warm to hot February and mild March which carried on into April to eventually become a very long Indian summer due to the mild autumn weather.

Each batch of fruit received is gently crushed in our Demoisy open-mouthed, rubber-toothed crusher and is then transferred to headed-down open fermenters. A tiny proportion of the Shiraz component underwent a carbonic fermentation which enhances the lifted spicy characters.
Once the fermentation is nearly complete, traditional foot-treading takes place prior to basket-pressing. Then the highly clarified juice is transferred to oak to complete primary and secondary fermentation.
The blending process of all the individual batches is completed over several days of bench tastings. The final blend then returns to large wooden casks to completely integrate prior to being bottled.