Black cherries and black olives mark the nose of the 2015 The Dead Arm Shiraz, d'Arenberg's flagship bottling. It's a blend of older and younger vines from different sites, depending on what the fruit has to offer. Full-bodied, concentrated and firmly structured, it's nevertheless velvety on the long finish, picking up hints of licorice and tarragon. RP
A malty nose, segueing to mulch, tapenade and forest accents, plus cloves, sassafras and blue fruit. A full-bodied wine that is showing considerable development and the clear capacity for further time in bottle. This said, I would not wait long. The tannins are astringent and drying across the finish. JS