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
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