Beverage Network
September 2013
The latest chapter in winemakers’ relentless pursuit of terroir comes from Australia, where fourth-generation d’Arenberg winemaker Chester Osborn, already known for his eccentricity, has isolated 17 sites in McLaren Vale for separate production. There is method to the madness, however: Collectively, they’re named “Amazing Sites,” and individually they represent the 14 Shiraz blocks that make up d’Arenberg’s Dead Arm Shiraz and the three Grenache sites that comprise the winery’s “Ironstone Pressings.” Production of the Dead Arm and Ironstone Pressings (both SRP $65) will continue, while 100 cases of each Amazing Site (most having spent 20 months in barriques) will be released from the 2010 vintage priced at $85.
Of course, d’Arenberg wines are not quite complete without exotic names, and the new line does not disappoint, from Tyche’s Mustard through The Vociferate Dipsomaniac.