The 2017 Laughing Magpie by d’Arenberg is a vibrant and expressive take on McLaren Vale Shiraz, lifted with a touch of co-fermented Viognier. A nod to Australia’s iconic kookaburra and magpie, the wine is as charismatic as its namesake—showcasing bold dark fruits like plum and blackberry, woven with floral notes and fragrant spices. The Viognier lends aromatic lift and a silky edge, while rounded tannins and a savory backbone give the wine both structure and finesse. A classic, characterful blend with aging potential and immediate appeal.

Jamessuckling.com | JS 90
Published: Oct 5, 2021

Quite a savory expression with dark plums, dried blackberries and violets, as well as fine-ground, toasted brown-spice notes, such as cloves, cardamon and mace. The palate holds a compact, flavorful stance with fine tannins wrapping dark-fruit flavors and cocoa-like notes neatly into the finish. Drink now. Screw cap. 

Darenberg.com.au

The Name
The Kookaburra is a native Australian bird famous for its distinctive laughing call, Chester's young daughters named them Laughing Magpies. The Magpie plumage is black with a stripe of white feathers, representing McLaren Vale's first-ever blend combining the (black) Shiraz and its white partner, Viognier.

2017 Vintage 
A healthy winter and plenty of spring rains set the vines up very well. Bud burst was on time, but very cool for the first part of spring.
Shoots grew to 5 or 6 inches long and then stopped for a month. Flowering was quite late, by three weeks, which meant a late start to harvest, and long, slow ripening periods. The summer rains stopped in mid-January,
so disease pressure was low. It was very dry from February to April, with only a few millimetres of rain. Days were mild with a lot of cool nights, the first few weeks of April was around two degrees hotter than usual, which help that last bits of fruit to ripen. Overall, a great vintage with minimal disease pressure and above average crop levels.

The Winemaking
Small batches of grapes are gently crushed and then transferred to open fermenters, where the Viognier and Shiraz are co-fermented. Foot treading is undertaken two thirds of the way through fermentation, the wine is basket pressed and transferred to old French oak to complete fermentation and mature. The barrel ferments are aged on lees, there is no racking until final blending and no fining or filtration.

The Characteristics
Quintessential McLaren Vale Shiraz, with the added alchemy of the co-fermented viognier skins this wine makes a statement.
Bold, fragrant aromas and some peppery spice. The black Doris plum, mulberry and boysenberries are overlayed with a perfume of red fruit sweetness. All the berries! Rounded yet chalky tannins add great structure and mouth feel to this core d’Arenberg wine. Cellar me now for the good times ahead.

Harvest dates 6 Mar - 10 Apr
Alcohol 14.0% 
Residual sugar 1.4 g/l
Titratable acid 6.4 
pH 3.50
Oak maturation 10 months