Bold, eccentric, and thoroughly captivating, the 2017 Wild Pixie from d’Arenberg is a remarkable blend of Shiraz and Roussanne, a pairing that pushes the boundaries of tradition. Named after a playful journalist quip, the wine lives up to its wild reputation with an intense nose full of mulberries, blackberries, and a touch of white pepper. On the palate, dark fruits give way to roasted meats and chewy tannins, backed by an exciting undercurrent of spice and bright acidity. The finish is long and full-bodied, inviting further aging for those who can wait. Perfect for lovers of audacious blends and powerful, savory wines.

Darenberg.com.au

A generous warm wine with an abundance of savoury and dark fruits.

The Name 
In 2006, Chester added a small parcel of Roussanne to The Stump Jump White. A wine journalist described him as a 'wild pixie' for concocting such a crazy blend. Taking that as a compliment, Chester went on to make an even more audacious blend with Roussanne, this time combining it with Shiraz.

The 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 Roussanne and Shiraz are co-fermented. Foot treading is undertakentwo 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
This wine has an intense, powerful nose. There’s loads of mulberries and blackberries and a sprinkling of white pepper. The palate is thick and dense with dark fruits and roasted meats. It concludes with chewy tannin, a heap of spice and a good lick of acidity. This wine is best aged for several more years before consumption.

Harvest dates: 15 Mar - 10 Apr 
Alcohol: 14.5%
Residual sugar: 1.1 g/L
Titratable acid: 6.6 
pH: 3.49 
Oak maturation: 12 months
Chief Winemaker: Chester Osbornter
Senior Winemaker: Jack Walton