The 2018 d'Arenberg Vintage Fortified Shiraz is a rich, luxurious wine with a lifted nose of sweet berry fruit and peppery spice. The palate delivers concentrated flavors of black raspberries, liquorice, and spice, balanced by fine tannins and a long, lingering finish. Crafted from old, deeply rooted Shiraz vines, it’s a decadent, full-bodied fortified wine perfect for cozy moments by the fire.

Vivino| Vivino 4.1

It has palate is dense and layered, the tannins chewy and mouth filling interwoven with rich, ripe dark fruits – figs, plums, star anise, licorice, cloves and candied citrus peel.

Darenberg.com.au

Luscious, plummy sweet fruit meets exotic lively spice.

TASTING NOTE 
What a luxurious wine. So lifted on the nose, laden with sweet berry fruit and peppery spice. Then that palate oozing sweet black and raspberry liquorice which completely balances out the elevated alcohol. Thick and concentrated but somehow still fresh. Mid palate generosity gathered back together with fine stony tannins that draw the wine out to a long, long finish. Rich, warm and lingering. All that's missing now is the open fire.

WINEMAKING
Small batches of grapes are gently crushed and then transferred to five tonne headed down open fermenters. Foot treading is undertaken two thirds of the way through fermentation. The wine is then basket pressed and a small amount of fine, fortifying brandy spirit is added, ending fermentation and retaining the sweet fruit richness of the style. The Vintage Fortified does not spend any time in wood prior to bottling.

BEHIND THE NAME
From the first declared vintage in 1928, our fortified wines have been Shiraz based, and the vines that produced the original vintage still provide the grapes for this wine. These old vines are stumpy, gnarled and deep rooted, distinguished by their small bunches of highly coloured and intensely flavoured grapes.

Technical Specs

Alcohol: 17.5%
Closure: Screw Cap
Harvest/Vintage: 2018
Oak: Unoaked; bottled without wood maturation
Varietals: 100% Shiraz
Farming/Vineyard: Old, deeply rooted Shiraz vines in McLaren Vale, including vines descended from those used for d’Arenberg’s first declared fortified vintage in 1928
Winemaking: Small batches gently crushed and fermented in five-tonne open fermenters. Foot-trodden two-thirds of the way through fermentation, then basket-pressed. A small amount of fine grape spirit is added to stop fermentation and preserve the wine’s natural sweetness. Bottled without oak ageing
Winemaker/Producer: Chester Osborn / d’Arenberg
Region/Appellation: McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia
Classification: McLaren Vale GI

Serving Temperature: 14–16°C
Decanting: Not required; allow a little time in the glass to develop its aromas.
Food Pairing: Blue cheese, aged cheddar, dark chocolate, chocolate desserts, fruit cake, dried figs, walnuts and rich nut-based desserts.