Ripe, brooding, of a time when power ruled and perhaps not better for it. Not pruned but plenty of purple, grapey fruit, not a lot of wood evident. I probably wouldn’t choose this today, especially when it’s 102 outside. Nothing wrong technically, under screw cap
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Potent blackcurrant flavour, initially mistook for Cabernet. Black cherry and some liqourice emerged, subtle eucalypt.
Looking very fresh and delicious, no sign of the hot alochol and early maturation in some 2013s so I think this will go strong for many years, maybe Darrys picked early and avoided the heatwave.
Significantly better than the 2013 Coppermine Rd, at least at this stage.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quite a bit musty upon opening—"dead arm" (see back label) mustiness? 🤔 With a little air, this begins resembling a hot climate (e.g. Sierra Foothills) old-vine Zinfandel, that is, without the pruniness; the out of balance heat is also there, though not as bad as the 14.6% ABV would suggest. With 30 more minutes of air, I can finally start sensing some of that Aussie fruit underneath the rot. Certainly an oddball (and not in an endearing way) of a McLaren Vale Syrah, in my book. 81-84 -- PS. The Garagiste/Jon Rimmerman's coattailing off Harlan when offloading this bottling that's bordering on swill is quite deplorable: "With a 20 year record of 90pt or more accolades from the WA (from various reviewers, not just Bob), it’s safe to say that d’Arenberg’s The Dead Arm Shiraz is one of the most consistent examples in all of Australia. Think about that for a moment – 20 years without a sub 90pt vintage? As far as the New World is concerned, that’s as Old Guard as it gets (there are top wineries in the US that haven’t been around for 20 years, let alone with that score record. Harlan, yes, but that’s $400+/bottle!" 🤦🏼♂️ -- 24 hours later this is exhibiting less rot, though it's still there, quite noticeably on the finish. Acidity now seems to be at the forefront. 83-85
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Course and concentrated, an atypical Australian red. This is easily the driest wine I've had in years. Maybe ever. Heaps of earth an herb. Dusty cocoa, stemmy eucalyptus, "bay leaf." Ok, I dove straight in, but this took quite a while to mellow. The fruit (red and dark berry) was not in the foreground on this wine, which was very high in acid and tannins. My tounge was almost sore! Sure there was some balance issues here, but it was nice to see it open from "cedar" into bitter dark chocolate and barn. Very tight, those dry notes got juicy after a while. Quite a while...this wine took patience but scores high for uniqueness. Pepper. Eventually it started to taste like a recognizable Shiraz.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delicious, but even after 4 hours open it’s drinking like it was just bottled. Big tannins, fruit, and alcohol power. Saving half a bottle for tomorrow and I know it will be better. Day 2: things have smoothed out to good measure but there is still a lot of tension and grip, so if I had more of these I would hold another 3-5 years before trying again. It should be a real beauty in maturity. 5+12+17+9= 93
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
4th Saturday Group: Old vs Young (T&L's): Decanted about three hours give or take. Eucalyptus and black fruit with plenty of spice. The palate follows the bouquet. Medium tannins. Interesting that this is now under screw cap, though it's been a long time since I've purchased one of these, so perhaps that's been the case for a while now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fruits noirs, minéraux ferreux. Excellente structure. Bien meilleur le lendemain. D’Arenberg fait des vins qui se bonifient bien avec l’âge. Bon candidat de cave. À reboire dans 3-5 ans sans problème.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely Aussie, hot temprament, layers of brown chocolate, vanilla, white pepper, jammy blackberries, spices of cedar, cigarbox, thymn, eucalyptus, alcoholic and powerfull. A yes I can wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was very heavy, tannic inky and darkly fruited It needed an hour + of air and food to be enjoyable. Seems likely to improve with a few more years in the cellar, but it seems harsh, disjointed and out of balance right now.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A generous friend kept filling my glass and bringing more bottles of this at a party. Over the years I've found the Dead Arm to be inconsistent - sometimes closed and introverted, sometimes open and communicative. This 2013 is an impressive vintage - it's still obviously young, but already it's showing power and vigour and potential. Almost blue in colour, very dark and inky, concentrated nose of blueberry jam and rather scary intimidating notes of tar and smoke. But actually this really is impressive... Very tightly wound, incredibly intense and concentrated and full of nervous energy, as if about to explode, and at the same time generous and sweet and complex - chocolate, wet granite, carob, and perfect definition. I just wish these wines would age faster - this is my main complaint about Australian Shiraz - it just doesn't age as interestingly (to my mind) as Hermitage or Côte-Rôtie. But I'd love to taste this in 20 years. In fact I want to live that long just to experience that. Very good stuff, very good. Better, in fact (TABOO ALERT) than the Penfolds Grange I had on Monday, which is about 10 times more expensive. There, I said it.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
It's shaped like a bell curve, if that makes sense. I like it at first -- it's got a pleasant nose of oak-influenced cocoa -- and I'm wondering for a moment what the naysayers are talking about. Then I understand: it elbows you in the mouth with cloyingly overripe black fruit, crushed flowers, rotten black olives and some kind of weird note of sweet corn. On the finish, it's back to being sort of pleasing, with herbs and ink. I don't know that it'll straighten out, at least for my tastes. It's an odd wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Relatively deep purple core with ruby tinge at the rim; fruit surprisingly lifted and leaning more toward the red fruited end of the spectrum. A note of rubber too (reduction?) - not the best, a bit diffuse; sweet fruited on the front palate. Fruit is quite ripe and coulis-like and infused with notes of mint and eucalytpus. Good weight and density on the palate, builds well in the mouth. This is a bit awkward right now but should come good. Has potential.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 1 hour. Nose of dark berries, olive, and violets. On the palate stern with plenty of structure. Finish has nice acidity and great grip. A bit much right now, needs time to calm down
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind Tasting - South Australia Shiraz (St Lukes, Auckland): Decanted for 2 hours, dark red/garnet. Rich flavours, M+ bodied, spices, ripe dark fruits, grainy tannins, moderate weight and strength, with good harmony. Some oak and spices in finish, moderate and long.
C'est complexe au nez, très mûr, riche, idem en bouche, mais je ne vois pas ce qui différencie ce vin de bien d'autres shiraz riches et concentrées.... je ne retrouve pas ce toucher de bouche, cette pureté et délicatesse dans les tanins que m'évoquent les grands rouges. Bref, on trouve tout aussi bien pour bien moins cher en Shiraz australiennes
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
FULL CIRCLE BEVCON 2017 SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE FOCUS, nose of black berry, roasted coffee must, pluots, and forest floor, same on the palate, big body, a popular Shiraz and deservedly so because it has great QPR and great rich fruit that is very tasty, and a long finish, should easily last twenty-five years and peak drinking about three years from now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Full Circle BevCon: Southern Hemisphere (SF: Sir Francis Drake Hotel): Classic Shiraz nose of coffee liqueur, black plum, roasted blackberry, sweet cassis juice, and slight smoked meat. Full bodied, high alcohol - but well-contained, superb medium plus acid, medium plus tannins (surprisingly structured for Shiraz). Around 25% new French oak. Incredibly persistent finish - a well-knit shifting finish of sweet-and-savory fruit. This is what I think of when I think of great Shiraz.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Screwcap, 14.6% ABV. This is a young and tough Shiraz, tightly wound, with impressive mineral energy and a formidable structure designed to give this wine a lifespan of 20-30 years. For such a big and bold wine, this has a remarkably vibrant acidic spine (TA 7.3 gr/l), which will keep the wine upright as the powerful, grainy tannins and the sensual, black fruit release their in-built tension in a slow-motion tango over the coming decades. There is a sligthtly singed quality to the fruit, but it is neither raisiny nor otherwise overripe. The oak (18 months in French and American oak, old and new) is perfectly integrated and the flavours are rich and mouthfilling. Aromatically, this is not the exuberant type and you will search in vain for sweet black pepper or smoked bacon. In fact, its somewhat subdued character might easily be mistaken for an old-fashioned Cabernet-Sauvignon. Length is excellent. Today, this proved a great foil for a wood-oven pizza from Embers, but it will probably need until 2025 to reach early maturity. Purchased at Bin Two, Padstow, UK. Score based on perceived potential.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/9/2024 - Waza wrote: 79 Points
Lovely drinking, soft powerful nose, smooth and juicy pallet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2023 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
Ripe, brooding, of a time when power ruled and perhaps not better for it. Not pruned but plenty of purple, grapey fruit, not a lot of wood evident. I probably wouldn’t choose this today, especially when it’s 102 outside. Nothing wrong technically, under screw cap
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2023 - Winance Tom Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine was big and powerful and still brooding after 10 years. Could have hone at least another 5, likely 10 …..
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2022 - colinscellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine #6 at Rubaiyat blind tasting.
Potent blackcurrant flavour, initially mistook for Cabernet. Black cherry and some liqourice emerged, subtle eucalypt.
Looking very fresh and delicious, no sign of the hot alochol and early maturation in some 2013s so I think this will go strong for many years, maybe Darrys picked early and avoided the heatwave.
Significantly better than the 2013 Coppermine Rd, at least at this stage.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2021 - Miceri Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark red; dark fruit, mulberry, black pepper; dark fruit, deep, nice tannins, some charcoal / leather, long deep aftertaste
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2021 - joraesque wrote: 84 Points
Quite a bit musty upon opening—"dead arm" (see back label) mustiness? 🤔
With a little air, this begins resembling a hot climate (e.g. Sierra Foothills) old-vine Zinfandel, that is, without the pruniness; the out of balance heat is also there, though not as bad as the 14.6% ABV would suggest.
With 30 more minutes of air, I can finally start sensing some of that Aussie fruit underneath the rot.
Certainly an oddball (and not in an endearing way) of a McLaren Vale Syrah, in my book.
81-84
--
PS. The Garagiste/Jon Rimmerman's coattailing off Harlan when offloading this bottling that's bordering on swill is quite deplorable: "With a 20 year record of 90pt or more accolades from the WA (from various reviewers, not just Bob), it’s safe to say that d’Arenberg’s The Dead Arm Shiraz is one of the most consistent examples in all of Australia. Think about that for a moment – 20 years without a sub 90pt vintage? As far as the New World is concerned, that’s as Old Guard as it gets (there are top wineries in the US that haven’t been around for 20 years, let alone with that score record. Harlan, yes, but that’s $400+/bottle!" 🤦🏼♂️
--
24 hours later this is exhibiting less rot, though it's still there, quite noticeably on the finish. Acidity now seems to be at the forefront.
83-85
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2021 - Camvin Likes this wine:
Exceptionnel 92/100
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2020 - winoman1 wrote: 90 Points
Course and concentrated, an atypical Australian red. This is easily the driest wine I've had in years. Maybe ever. Heaps of earth an herb. Dusty cocoa, stemmy eucalyptus, "bay leaf." Ok, I dove straight in, but this took quite a while to mellow. The fruit (red and dark berry) was not in the foreground on this wine, which was very high in acid and tannins. My tounge was almost sore! Sure there was some balance issues here, but it was nice to see it open from "cedar" into bitter dark chocolate and barn. Very tight, those dry notes got juicy after a while. Quite a while...this wine took patience but scores high for uniqueness. Pepper. Eventually it started to taste like a recognizable Shiraz.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2020 - fingers Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious, but even after 4 hours open it’s drinking like it was just bottled. Big tannins, fruit, and alcohol power. Saving half a bottle for tomorrow and I know it will be better.
Day 2: things have smoothed out to good measure but there is still a lot of tension and grip, so if I had more of these I would hold another 3-5 years before trying again. It should be a real beauty in maturity.
5+12+17+9= 93
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2020 - HCPA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark fruit, peppery and a bit of leather. Taut tannin, but still very luscious on the palate. Will buy again and let it age more:
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2020 - czar33 wrote: 89 Points
Équilibré, belle rondeur, longueur, net.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2020 - jhanne8 wrote: 85 Points
Reminded me why I don’t typically buy Aussie wine. Unremarkable for the price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2020 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
4th Saturday Group: Old vs Young (T&L's): Decanted about three hours give or take. Eucalyptus and black fruit with plenty of spice. The palate follows the bouquet. Medium tannins. Interesting that this is now under screw cap, though it's been a long time since I've purchased one of these, so perhaps that's been the case for a while now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2019 - Vince_chip Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fruits noirs, minéraux ferreux. Excellente structure. Bien meilleur le lendemain. D’Arenberg fait des vins qui se bonifient bien avec l’âge. Bon candidat de cave. À reboire dans 3-5 ans sans problème.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2019 - BGK810 wrote: 90 Points
Still very tannic, but nice black fruits, pepper and earth. Save for a few years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2019 - Winnje wrote: 91 Points
Lovely Aussie, hot temprament, layers of brown chocolate, vanilla, white pepper, jammy blackberries, spices of cedar, cigarbox, thymn, eucalyptus, alcoholic and powerfull. A yes I can wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2019 - rickspicks wrote: 88 Points
This was very heavy, tannic inky and darkly fruited It needed an hour + of air and food to be enjoyable. Seems likely to improve with a few more years in the cellar, but it seems harsh, disjointed and out of balance right now.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2019 - fc1910 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A trip to the Indian Sea, Sri Lanka; 1/16/2019-2/4/2019 (Emirates lounge Hamburg, Emirates Business Class, Beruwala sea side, Sri Lanka): Served at the Business Class Dubai- Colombo:
had this one with the mixed grill, mutton kofta, chicken malai kebab and zafrani chicken kheema kebab with dal makhani and vermicelli rice, in two words, GREAT pairing!
superb richness of dark cassis, energetic smoky, roasty, only tamed by the food, would not try to enjoy this one without food, a young tannic tasty fruit blockbuster, *(**+-?), 89,90+?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2018 - Miceri wrote: 87 Points
Not much nose; agreeable attack, a bit of fruit, but quite dry with dry tannins, no fruit at the end; a bit dull with little excitement
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2018 - Grantmanon wrote: 91 Points
Dark fruit, tobacco, round. Medium tannin and acidity.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2018 - ricard Likes this wine: 94 Points
A generous friend kept filling my glass and bringing more bottles of this at a party. Over the years I've found the Dead Arm to be inconsistent - sometimes closed and introverted, sometimes open and communicative. This 2013 is an impressive vintage - it's still obviously young, but already it's showing power and vigour and potential. Almost blue in colour, very dark and inky, concentrated nose of blueberry jam and rather scary intimidating notes of tar and smoke. But actually this really is impressive... Very tightly wound, incredibly intense and concentrated and full of nervous energy, as if about to explode, and at the same time generous and sweet and complex - chocolate, wet granite, carob, and perfect definition. I just wish these wines would age faster - this is my main complaint about Australian Shiraz - it just doesn't age as interestingly (to my mind) as Hermitage or Côte-Rôtie. But I'd love to taste this in 20 years. In fact I want to live that long just to experience that. Very good stuff, very good. Better, in fact (TABOO ALERT) than the Penfolds Grange I had on Monday, which is about 10 times more expensive. There, I said it.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/8/2018 - Sovinator Likes this wine: 89 Points
While enjoyable, slightly disappointing at this price point and reputation. Missing the complexity and uniqueness needed for higher rating.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2018 - Stephan O Does not like this wine: 85 Points
It's shaped like a bell curve, if that makes sense. I like it at first -- it's got a pleasant nose of oak-influenced cocoa -- and I'm wondering for a moment what the naysayers are talking about. Then I understand: it elbows you in the mouth with cloyingly overripe black fruit, crushed flowers, rotten black olives and some kind of weird note of sweet corn. On the finish, it's back to being sort of pleasing, with herbs and ink. I don't know that it'll straighten out, at least for my tastes. It's an odd wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2018 - vespasian wrote:
Relatively deep purple core with ruby tinge at the rim; fruit surprisingly lifted and leaning more toward the red fruited end of the spectrum. A note of rubber too (reduction?) - not the best, a bit diffuse; sweet fruited on the front palate. Fruit is quite ripe and coulis-like and infused with notes of mint and eucalytpus. Good weight and density on the palate, builds well in the mouth. This is a bit awkward right now but should come good. Has potential.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2018 - SlimShaney Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Nose of post gym class underwear. Rancid entry on the palate.
Dead Arm was once an almost iconic Aussie wine. What happened here? Change in style (more Rhone funk)? Bad vintage? Bad bottle?
Nasty meaty sweaty stuff.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2018 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Nose of dark berries, olive, and violets. On the palate stern with plenty of structure. Finish has nice acidity and great grip. A bit much right now, needs time to calm down
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2017 - robo_l wrote: 69 Points
Tannins moderate, fruit not showing. Great rep, so hopefully too early.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2017 - evanqian wrote: 93 Points
Blind Tasting - South Australia Shiraz (St Lukes, Auckland): Decanted for 2 hours, dark red/garnet. Rich flavours, M+ bodied, spices, ripe dark fruits, grainy tannins, moderate weight and strength, with good harmony. Some oak and spices in finish, moderate and long.
Alc 14.6%, TA 7.3 g/L, RS 1.4 g/L, pH 3.47
SIWC 2017 Gold, NZIWS Gold, JH 95, WA 92, Vinous 93
Ap 5/5, Ar 13/15, Palate 17/20, Overall 4+4/10
Total 93+/100
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2017 - jmcmchi wrote: 90 Points
Distinctly young. Assertive acidity and tannins with a pile of dark fruit
Even venturi into decanter doesn't tame it enough for drinking in the next year or so
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2017 - Double-A wrote: 88 Points
Concentrated blackberry nose. Full with compact fruit and ripe, solid tannins. Still primary on the finish.
3.5/5
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2017 - sebastienjm wrote: 88 Points
C'est complexe au nez, très mûr, riche, idem en bouche, mais je ne vois pas ce qui différencie ce vin de bien d'autres shiraz riches et concentrées.... je ne retrouve pas ce toucher de bouche, cette pureté et délicatesse dans les tanins que m'évoquent les grands rouges. Bref, on trouve tout aussi bien pour bien moins cher en Shiraz australiennes
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2017 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
FULL CIRCLE BEVCON 2017 SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE FOCUS, nose of black berry, roasted coffee must, pluots, and forest floor, same on the palate, big body, a popular Shiraz and deservedly so because it has great QPR and great rich fruit that is very tasty, and a long finish, should easily last twenty-five years and peak drinking about three years from now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2017 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 90 Points
Full Circle BevCon: Southern Hemisphere (SF: Sir Francis Drake Hotel): Classic Shiraz nose of coffee liqueur, black plum, roasted blackberry, sweet cassis juice, and slight smoked meat.
Full bodied, high alcohol - but well-contained, superb medium plus acid, medium plus tannins (surprisingly structured for Shiraz).
Around 25% new French oak.
Incredibly persistent finish - a well-knit shifting finish of sweet-and-savory fruit.
This is what I think of when I think of great Shiraz.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2017 - xibeixiaoyao1999 Likes this wine: 96 Points
2022-2030
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/8/2017 - P. Horst Likes this wine: 95 Points
A decade too early to be drunk, but man, what potential! Cellar it for 10 more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2017 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 94 Points
Screwcap, 14.6% ABV. This is a young and tough Shiraz, tightly wound, with impressive mineral energy and a formidable structure designed to give this wine a lifespan of 20-30 years. For such a big and bold wine, this has a remarkably vibrant acidic spine (TA 7.3 gr/l), which will keep the wine upright as the powerful, grainy tannins and the sensual, black fruit release their in-built tension in a slow-motion tango over the coming decades. There is a sligthtly singed quality to the fruit, but it is neither raisiny nor otherwise overripe. The oak (18 months in French and American oak, old and new) is perfectly integrated and the flavours are rich and mouthfilling. Aromatically, this is not the exuberant type and you will search in vain for sweet black pepper or smoked bacon. In fact, its somewhat subdued character might easily be mistaken for an old-fashioned Cabernet-Sauvignon. Length is excellent. Today, this proved a great foil for a wood-oven pizza from Embers, but it will probably need until 2025 to reach early maturity. Purchased at Bin Two, Padstow, UK. Score based on perceived potential.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2017 - Steph_l wrote: 95 Points
Powerful; fragrant after opening up. Good with steak
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment