2017 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Dead Arm

Shiraz

AusWineJuan Likes this wine: 92 points

October 12, 2020 - High expectations with this fabled wine in Australian oenology. Only thing I realised after drinking was that I should be charged with infanticide - a beautiful wine that I did no favours to by drinking it so young. Will need to pick up some more and forget about them until 2025 as a minimum. A rich palate - plums, blackberry, cherry and fruit abound. Some integrated spices and that McLaren Vale pepper poking through. One thing holding it back though is a warmth of alcohol that (deceptively) initially appears placid but detracts from the quality of fruit used. I hope this will improve with the cellar-age. If so, 92+ for sure.

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KristianT commented:

3/3/21, 4:26 AM - Take it from one that has followed d'Arenberg and Dead Arm since the mid-1990s. Dead Arm ages spectacularly well, but at a glacial pace. If you open your next bottle in 2027 it will taste almost exactly as it does today (which is still a great taste, but you expect to see something in return for keeping a wine 10 years in the cellar). Only when these great wines turn about 15 years old, they start to enter the second stage of their development and at 20 years you will truly be wow'ed! Enjoy.
AusWineJuan commented:

3/9/21, 8:44 PM - Thanks for that insight, you've convinced me to source a 90s Dead Arm!

Cheers and happy drinking.
sfwinelover1 commented:

9/1/21, 11:27 AM - I agree that these age well, especially for big wines, although I think they can drink well young with plenty of air. A '01 I had a few months ago was drinking brilliantly, a '02 I've been drinking for the past 2 nights is likewise in excellent shape, although it's not nearly as exuberant of a wine. Booziness can definitely be an issue with this bottling, although I've never had any vintage that, on balance, I didn't really enjoy. You may find that somewhat muted if you drink the wine at closer to cellar temp. Cheers!