2005 d'Arenberg The Laughing Magpie Shiraz-Viognier

Community Tasting Notes (128) Avg Score: 88.8 points

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  3/31/2022 - SineQuaNon Likes this wine: 91 Points

  My oh my! This is sooo good! Still brimming with coconut/oak on the nose, but not above my threshold. Palate is fresh, long, Med+ bodied. I’m amazed at how well this is ageing. No need to hurry here although it is probably at [a long plateau of] peak

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  5/25/2019 - Italiana Likes this wine:

  Fresh looking dark garnet. Plenty of body. Pronounced fruit. A bit of bitterness on the back end. Still plenty of life in this bottle.

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  4/1/2019 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:

  Missing that tropical sea breeze in Brisbane while I intend to taste this bottle. Unfortunately it is not the only thing that has changed since, on that occasion the 2002 bottle still had a real cork. Not on this occasion. A bloody screw closure. At least I had the holy patience to have it standing in my cellar for 12 years in order to alleviate (prevent) that possible plastic sensation.
  Bottle opened two hours in advance lunch. Aromatically brings me similar memories of the past with a predominance of damask cherries, also meat notes, licorice and pastry. Finally presents touches of lavender, humid earth, anthracite and fresh carob. Usually we call it complexity.
  On the palate initially has density but faint a little. Good acidity. Refreshing and delicious aftertaste. Well-integrated alcohol. Tons of sediments. With fourteen years, a bottle quite ready.
  By the way, an interesting and lovely story on the back label but I prefer to think Alicia and Ruby couldn't even pronounce that Spanish word sounded 'cucaburra' (kookaburra), that's why they opted for 'laughing magpie".
  Last bottle of that pack I bought in Melbourne in 2007.
  
  Echo de menos la brisa tropical del mar en Brisbane mientras me propongo degustar esta botella. Desgraciadamente no es la única cosa que ha cambiado ya que en aquella ocasión la botella del 2002 todavía tenía un corcho de verdad. No en esta ocasión. Un maldito cierre de rosca. Al menos he tenido la santa paciencia de tenerla de pie en mi bodega durante 12 años para intentar aliviar esa posible sensación a plástico.
  Botella abierta dos horas antes del almuerzo. Aromáticamente me trae similares recuerdos del pasado con un predominio de las cerezas damasquinas, también de notas cárnicas, de regaliz y de pastelería. Por último presenta toques de lavanda, tierra húmeda, antracita y de algarroba fresca. A todo esto lo solemos llamar complejidad.
  Al paladar inicialmente tiene densidad aunque desfallece un poco. Buena acidez. Refrescante y delicioso postgusto. Alcohol bien integrado. Toneladas de sedimentos. Con catorce años, una botella muy en su punto.
  Por cierto, una historieta encantadora e interesante en la contraetiqueta pero prefiero pensar que Alicia y Rubí no podían ni siquiera pronunciar ese nombre con sonido español de "cucaburra" y de ahí lo de "urraca risueña".
  Última botella de aquella partida que compré en Melbourne en 2007.

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  2/19/2017 - gcarl wrote: 91 Points

  Very popular among the 20+ wines I provided for a blind tasting event. The alcohol has all but subsided. Very smooth, attractive shiraz blend

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  7/23/2016 - torrancegw Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Dark ruby colour, powerful nose, rich, smooth Syrah blend, perfect with veal chop

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