The 2010 d’Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz is a vivid expression of McLaren Vale’s unique terroir and the Osborn family’s century-old winemaking craft. The story starts with the winery itself—one of Australia’s oldest family-owned estates, tended by four generations of Osborns since 1912. Chester Osborn, the current visionary winemaker, blends deep respect for tradition with a modern flair, crafting wines that carry both personality and pedigree.

The name “Dead Arm” is far from morbid—it’s a nod to an intriguing vine disease caused by the fungus Eutypa lata. This condition affects vines worldwide, causing one ‘arm’ or branch to die back, while the other side continues to produce fruit. The dead arm is brittle and lifeless, but the surviving arm yields fewer grapes with extraordinary concentration and intensity. Rather than being a flaw, this phenomenon creates grapes that pack a flavour punch, giving the Dead Arm Shiraz its distinctive richness and depth.

At d’Arenberg, sustainability and tradition walk hand in hand. Every vineyard is certified organic or biodynamic, encouraging resilient root systems and exceptional fruit quality. The winery operates under Sustainable Winegrowing Australia guidelines, using solar power and reducing waste with smart packaging choices. This ensures the Osborn legacy and their land remain vibrant for generations to come.

Winemaking is a tactile, artisanal affair here. Small batches are gently crushed and transferred to open-top fermenters where natural yeasts begin their work. The grapes undergo foot treading—yes, winemaking with bare feet!—which extracts subtle tannins and texture with a delicate hand. After fermentation, the wine is basket pressed and aged in a combination of new and used French oak barriques. With no fining or filtration, the wine maintains a pure, complex profile that truly reflects its vineyard origins.

100% Shiraz. On the nose, it’s earthy and alluring, with dark fruits, fennel, and baking spices unfolding into sweeter berries and forest-floor aromas. The palate is dense and concentrated, blending plum, blackberry, mulberry, and savory notes like black olive and iodine. Despite its richness, the wine finishes with a surprising lift of spicy pepper and finely textured tannins that linger long after the last sip.

An unambiguously top class version of a distinguished lineage; the colour is as bright as the spicy red fruit aromas of the bouquet, the palate with a cascade of red and black fruits, spice, licorice and bitter chocolate flavours, yet providing all this with finesse and calm. ~96 James Halliday

This vintage produced luscious fruit but, finding early flavour development, Chester Osborn picked earlier than usual. It has delicious detail and lift, with iodine, pepper, florals and a long, tight seam of fresh blackcurrant and mulberry fruit. Dynamic, sinewy, earthy tannins make for a long tapering finish with a bloody mineral tang. Part fermented on lees in new and used French and American oak barriques. ~95 Decanter

~95 The Wine Front

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