2003 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Dead Arm

Bright medium ruby. Ripe plum and mulberry aromas are a bit sullen, requiring aeration to reveal complicating notes of espresso, licorice and tar. Rich and thick, with roasted cherry and dark chocolate flavors; lacks a sense of energy. Dense, ripe and weighty on the finish but seems reluctant to give up much in the way of nuance today.

One of this estate’s flagship wines, the 2003 The Dead Arm Shiraz appears to be better than the 2002. A deeper, richer, fuller-bodied offering that spent time in equal parts French and American oak, it possesses an opaque purple color, great intensity, and a fabulously sweet nose of blackberries, cassis, asphalt, earth, and oak. Powerful, super-concentrated, and obviously fashioned from low yields and old vines, this is a classic McLaren Vale old vine Shiraz that should age nicely for 15+ years. Wine Advocate.October, 2005