LAST CALL!!
"The 2006 The Ironstone Pressings Grenache (70%)-Shiraz (25%)-Mourvedre (5%) offers a complex nose of cedar, leather, espresso, spice box, violets, black cherry, and blueberry compote. On the palate it offers up gobs of spicy, savory fruit, lovely integration of oak, tannin, and acidity, and a 45-second finish. Cellar it for 4-5 years and drink it from 2013 to 2026.
D’Arenberg has been owned and operated by the Osborn family since its inception in 1912. The portfolio, with a focus on the Rhone varieties, is wide ranging and value-oriented from top to bottom. The winery produces a bevy of value priced reds and whites that were reviewed in Issue 178. They should not be overlooked. At the higher end of the portfolio there is one white wine on which to report." (WA)
"($65; a blend of grenache, shiraz and mourvedre) Opaque ruby. Brooding, pungent red and dark berry aromas are complicated by cured tobacco, sandalwood and Indian spices. Broad and rich, with deep blackcurrant and cherry compote flavors and a firm structure that makes itself apparent with aeration. The grenache is in the background today, and the wine finishes with serious grip and sneaky persistence. I'd give this some cellar time." (IWC)
"An old-fashioned, modestly oaked grenache blend grown and made to a tee. It's earthy and meaty, floral and rustic, with layers of perfumed, dark-fruited scents and underlying bony, stony qualities. Full to medium in weight, it's smooth and concentrated, with brambly flavours of dark berries, blueberries and plums supported by very fine, drying and powdery tannin. It finishes long, and very persistent.(18.5/94, YTD 2016-2026+)" (JO)
Winery Notes:
THE ART OF BEING DIFFERENT:
d’Arenberg’s love affair with Grenache reaches its pinnacle with The Ironstone Pressings. The original block planted in 1918, on the lower side of the winery, has a plentiful amount of ironstone throughout the soil structures, which enhances the body and tannin structure of the wine.
WINEMAKING:
Fruit is gently crushed in an open-mouthed, rubber-toothed, Demoisy crusher before being transferred to open vessels for fermentation. Here the cap is permanently submerged beneath the free run juice, avoiding any harsh plunging or pumping over. Traditional foot-treading takes place after fermentation is complete, then gentle basket pressing precedes transfer to barrel for maturation. After this time the best Grenache barrels are individually selected to complement the Shiraz and Mourvedre components, resulting in a harmonious blend.
TASTING NOTES:
Fragrant mulberry and maraschino cherry fruits complement earthy spices and licorice notes against a backdrop of cedar oak. The powerfully structured palate offers layers of ripe exotic fruits and summer flowers blending effortlessly with a fine acid backbone and silky, mineral-edged tannins. The floral finish of jasmine and lavender notes is intense and persistent. |
