Since Chester Osborn took over the reins at d'Arenberg as Chief Winemaker in 1984, he has developed a reputation for brazenly challenging convention, going against the grain and wearing absurdly loud shirts. Under his direction, the d'Arenberg portfolio has exploded to over 70 wines and they have just released two more - the most premium wines in their 104 year history.
d'Arenberg is known for its quirky wine names and interesting varietal blends, and these wines do not disappoint. Each wine features a unique and interesting label that complements the story behind them - 'The Old Bloke & The Three Young Blondes' and 'The Athazagoraphobic Cat'.
The Old Bloke is a shiraz dominant blend with roussanne, viognier and marsanne - three white Rhone varieties that d'Arenberg planted in McLaren Vale in the 1990s. These 'young blondes' add fragrance, spice and length to the 'old bloke', which is sourced from d'Arenberg’s oldest shiraz vines. Some might joke that the old bloke is Chester and the three young blondes are his daughters, the fifth generation who will carry on the d'Arenberg tradition.
The Athazagoraphobic Cat is named in memory of a plain tabby called Audrey Hepburn, nicknamed Ordinary. Suffering from the fear of being forgotten, Audrey was often seen around the winery trotting close to Chester's heels. This wine is an intoxicating blend of sagrantino and cinsault, native varieties of Italy and Southern France. Only sagrantino pressings were used in the final blending, making for an intense wine with tannins and lush red fruits that linger on the palate. This wine is anything but ordinary and, much like Audrey, will be hard to forget.
The pair are individually presented in paper wrap and a unique letterpress label, which features the story behind the wine and d'Arenberg's iconic red stripe.
RRP: $200
Available to purchase online or at cellar door.
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