D’Arenberg The Biophilic Silurian Cinsault 2023

The extraordinary array of weird and wonderful names which Chester Osborn has bestowed on his wines at D’Arenberg is well known and provides much amusement and enlightenment. That said, I’m not sure many would have picked this slightly obscure Rhône variety to be dubbed the Biophilic Silurian. The Silurian hypothesis speculates that intelligent life once roamed the earth, long before our time, but the evidence of that is now hidden and unlikely to come to light (to be honest, with the state of the world today, it would be nice to think that there has been intelligent life on the planet at some stage). That said, comments about intelligent life and wine names are perhaps best left for another time. The link? This particular vineyard, which is home to the oldest Cinsault vines in McLaren Vale, was also hidden for quite some time. Chester predicts anyone enjoying a bottle will experience a strong attraction and emotional attachment to it. He might well be right about that. The wine spends a year maturing in older French oak. Crimson/purple in colour, this is an earthy, slightly burly style with notes of dried herbs, animal skins, charcuterie, redcurrants and a flick of pepper. There is good focus here and intensity of flavour. The wine is finely balanced through to a lingering finish with sleek tannins and should provide enjoyment for at least the next eight years, should you be so intelligent as to buy a bottle.

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.

Wine writer and critic