D’Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz 2021
- 92
- $22
- Drink by: 2024-2034
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A cracking value McLaren Vale Shiraz from a top vintage, what more could you really want? Open fermenters for small batches which saw foot treading, before spending time in a combination of new and older French oak barriques. This is dark maroon/purple in colour, the aromas swirl through spicy notes, soy, coffee grinds, delicatessen meats, aniseed, vanilla, black olives, black fruits and chocolate. Good balance and impressive intensity of flavour that runs the full length of the wine. Silky tannins and good focus, this is a seamless style which offers a decade plus of good drinking (it really is good value). Cigar box notes emerge more on the finish, I like this a lot.
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.
