Nice round, plump style of Shiraz. Loads of plum and black berry on the nose, with the small Viognier component adding exotic notes of spiced apricots. There’s lots of ripe plum flavors, alongside graphite and dried herbs. It’s a luscious, soft wine, finishing with restrained tannin and moderate acidity.
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93 pts - James Suckling: “Black and red-licorice aromas with hints of graphite and dark berries. Crushed stone. Full-bodied, layered and beautiful. Very stylish and intense.”
92 pts - Kenswineguide.com: “This slight opaque and dark ruby-colored Shiraz based wine opens with a fragrant new leather, blackberry, boysenberry, and black olive bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, juicy and savory. The flavor profile is a very tasty complex blend of blackberry and refined minerality along with notes of stewed plum, black tea and black pepper. I also detected hints of black olive and oak in the aftertaste. The finish sis dry and its dusty tannins stick around for a very long time. This Shiraz could benefit from some decanting in the near term. I would pair this wine with braised short ribs.
90 pts - Year's Best McLaren Vale - Wine & Spirits Magazine: “Chester Osborn’s tribute to the kookaburra, a blackbird with a white stripe, the Laughing Magpie blends some white grapes (viognier) in the fermenter with shiraz. That viognier points up the spicy perfume as well as the tannic weight of the shiraz, a bloody, meaty, iron-bound combination that’s rich and savory.”
90 pts - Robert Parker Wine Advocate: “d'Arenberg's 2015 The Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier reveals the Viognier component on the nose, offering up hints of apricot alongside the main aromas of black olives and blueberries. Over time, those stone-fruit notes will fade, so if that's your jam, catch this wine over the next year or so. If you prefer a more conventional Shiraz profile, hold the wine for 3-4 years.
It's certainly got the stuffing for that and more, offering a medium to full-bodied palate, a rich,
almost creamy mouthfeel packed with ripe tannins and a lingering finish.”