d'Arenberg 'The Laughing Magpie' Shiraz/Viognier (2016)

2015 was a beautifully balanced year, and this wine has all its components in harmony. The Shiraz provides both black and red fruits, dark earthy notes, spice and fennel whilst the Viognier compliments this with floral, gingery and apricot highlights. Blend: 94% Shiraz, 6% Viognier

Tasting Notes

93 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.

90 Wine & Spirits
Chester Osborn’s tribute to the kookaburra, a black bird 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. Cellar it.

90 Robert Parker's 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.