d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Red – Smooth With A Sharp Edge

42% Grenache, 33% Shiraz, 25% Mourvèdre.

Sample received courtesy Old Bridge Cellars for review purposes. SRP of $11, but available widely for $10.

From the bottle:

“Since 1912, the Osborn family has tended the 19th century vineyards and from 1927, made wine at d’Arenberg, their winery located near McLaren Vale, South Australia.
Land for many of the region’s old vineyards was originally cleared using the ‘Stump Jump’ plough, a South Australian invention which enabled the ploughshare to jump over the gnarled roots of ‘mallee’ Eucalyptus trees, saving valuable time and resources.

The grapes used for this Stump Jump are from predominantly very old bush-vine Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre vines. Small parcels of groups sourced from various vineyards were gently crushed, fermented in traditional open-tanks, basket pressed and matured prior to bottling.
14.0% Alcohol”

The previous vintage of this wine caused quite a stir making the Wine Spectator Top 100 wines list. I don’t really put much stock in those lists but I was still looking forward to trying this wine because of the blend and the price tag, and I am quite glad that I did, as this wine was very good.

The 2009 d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Red exhibits strong aromas of plum, ripe fruit, and a little spice. The wine is very smooth with tastes of dark fruit, blackberry, and dried herbs. The medium-long finish shows the sharp edge when the spicy tannins come through, which I liked quite a bit. The wine was even a little better on day 2 so give it some time to breathe. This wine should find a spot in the next iteration of the Top 10 list.

Also be sure to check out the excellent Stump Jump White!

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.