D’Arenberg The Stump Jump Red Blend
Wine: D’Arenberg The Stump Jump Red Blend.
Grape: Shiraz (47 percent), Grenache (28 percent), Mourvedre (25 percent)
Region: McLaren Vale, South Australia
Vintage: 2009
Price: $ 8.99 per bottle.
In the Glass: A deeply opaque inky-red color with streaks of violet and crimson going out into an immensely purplish red rim with big-time viscosity showing in bowl of the glass.
On the Nose: It has opulent forward and very concentrated black fruit, black cherries, creamy oak with vanilla notes and phenolics over herbs de Provence, coffee grounds, mocha, earthy minerals, cigar box and sweet chewing tobacco as well.
On the Palate: It is immensely rich and opulently fruit rounded with concentrated, but too not extracted, black fruit, crushed black plums, jammy blueberry and tasty, juicy sort of earth-driven characteristics. The mid-palate is well-balanced with forward, subtle tannins and interestingly spicy undertones with licorice root powder, pepper and phenolic compounds as well as cherries jubilee on the finish.
Odds and Ends: The famous winery d’Arenberg is in the hills north of the township of McLaren Vale on the Fleurieu Peninsula, just 25 miles south of Adelaide, Australia. The Osborn vineyards, which produce d’Arenberg, were first planted in the 1890s and now total about 150 acres of vines. The name Stump Jump relates to the significant South Australian invention: the Stump Jump plough. The Stump Jump is a blend and style that has its roots once again in the Rhune Valley in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, where Grenache, Syrah (Shiraz) and Mourvedre are staple grape varieties. This is a superb choice for grilled dinners this time of the year, when you love a good hearty glass of full-bodied red with a medium-rare steak. This wine has high ratings from both Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate and is a tremendous value at under $9. Drink now through 2015.
Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749 or email him at gil@winevegas.com.
