2004
McLaren Vale
Shiraz
Would most definitely drink again (on someone else’s tab).
The Gal: I traded Thanksgiving pies for this wine - normally we would not spend the amount this cost on a bottle of wine. My brother recommended The Dead Arm to me last spring and I “fell in love” with the whole “dead arm” story: Dead Arm is a vine disease caused by the fungus Eutypa lata. One half of the vine's arm becomes dead wood. But the grapes on the other side are used to make this wine. As my brother told me, the diseased area actually forces all of the flavor to the other side that remains healthy – the side used to make the wine.
So, I kept it in the back of my mind and would look for it wherever I found myself wine shopping. I found it recently and it was $60. I couldn’t buy it, I just couldn’t bring myself to spend that much for a bottle of wine I hadn’t had before. A short time later, a friend of mine was complaining that he couldn’t find any “new” good wines to taste.
Nothing was grabbing him. I told him about The Dead Arm that my brother had told me about. He ended up buying it and he agreed to give me a bottle if I made a couple of pies in exchange. It was a deal.
I decided to try it when my brother was home for Thanksgiving. I sat in my great, great grandmother’s cherry Shaker rocker by our first fire of the season at around 11:30 p.m. and savored The Dead Arm. It was very, very good – excellent. It’s dark inky color was followed in scent by a slight earthy smokiness (or maybe light creosote). It’s taste was black cherry and "hotness", then my favorite, “minerality”, settled in and was followed by a long slightly smokey finish.I loved this wine. It was very reminiscent of two of my previous favorites: Yangarra Vineyard Shiraz and “Bogle’s” Phantom. That said, those (2) favorite wines were about a third of the price. So, I must conclude that, for the price, The Dead Arm was a bit much, at least for our budget. I truly believe that Phantom and Yangarra, at approximately $20-something, are better buys. But, if money is no object to you, I do recommend the taste of The Dead Arm. I had it without any food pairing.
McLaren Vale
Shiraz
Would most definitely drink again (on someone else’s tab).
The Gal: I traded Thanksgiving pies for this wine - normally we would not spend the amount this cost on a bottle of wine. My brother recommended The Dead Arm to me last spring and I “fell in love” with the whole “dead arm” story: Dead Arm is a vine disease caused by the fungus Eutypa lata. One half of the vine's arm becomes dead wood. But the grapes on the other side are used to make this wine. As my brother told me, the diseased area actually forces all of the flavor to the other side that remains healthy – the side used to make the wine.
So, I kept it in the back of my mind and would look for it wherever I found myself wine shopping. I found it recently and it was $60. I couldn’t buy it, I just couldn’t bring myself to spend that much for a bottle of wine I hadn’t had before. A short time later, a friend of mine was complaining that he couldn’t find any “new” good wines to taste.
Nothing was grabbing him. I told him about The Dead Arm that my brother had told me about. He ended up buying it and he agreed to give me a bottle if I made a couple of pies in exchange. It was a deal.
I decided to try it when my brother was home for Thanksgiving. I sat in my great, great grandmother’s cherry Shaker rocker by our first fire of the season at around 11:30 p.m. and savored The Dead Arm. It was very, very good – excellent. It’s dark inky color was followed in scent by a slight earthy smokiness (or maybe light creosote). It’s taste was black cherry and "hotness", then my favorite, “minerality”, settled in and was followed by a long slightly smokey finish.I loved this wine. It was very reminiscent of two of my previous favorites: Yangarra Vineyard Shiraz and “Bogle’s” Phantom. That said, those (2) favorite wines were about a third of the price. So, I must conclude that, for the price, The Dead Arm was a bit much, at least for our budget. I truly believe that Phantom and Yangarra, at approximately $20-something, are better buys. But, if money is no object to you, I do recommend the taste of The Dead Arm. I had it without any food pairing.
If you don’t make a move without Robert Parker’s permission, this wine received a “95” rating by him.
"Cold hearted orb that rules the night,
removes the colours from our sight,
red is gray and yellow white,
but we decide which is right and which is an illusion."
Justin Hayward and The Moody Blues
(My brother and I recited this in unison over Thanksgiving - this was from my all time favorite "album" "Days of Future Passed" by the "Moody Blues"and "The London Symphony Orchestra" - thank you to my parents for turning me on to really fine music at a young age )
9.0 out of 10
14.5% alc. by vol.
$55.99 - $68.99 / 750 ml. bottle
1 comment:
Finally had the Dead Arm tonight. WIth all of the anticipation I am over the suspense. I tried the first glass as I was preparing our meal, Tiliapa, Southern Fried, or a watered down Northern version. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Japanese style breading. The first sip with no food was good, started out with a blast of smokey black cherry, then peppery and hot, then a mineral finish. O.K. for a Jammy Zin drinker, the second and third glass went well, steamed vegtables, shrimp cocktail and light fish, but....... the wonderfull finish, Oh, the wonderful finish, I broke out the Kalleske Barossa Valley Shiraz VP. Desert wine, almost as thick as Cockburn Port. With a glass of Dead Arm and a Glass of Kalleseke along with my warm walnut filled brownies (Thanks DiDi) and Vanilla Ice Cream, the 2 Shiraz's slid back like they were from the same vineyard. What a combo, and I am not just saying this because the bottle of Dead Arm is gone (thanks to me and me alone) but the 2, along with the fudge was a combination that I have yet to taste. I am glad that the Dead Arm was enjoyed by family at your Thanksgiving feast, but I will certainly buy another bottle to pair with my Kalleske VP Basket Pressed Shiraz. Thanks for the review and, who knows maybe you'll be baking again soon.....
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