2021 d'Arenberg The Bonsai Vine GSM, McLaren Vale

Deep, dark, bold colour; the complexity of roasting meats and smoky charcuterie is starting to show on this five-year-old red, while the palate is full-bodied and firm, with masses of drying, grippy tannins that demand hearty protein-rich food. Serious structure here and flavour to match: it's a wine built to age and go with hearty fare. Drink to 2036.

91 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, July 2026

The Bonsai Vine is a reference to the many old, dry grown bush vines that contribute to this McLaren Vale blend. Small for their age, their tiny shoots giving them a bonsai-like appearance.

The grapes were picked in small batches as they matured, with each kept separate and crushed into five-tonne open fermenters. The ferments were foot trodden two thirds of the way through fermentation and the batches basket pressed into a combination of new and used French oak barriques for maturing and malolactic conversion. The batches were not racked before blending which took place after 20 months in oak, and no fining or filtration took place as the wine was prepared for bottling.

About this producer

The 1912 established d'Arenberg remains a family business, with fourth-generation Chester Osborn crafting bold, characterful wine with winemaker Jack Walton that continuing the family legacy of pushing the boundaries of the region.

The estate vineyards are substantial, with the family owning or leasing roughly 200 hectares in McLaren Vale, in addition to sourcing grapes from contract growers in the Adelaide Hils and the Fleurieu. Their own vineyards are certified organic and biodynamic, making family one of the largest biodynamic farmers in Australia.

The range of wines on offer is notable, with the winery vinifying nearly forty varieties in most seasons. The work at the winery remains highly traditional and labour-intensive despite their large scale, with all white and red wines pressed with gentle basket presses, and the red ferments foot-trodden by cellar hands in the original open concrete fermenters. The red wines are bottled without fining or filtration.