d'Arenberg Nostalgia Rare Tawny Half Bottle 375ml, McLaren Vale

The Nostalgia is a multi-vintage wine blended to an average age of more than 15 years. It is a blend of up to forty parcels of fortified wines aged in large old oak barrels, with small amounts of Grenache and occasionally Shiraz fortified every couple of years to add material to this ever-maturing solera to ensure a constant small supply into the future. The blended wine is bottled in small batches to maintain freshness, and the complex, intense and luscious character the wine is known for.

The wine pours a burnished bronze with an alluring rim of olive and greets on the nose with a cascade of walnuts, toasted almonds and rancio character. Sitting in the glass, dried orchard fruits and figs appear with a sprinkling of cinnamon and notes of toffee and burnt butter. The palate is lively, tingling with spice and lift, balancing freshness and age notes, with the sweetness kept in check by the rancio.

Great simply on its own or with a handful of nuts, it works well with freshly baked baklava or a cheese board withaged Gouda and Shropshire Blue, with a side of high-quality muscatels and roasted walnuts.

If you’re feeling adventurous, a wine like this also works with the likes of Moroccan duck, fig, and almond pastilla and many historic Spanish and Italian Renaissance dishes that blend sweet and savoury elements.

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.