2017 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Dead Arm

Dark ruby. Black and blue fruits, candied licorice, pungent flowers and a hint of vanilla on the highly perfumed nose. Lush and broad on the palate, offering bitter cherry, cassis and blueberry flavors that turn spicier and firm up through the back half. Blends depth and energy with a sure hand and finishes impressively long and gently chewy, with slow-building tannins and resonating floral, dark berry and spice notes.

Locked up tight and ungiving on the nose, d'Arenberg's 2017 The Dead Arm Shiraz is nonetheless formidably dense and concentrated on the palate. Notes of charred wood join plums, raspberries and black olives in this full-bodied effort. With its current surly disposition, it appears to require decanting or several years' sleep in a cool cellar. Giving it air helped bring out purple raspberries and softened the considerable tannins, so I'm optimistic about its future evolution.