The Biophilic Silurian Cinsault
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2025
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, charcuterie board, grilled lamb chops
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted by the famously eccentric Chester Osborn, d'Arenberg's 'The Biophilic Silurian' Cinsault is a vibrant celebration of one of the Rhône Valley's unsung heroes, thriving in the ancient soils of McLaren Vale. The name itself is a whimsical nod to 'biophilia'—mankind's innate connection to the natural world—and the 'Silurian' geological era, reflecting the winery's deep commitment to organic and biodynamic farming. True to d'Arenberg's hands-on heritage, the grapes are gently foot-trodden in open fermenters and pressed using historic basket presses. This traditional, low-intervention approach coaxes out a wonderfully fragrant, lighter-bodied red wine that defies the typical heavy-set style of the region, offering a lively, aromatic, and earth-driven expression of pure Cinsault.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1912 by Joseph Osborn, d'Arenberg stands as an iconic pillar of McLaren Vale viticulture, stewarded today by fourth-generation chief winemaker Chester Osborn. The estate spans undulating coastal landscapes influenced by the moderating maritime winds of the Gulf St Vincent, resting upon complex, ancient geologies ranging from calcareous Terra Rossa to sandy loam and weathered limestone. Viticulture is rigorous and certified organic and biodynamic across all estate-owned and leased vineyards. While renowned for formidable Rhone-style reds, d'Arenberg's white winemaking upholds identical artisanal rigor: gentle whole-bunch basket pressing ensures minimal phenolics and purity of expression. From the racy, textural The Money Spider Roussanne and crisp The Dry Dam Riesling to the lusciously layered botrytised expressions The Noble Semillon and The Noble Botryotinia Fuckeliana, the wines epitomize balance, crystalline minerality, and vibrant natural acidity.
🍇 Grapes
Cinsault
🍷 ABV
13.5% - 14.5%