The Fruit Bat Shiraz
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Barbecued pork ribs, grilled lamb chops, mature cheddar cheese
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted by the historic d'Arenberg estate in McLaren Vale, 'The Fruit Bat' Shiraz represents a playful and innovative approach to South Australia's signature grape. Named after the nocturnal flying foxes that sweep through the Australian bush and vineyards, this wine is uniquely styled as a low-alcohol Shiraz. It is produced using traditional winemaking techniques, including the estate's famous basket presses, before undergoing a specialized, gentle process to reduce the alcohol content while preserving the classic, rich varietal characters of McLaren Vale Shiraz. The result is a wine brimming with vibrant dark plum, blackberry, and subtle spice notes, offering the complexity of a traditional red with a remarkably light and refreshing finish.
🍾 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
Shiraz
🍷 ABV
5.5%