The Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2033
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, slow-cooked beef cheek
✨ Technical Specifications
The Laughing Magpie is a classic McLaren Vale Shiraz Viognier, showcasing d'Arenberg's signature blend of traditional winemaking and whimsical storytelling. The wine's name is inspired by the native Australian kookaburras nesting around the vineyards, whose striking black and white plumage led winemaker Chester Osborn's daughters to dub them 'laughing magpies'—a perfect metaphor for this blend of the dark, robust Shiraz and the pale, aromatic Viognier. The grapes are co-fermented, a technique borrowed from the Northern Rhône, where the small addition of Viognier stabilizes the deep color of the Shiraz and coaxes out exotic floral aromas. True to d'Arenberg's heritage, the grapes are gently crushed in basket presses and foot-trodden, resulting in a rich, textured palate with dark fruit, spice, and a subtle apricot lift.
🍾 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, Viognier
🍷 ABV
14.0% - 14.5%