The Sticks & Stones
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2033
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled chorizo, slow-roasted lamb shoulder, wood-fired pork belly
✨ Technical Specifications
Named in defiant response to the skeptics who questioned Chester Osborn's decision to plant alternative Iberian varieties in McLaren Vale, 'The Sticks & Stones' is a wonderfully eccentric red blend. It combines the structure and dark fruit of Tempranillo, Souzao, and Tinta Cao with the fleshy warmth of old-vine Grenache. True to d'Arenberg's traditionalist philosophy, the grapes are gently crushed in basket presses and foot-trodden in open fermenters before aging in seasoned French oak. The result is a savory, rustic, and deeply complex wine that showcases the versatility of McLaren Vale's maritime climate and ancient soils.
🍾 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
Tempranillo, Grenache, Souzao, Tinta Cao
🍷 ABV
14.0-14.5%