d’Arenberg
McLaren Vale , South Australia
Brands
d’Arenberg
Winery Overview
One of the most significant wineries in McLaren Vale, d’Arenberg was established in 1912 when Joseph Osborn, a teetotaler and director of Thomas Hardy and Sons, sold his stable of prize winning horses to purchase the property. Each generation of the Osborn family has passed on knowledge to the next custodian of the soil, and today fourth generation family member Chester (Head Winemaker), makes distinctive wines using traditional methods both in the vineyard and the winery.
The personality of each vineyard is encouraged to flourish with minimal intervention: no fertiliser, minimal or no irrigation, no soil cultivation and no herbicide. The winery itself is a working tribute to traditional winemaking. Built in 1927, the original concrete open fermenters are still in operation, and from entry level to iconic, all wines are basket pressed with red ferments foot trod by wader clad cellar hands.
Known for an eclectic portfolio of oddly named wines and a bold red stripe that adorns each bottle, the range is considerable with over 70 wines and 30 grape varieties with styles that include white, red, fortified, sparkling and dessert. Over one thousand show medals and praise from wine scribes all over the world attest to their merits.
In 2017, construction was completed on the d’Arenberg Cube, a five storey multi-function building set among Mourvèdre vines. The Cube includes a new tasting room, restaurant, private tasting areas and state of the art facilities on each level.
Available in
Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Malta, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE, UK, USA, Vietnam
Seeking Distribution in
Greece, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico
Winemaker Bio
Chester Osborn is a fourth generation winemaker, taking over from his father in 1983. He has forged a reputation for producing strikingly individual wines and melding tradition and innovation.
He has a minimal input approach to viticulture that incorporates a preference for dry growing, no fertilization, no soil cultivation and no sprays. These techniques are used to get the greatest expression of the soil from a network of ancient vines across the McLaren Vale region.
In the winery Chester maintains many practices used by his father and grandfather including the use of open wax-lined concrete fermenters, basket presses for reds and whites and foot treading red ferments.
Discovering new varieties suited to the diverse terroir of McLaren Vale has been an ongoing passion for Chester. He has been instrumental in introducing many varieties to the region including Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Tempranillo and Souzao and now makes more than 70 different wines from over 37 different varieties, including single vineyard Shiraz and Grenache wines, called the Amazing Sites.
Recently, Chester opened what has been a more than a 14 year dream in the making, the d’Arenberg Cube – a 5 storey multi function centre in the heart of McLaren Vale. It has drawn media attention worldwide for its striking appearance, a cube shaped building with the top two floors twisted on their axis and a striking geometric pattern on the outside. The bottom level is also clad with a stainless steel reflective surface, which from a distance makes the building appear as though it is floating atop the vineyard it resides in.