White Rhone and a "Ripper"

Domaine Clos des Clazaux “Les Clefs D’Or” Vacqueyras blanc 2006 (Rhone, France)

From 50-year old vines cropped at 30hl/hec. This has been a quality wine (and something refreshingly different) when I have tasted it previously. Served too cold, this is definitely a white with sufficient body to be served a little warmed and in fact the reverse label makes reference to this recommending 16C and an hour in a decanter! Plastic cork. Pale yellow. Subdued nose when first opened, masked by the cold temperature. AS it warms up  it comes across as strong white fruits and pear with a slight herbaceous character to it . The palate is richer and more mineralic and full bodied than you would expect. Very concentrated white fruits. Medium acidity. Long finish. Great value, and showing well for 6-years old. I sometimes wonder whether Domaine Clos des Clazaux’s whites are actually better than their reds. Drinking great now, difficult to predict how it will change further with keeping but its not going to fall off its perch soon. 13.5% alc. This is still for me the best white Vacqueyras. 16+/20.

D’Arenberg ‘The Dead Arm’ Shiraz 2006 (McLaren Vale, South Australia)

This wine has something of a cult following, and my first bottle was sometime back in the late 1990’s around the time when Robert Parker started rating it up in the high 90s. This is my first tasting from a case of this vintage, already 6-years old. The story of why this is called ‘The Dead Arm’ is detailed on the bottle and website - worth a read. This has spent 22-months in new mixed barrique. Decanted before opening and enjoyed over 2 days. Inky black but not opaque. Unsurprisingly there is no real age discernible on the rim. Immense young and open nose of primary red fruit, dark spices and vanilla oak (tending towards the American style). Very classic South Australian quality shiraz. The palate is smooth balanced despite the huge richness and power to it – I would almost go as far as saying elegant, which you would generally not use as a descriptor for such a powerful wine. Black spices and dark red fruits predominate with a touch of Balsamic. You would never think that was already 6-years old. This is a masterful example of this style of wine and must have another 10 – 20 years ahead of it. The ‘elegance’ required something like a fine fillet steak, venison or maybe even rare Gressingham duck  to accompany it – its so smooth. 15% alc. 17/20.