Wine of the week: d’Arenberg The Stump Jump 2017
by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On
How about Aussie shiraz that’s high alcohol, but also balanced? Then check out d’Arenberg The Stump Jump
I wrote this a couple of years ago, and it still holds true: “Australian shiraz’s fall from grace should not apply to d’Arenberg, an Aussie producer that makes some of the most interesting red wine in the world. d’Arenberg does it by combining terroir, top quality grapes, and — believe it or not – high alcohol in a fresh and intriguing fashion.”
Witness d’Arenberg The Stump Jump 2017 ($10, purchased, 14.5%), as terrific a $10 Aussie shiraz as you’re going to find. That means balance and varietal quality and a tremendous price on the kind of wine that most of us gave up on long ago.
Look for a fruit-forward (cherries? dark berries?) wine that offers just a bit more, including more acidity than this kind of wine usually has and a bit of peppery spice. And I have no idea how the wine is neither too ripe nor or too hot; I gave up trying to figure it out and just enjoyed it.
Highly recommended, and a candidate for the 2022 Hall of Fame. Pair this with burgers and pizza on a weeknight when you don’t feel like cooking.
Imported by Old Bridge Cellars
Long ago, Stump Jump was a reliable favorite, then it seemed to slip in quality while the price rose. That $10 is difficult to imagine now but look foward to trying to find it.
d’Arenberg’s whole line is brilliant. I was lucky enough to be invited to a tasting by Darrel Corti of their wines. So I look for their wines, and they are hard to find these days.
Hi Mike: glad to see we are still hanging out in the same places..