D'ARENBERG The Daddy Long Legs Tawny 'Extremely Rare', Fleurieu, McLaren Vale NV HALF

Description

The Daddy Long Legs Tawny Port is a rare and extraordinary Australian wine with a heritage dating back to 1928. Crafted using traditional techniques such as foot treading and basket pressing, fermentation was halted by the addition of grape spirit, resulting in a beautifully balanced, concentrated wine. Its aging in casks over many decades has developed incredible complexity and richness, maintained in a barrel shed guarded by hundreds of Daddy Long Leg spiders for years. The wine exhibits a deep, tawny hue, with an explosion of aromas including candied walnuts, dates, prunes, burnt sugar, and spices. The palate is full-bodied, viscous, and mouth-coating, reminiscent of maple syrup, baked figs, and Christmas pudding, with a surprising freshness. Deeply evolved, decadent, and refined, only a small quantity has been bottled, making it a truly unique collector’s gem. The Wine Advocate awards it 94 points for its concentration, longevity, and historical significance.

*****

The solera of old wines has been going since 1928.

The original fruit was handled with the same gentle and traditional techniques still used in the winery today, foot treading and basket pressing. To ensure sweetness and alcohol mingle harmoniously, fermentation was stopped by adding grape spirit, creating a balanced wine of great concentration, to be pressed and aged in casks. The Daddy Long Legs exhibits a level of intensity and complexity that can only be achieved with time. Decadent, to say the least.

The story behind the name.
The barrel shed that houses this wine is inhabited by hundreds of Daddy Long Leg spiders, who have kept a watchful eye over these barrels for decades. This wine is extra rare and only a very small quantity has been bottled, making it a very unique release.

The characteristics.
The weight of history imposes itself upon you when tasting this wine. As winemakers, we know that there are no modern tricks that enable us to produce a wine of this style quickly. Time and patience are our only tools. With each year that has passed, the Daddy Long Legs has taken another step in its evolution, culminating in this extraordinarily complex, rich and decedent tawny.

The nose bursts full throttle out of the glass. We’re hit by a multitude of aromas, candied walnuts, dates, prunes, burnt sugar and baking spices. The palate is full, rich and viscous. Mouth coating and sweet like maple syrup, the charm and warmth of baked ?gs and Christmas pudding and the added complexity of grilled almonds and rich beef stock. Decidedly rancio and fully evolved, but somehow with a freshness that belies its years. A long and warm ?nish caps of this vinous journey.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 94 points
Jay S Miller - "Fourth generation family winemaker Chester Osborn took over the reins as chief winemaker from his father, d’Arry in 1984. Once the keys to the winery and cellars were in his hands, Chester decided to hold back 15 barrels of the current blend of “Selected Tawny Port” a very old and exceptionally high quality fortified wine. These barrels were left to slowly mature and were only ‘topped up’ when necessary using only the same, carefully aged wine. The barrel shed that houses these old casks is also inhabited by hundreds of Daddy Long Leg spiders, who have kept a watchful eye over these precious gems for decades. The wine was in superb condition and the spiders were doing such a great job protecting the barrels that Chester left them alone until just recently when he decided to bottle a small quantity for our pleasure. The wine is extremely old and exemplifies a classic Australian style. The colour is of an aged wine with a soft tan appearance. Amazing concentration." Comes boxed.