Cellar notes #3: A whole New World

New world wines don't age well, old world classics do. This so-called received wisdom got a well-deserved boot up the backside this month from the father-and-son duo of d'Arry and Chester Osborn, who were in the UK to celebrate d'Arry's 61st vintage at the helm of d'Arenberg in South Australia's McLaren Vale.

The showcased wines were six vintages of d'Arenberg Red Burgundy (sic), from 1966 to 1973, brought over specially from d'Arry's personal cellar. These were not special show wines, but simple, commercial releases corresponding to d'Arry's Original, the current release selling for £8.49 at Oddbins.

D'Arenberg Red Burgundy was actually made from shiraz and grenache grapes, but re-named in 1989 to avoid falling foul of European regulations. With d'Arenberg's trademark red stripe on the label, the wine had originally been labelled red burgundy because that's what the Brits deemed it to most resemble with age, although it might have had something to do with all the Aussie wine once sent to the UK in cask for beefing up burgundy itself.

Although the 1970 and 1966 were fading, the other four vintages had retained remarkable power. The 1967 was an extraordinary 35-year-old wine with spice and truffley undertones, plenty of vigour, warmth, smooth tannins and sweetly ripe fruit. When you next buy d'Arry's Original, give some thought to squirreling a bottle or two away. Like d'Arry himself, it will get better with age.