Meet the maker | Chester Osborn (d'Arenberg)

d’Arenberg almost needs no introduction. Theirs is a storied history that influenced the colour and shape of South Australian wine - and continues today with head winemaker (and custodian) Chester Osborn at the helm. Here's Tully on why we love the wines, along with a word from the man himself.

Check out: The Maestro 3.0 - d'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz 2018 – XMAS in July Deal

The Osborn family first tended to McLaren Vale vineyards in 1912, and four generations later, Chester Osborn is at the helm to steer his family legacy into the future. What comes of this history is an intimate understanding of the landscape that is impossible to understate.

Chester in the vineyard. Image credit: Wine Australia.

“I was born into winemaking - I worked all my school holidays from age of 7, studied at Roseworthy and became chief winemaker from the ‘84 vintage here after taking over from my dad. It’s everything.” - Chester Osborn

If you hang out in McLaren Vale for any period of time, you’ll probably have someone tell you about the terroir of the Vale (and if you’re swinging by the d’Arenberg Cube, it could be you hear it from Chester himself). 

The iconic d'Arenberg cube. Image credit: Wine Australia.

Specifically, talk always gravitates towards the magnificent dirt here - and for good reason. The geology dates back 650 million years, and each vineyard sits on a unique structured patchwork of soil profiles. d’Arenberg is no exception, and so consequently you’ll find a whole heap of varietals finding their happy expression here.

Check out: d'Arenberg The Wild Pixie Shiraz 2019

So where to start? For Chester, it always begins with sparkling (a man after my own heart) and from there it’s a flight around this epic terroir.

“I would start with our Pollyanna Polly sparkling chardonnay/pinot noir/pinot meunier then on to The Dry Dam riesling and sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, Rhône whites, rosé, lighter reds through to our big shiraz, grenache and cabernet. McLaren Vale has so many varieties that grow so beautifully here I couldn't leave much out - we’re always experimenting with new varieties and I'm particularly excited by our fiano, montepulciano and mencia.” - Chester Osborn

Discovering d’Arenberg is a right of passage when you’re beginning your adventure in Aussie wine - and their style is always so deliciously consistent. Given Chester is the continuation of generations of fine winemaking there’s an argument to be made that the first bottles out of this winery still tell the same story as they do today, which is pretty remarkable when you look at how quickly wine trends change. 

For instance, parcels of fruit for their flagship "The Dead Arm" shiraz are even still harvested from those first 1912 vines - concentrated, foot-trodden heritage that goes into every bottle of one Australia's most collected wines.

"The Dead Arm's the wine I'm most proud of - it's achieved great status within the wine world and it's what people associate us most with." - Chester Osborn

Chester with his late father (and 3rd Generation d'Arenberg winemaker), the great d'Arry Osborn. Image credit: Wine Australia.

All their vineyards are certified biodynamic and/or organic, which speaks to the Osborn’s philosophy of caring for the land they’re on (the name "The Dead Arm" even comes from a vine disease that kills half the vine and enriches the surviving half).

Perhaps most impressively, every wine they make is basket pressed - which given the level of mechanisation most wineries have moved towards, showcases some serious love for the process. Chester describes what results in a glass of d’Arenberg as “character, structure and terroir” - with his permission, I’d add another. “Authentic”.

Chester takes a dip in an aforementioned basket press. Image credit: Wine Australia.

It almost feels like a buzzword, or a lazy reach for a descriptor - but I can’t think of anything more apt to describe what you'll find in the glass here. Everything about a d’Arenberg wine is authentic to what Chester (and the vines) live and breathe in McLaren Vale. The winemaking, the soils, the place.

Image credit: Wine Australia.

You ask any wine lover worth their waiter’s friend how McLaren Vale wine smells, tastes, what it evokes - they’ll describe a glass of d’Arenberg. And these are wines that deserve their reverential reputation in the upper echelons of Aussie winemaking because that authentic d’Arenberg-ness has never wavered - and generations of Osborns never lost sight of the fact that these are wines to be enjoyed, first and foremost. 

Shiraz, chardy, or any other from their stable - drop a bottle of d’Arenberg on the table, and you’ll see faces of all ages light up in recognition. Whether that be a Tuesday night dinner at home, or your chrissy celebrations. Or as Chester enjoys them - shared with friends, to a soundtrack of great music. Play on.

Browse our latest & greatest selections from d'Arenberg here.