PAST ACCOLADES:

Wine Spectator, Harvey Steiman February 2014:
Fresh and polished, offering walnut-accented blackberry flavours on a medium-weight frame. Shows juicy acidity on the finish. Drink now through 2017.

The Tasmanian Wine Centre:
The palate is fresh and juicy, ripe red fruits mix with plums, blackcurrant, flowers and a twist of black pepper. The tannins are fine with d’Arenberg’s trademark earthiness helping keep this easy going wine in check.

Paradigm Wine Blog:
d’Arenberg’s Stump Jump Shiraz is my Wine of the Week, as the value it delivers for the money is incredible. Named after the “Stump Jump” plow, so named for its ability to plow over roots, stumps and rocks without getting stuck, d’Arenberg’s Stump Jump line is its entry level offering, with price points of $11-$13 in the store and $20-$28 in a restaurant. While you might not expect much from a $11 bottle of wine, the Stump Jump Shiraz outperforms Shiraz more than twice its price. The wine starts out with a deep ruby colour. On the nose, the wine is full of cherry and blackberry fruits, which continue on the palate. What sets this Shiraz apart is the intensity of this ripe fruit, which is just as intense on the finish as when the wine first hits your tongue. The finish has a mineral-graphite edge that balances the fruit nicely. In all, it drinks far, far, above its price point.

WINEMAKING:
This wine is the combination of many individual parcels of wines that flowed down from senior wines in the d’Arenberg stable. It also includes parcels from a range of new growers.

Red winemaking at d’Arenberg is very traditional and simplistic. All of the reds wines are fermented in headed-down open fermenters prior to being pressed in our traditional basket-presses, then matured in barriques and large casks prior to bottling at the winery.

Good winter rains ensured adequate subsoil moisture and set vines up well with healthy canopies. There was un-seasonably hot weather in November during flowering, although this did not affect fruit setting and vigour was well balanced. There was some more heat during veraison (berry colour-change) which serves vines well. The rest of the season was mild with nights mild to cool and very little rain. It was another early start to vintage. Both reds and whites from 2010 are looking excellent with strong varietal flavours.

The name ‘Stump Jump’ pays homage to a significant South Australian invention – the Stump Jump plough. As well as clearing the land around McLaren Vale, it was adopted worldwide in the late 19th century because of its ability to ride over stumps and gnarled roots, saving valuable time and energy.