d’Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz 2016 12 Pack

92 POINTS

James Suckling

A cherry-flavored nose that also offers up aromas of blackberry pie, cedar and spices. Medium to full body, grainy tannins, lots of fresh blue and black fruit and a chewy finish. Drink in 2021.

90 POINTS

Josh Raynolds - Vinous

Deep, bright-rimmed ruby. Dark berries, cola, licorice and a hint of mocha on the fragrant nose. In a plush, open-knit style, showing good depth and spicy cut to bitter cherry and cassis flavors. Turns sweeter on the clinging finish, which is given shape by smooth, interwoven tannins.

90 POINTS

Christina Pickard - Wine Enthusiast

Tightly wound and somewhat closed, the plump plum, blueberry and spice tones of this wine unravel with time in the glass. The palate brings taut, earthy tannins and fairly prominent oak. Drink 2020–2026.

90 POINTS

Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front

D’Arenberg’s Footbolt Shiraz. Always worth a look. Mid weight at most. This is really quite slender for a warm-climate shiraz, though its bones are good and there’s just enough creaminess to the texture to give you something to latch onto. All up it’s a pretty decent package. Fumey in part but berried, smoky, flashed with salted herbs and well shaped. Hard wine to score in some ways, better suited to drinking, but just into 90 territory.

Wine Spectator

A big mouthful of chunky, rough-and-tumble tannins provides a firm backbone to the blackberry, blueberry and dried cherry flavors, with shades of cedar and dried herb adding complexity. Delivers plenty of charm amid the tannins.

James Halliday - Halliday Wine Companion

One of the many quirks in the d'Arenberg marketing under the baton of Chester Osborn. The Footbolt has for many years delivered more than $18 a bottle worth of wine, with its strong McLaren Vale stamp to its chocolatey black fruits. Ah, but I've answered the question: this is the big selling wine available in all markets in which d'Arenberg operates.

Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Some lots that were blended into the 2016 The Footbolt Shiraz were co-fermented with white grapes—not just Viognier but also Marsanne and Roussanne, according to Osborne. The wine is cedary and minty on the nose, hinting at dark fruit, like plum and black cherry. It's medium to full-bodied, with firm tannins and a bit of date-like dried fruit on the palate, while the dry, dusty finish hints at vanilla.