Like its Rhone Valley siblings, Adelaide Hills Viognier is a wine that drinks well on release, evolving as it grows in complexity. Named after a site which lies at the bottom of a gully in McLaren Vale, the Last Ditch was originally planted to a small block of Doradillo vines during the 19th century. In 1995 the site became repopulated by Viognier. Last Ditch is a highly auspicious wine which receives the very best barrels of d'Arenberg Viognier, it simply blossoms on the palate and continues to linger.

A mostly Adelaide Hills wine, from fruit grown to the higher elevations which suit Viognier well, around a backbone of good McLaren Vale fruit. Parcels are vinified separately to retain regional highlights before assembling just prior to bottling. Grapes are passed through a gentle Demoisy rubber tooth crusher before being basket pressed to a method developed at d'Arenberg for the purpose of avoiding oxidisation. After three days of cold settling, juices are racked off gross lees to a selection of well used French oak barriques. A third of the barrels begin a wild yeast vinificaion, all are fermented on lees until dry. After seven months, the best barrels are selected for inclusion into the Last Ditch.