Produced from a Mourvedre vineyard first planted in 1853, the 1997 Mourvedre Old Garden was a surprise. Textbook notes of mushrooms, blueberries, earth, tree bark and saddle leather jump from the glass of this medium-bodied, racy, stylish yet concentrated Mourvedre. This type of wine is not for everyone given Mourvedre's singular personality and dusty tannin. However, this tastes like the real stuff from France's Bandol appellation. This wine was impressively long, well-balanced, and loaded with character. Drink it over the next 5-10 years. Imported by The Australian Premium Wine Collection, John Larchet, USA Wine West, LLC, San Rafael, CA; phone: (800)-485-5753 and Chicago Brands, Chicago, IL; tel. (312) 466-9300.