The Bordeaux-like 2001 The Galvo Garage is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, all from the cooler Adelaide Hills appellation. Its dense purple color is followed by aromas of licorice, pepper, vanillin, spice box, and red as well as black currants. This attractive, medium-bodied, well-made 2001 will drink well for 5-7 years. Chester Osborn, the remarkable person behind this enormous array of both impeccably high quality and value-priced wines, deserves considerable accolades for what he is able to achieve at all price ranges. If you love Australian wines, d’Arenberg is a winery to seek out as these offerings all possess abundant soul as well as character. In short, the accolades that proprietor/winemaker Chester Osborn receives not only from The Wine Advocate, but virtually everybody in the wine world, are all well deserved.Importer: Rob McDonald, Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 258-9552

There’s a lot of oak here—the nose, particularly, shows wood-derived herb and white peppery notes. Red fruit on the palate fades into smooth, oaky tannins on the finish.——D.T.(12/31/2003)—— 87