Containing approximately 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, the 2004 The Galvo Garage has a deep garnet-brick color, a ripe, expressive mocha and spice nose, and hints of mulberries, creme de cassis, toast and Nutella. Rich, full bodied and mature in the mouth, it has a solid backbone of crisp acid and medium-firm finely grained tannins, finishing long. Delicious now, it should keep another 3-5 years+. The d’Arenberg winery is 100 years old with a fourth generation Osbourne in charge today of this now considerable operation. Graduated from Roseworthy College in 1983, Chester was expected by his father to change things when he took over the family business. Instead he went back to tradition rather than modernizing. In the d’Arenberg vineyards there is no cultivating, fertilizing or herbicides used – Chester compares these artificial means to growing plants hydroponically. Looking to continually improve the root systems of his vines, he rarely irrigates. Average yields are 1.7 tons per acre. “2011 was actually a great year for us,” Chester informed me. “We didn’t have any problems with rot.”Importer: Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA, www.oldbridgecellars.com

Said to be inspired by the garagiste movement in Bordeaux, this full-bodied wine is dense and well structured, combining eucalyptus notes with cassis, cedar and vanilla flavors, plus a rich chocolaty component. It’s a bit fleshy, suggesting a drinking window from now–2015. The wine is mainly (61%) Cab Sauvignon.——J.C.(2/1/2008)—— 90