88 Points | International Wine Cellar , July/August 2011

(42% grenache, 33% shiraz and 25% mourvedre):  Deep ruby.  Powerful, youthfully brooding aromas of cherry, licorice, dark chocolate and pungent herbs.  Smells and tastes quite serious for an entry-level wine, offering deep dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors that pick up sweetness with air.  Supple tannins build on the nicely persistent, chewy finish.  Owner and winemaker Chester Osbourne says that a lot of components that just missed the cut for d'Arenberg's flagship bottlings typically go into this wine, which gives it a less easygoing personality than most Aussie reds at this price point.