Medium-deep ruby-purple colored, the 2010 The Blewitt Springs Grenache displays pretty, vibrant raspberry and red cherry aromas over tree bark and black pepper. Full bodied and richly fruited in the mouth, the generous flesh is well supported by firm chewy tannins and refreshing acid, finishing long. Drinking well now, it should cellar to 2022+. 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